Social Work Profession Recruits New Students During National Social Work Month

New Web Site Highlights “50 Ways to Use Your Social Work Degree”

Washington DC—The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has kicked off its annual Social Work Month celebration with an outreach effort aimed at educating prospective and returning college students about the great purpose and countless possibilities of the social work profession.

To improve public awareness and understanding of social work careers, NASW has developed an interactive microsite at 50ways.helpstartshere.org. The site showcases more than 50 different ways that social workers are using their degrees from the nation’s 600 schools and programs of social work to make life better for individuals, families and communities.

Through individual profiles of social workers employed everywhere from schools, hospitals, and private businesses to government and non-profit agencies, foundations and the U.S. Congress, the site explores what experiences and interests led each person to the profession.

“People who are looking for a career with meaning, action, diversity, satisfaction, and an abundance of options are often drawn to social work,” says Elizabeth Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, executive director of NASW. “Social workers are highly trained professionals who care about people, who want to make things better, who want to relieve suffering, who want their work to make a difference.”

The 2009 Social Work Month theme—Social Work: Purpose and Possibility—highlights the special characteristics of those who choose social work as a profession, and underscores the goals of their work. Social workers are purpose-driven, compassionate individuals who work in collaboration with other disciplines to help the most vulnerable in our society overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.

“Having a social work degree helps me be part of the largest profession of mental health care providers. It helped me found the Baltimore Psychotherapy Institute. It helped me achieve faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins, Smith and University of Maryland in order to pass [my knowledge] on,” says Dan Buccino, clinical supervisor at the John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Community Psychiatric program and a social worker profiled on the site.

“I love knowing that my work has a positive impact on the lives of others. I also love the flexibility of the profession. As the mother of three children, I’ve appreciated the control I have over my schedule and have chosen to work part-time,” notes Judith Matz, Director of the Chicago Center for Overcoming Overeating, Inc., also profiled on the site.

“There is so much that I love about this profession. It is so inspiring to see people heal and find joy despite great adversity. I love collaborating with, inspiring, empowering and motivating clients, students, and co-workers to make positive changes,” says Heidi Horsley, executive director and co-founder of the Open to Hope Foundation in New York, when asked what she likes most about being a social worker.

For more information about the recruitment campaign or to learn more about the many ways social workers help, visit http://50ways.helpstartshere.org.

About the National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C., is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world with nearly 150,000 members in 56 chapters throughout the United States and its territories.  It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers.  NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.

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11 Responses to “Social Work Profession Recruits New Students During National Social Work Month”

  1. CaroleMilan Danis Says:
    March 7th, 2009 at 9:02 am

    i am a testimony to the versatility of my MSW degree. I have been a mental health therapist, a job developer, a group/workshop facilitator, a community educator, youth worker, probation counselor, employee trainer and case manager.

    My flexibility as a social worker and the doors it has opened have kept me and my career vital, interesting and enjoyable.

    Carole Milan Danis, LICSW

  2. Chanda Roberts White Says:
    March 25th, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    As a parent facilitator, I interact with parents of varying backgrounds who mat be at different points in their lifelong learning journeys. This March 2009, I am pleased that one of my parent visitors has been accepted to Georgia State University’s School of Social Work B.S.W program! We have discussed the versatility of a degree in Social Work versus completing a psychology degree.
    I am truly happy that she is already thinking of how she will work fulltime as a school bus driver, sinlge mother of four children, one of whom is going away for college soon, and balancing her fulltime studies.

  3. Joseph Djidah Says:
    April 6th, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    I am a final year social work student of the University of Ghana. I will complete in June. I want to know how i could join your NASW. What do i need to become a member.

  4. sabina belshaku Says:
    April 9th, 2009 at 4:56 am

    I am a social worker of the University of Elbasan, Albania. I worked here from two years. Actually i graduate master degree in gender and development. I want to know how i could join your NASW. What do i need to become a member.

  5. rosemary mike Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 7:03 am

    i really like social work as a career because it has help to improve my relationship with others,i had a diploma certificate in social work and i really want to further my career but i dnt know how and where,pls help me.rose from NIGERIA

  6. Judith Nyapola Says:
    May 25th, 2009 at 6:08 am

    I am a social work student at the University or Nairobi and the reason why I want to became a social worker is to change peoples way of thinking, their perseptions in their society which lhas led to many problems in the society especilly here in Africa, I know it is not easy but with many trained social workers we can make it

  7. gyasi-antwi isaac Says:
    May 26th, 2009 at 11:38 am

    i love social work as a career,i am a level 100 atudent of university of Ghana,i have heard several school of social work but ours in university of ghana is a department,why?.how can i join NASW,GHANA

  8. PATIENCE AMOAKO CARTLEDGE Says:
    July 10th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    i really love social work cus i always want to reach out to people,please help me join your association

  9. ritchie Says:
    October 30th, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    go to websiteNASW to join -Nigeria look for jobs on line and then come here to states and work or do more education, we do have SW dedts but normally they are so big or the dept you can get your dsw-they’re big so they get to be schools within the university-some even have differnt names like NYU I think is called Silver u or it may be for adult students

  10. Vesna S Says:
    January 6th, 2010 at 12:46 am

    Please visit my website to see my experience as a student of social work in University of Newcastle, NSW AUSTRALIA. I would like to know what do you think about Australian social work organization?
    Thank you, Vesna
    http://new.home.tripod.com/aasw.html

  11. Maryam C Says:
    February 23rd, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    I am very interested in becoming a social worker. My father does social work and counsels people that are recovering from drugs and alcohol. I have a passion for helping people resolve their problems and want to be resource for people to discuss matters that they are experiencing.

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