Celebrate Social Work Month – March 2010

The 2010 Social Work Month theme is “Social Workers Inspire Community Action”

Since its inception, the social work profession has worked to improve life for millions every day. Social workers operate from values that recognize each person as relevant to society and believe that, when needed, society should help each person achieve his or her fullest potential.

No Limitations. People choose careers in the social work profession because they believe they can make a significant impact in the lives of others through individual and group assistance.  But they also recognize that effective social work practice with individuals, families and communities is affected by institutions, customs and laws that may limit the success of many.

Our Legacy. A commitment to fairness, and an intense interest in seeing others succeed by removing personal and public barriers, distinguishes social workers from other like-minded helping professionals.  These values—coupled with tangible social science skills—have led social workers in history to create essential safety net programs such as unemployment insurance, health insurance, income assistance and child protection services, and to fight for a range of human and civil rights in the United States.

Our Impact. Social workers are close to the critical events that shape the quality of American life. We are on the frontlines, developing, advocating and delivering social programs that are responsive to such human needs as homelessness, poverty, family break-up, mental illness, disability, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence and many other issues.  Social workers help people live more rewarding lives.

This year’s Social Work Month celebration showcases the expertise and dedication of professional social workers in helping to improve community life.  We will promote the chosen theme “Social Workers Inspire Community Action” through three core strategies of the ongoing National Social Work Public Education Campaign:

• Consumer Education
• Entertainment Outreach
• Student Recruitment

While social workers are integral parts of all communities, the general public’s understanding of these contributions and services is still limited.  Using this toolkit and related campaign materials you can help ensure that more people are exposed to positive and actionable information about the social work profession.  Every social worker has a role to play, so we hope this online toolkit helps you identify and implement promotional activities that best suit your skills and interests.

SWM 2010 Toolkit Materials:

SWM 2010 Overview

• Key Messages for SWM 2010
• Community Action Hero Nomination Form

Consumer Education Overview

• 10 Things You Can Do to Educate Consumers
• Visitor’s Guide to the HelpStartsHere.org Web Site

Entertainment Outreach Overview

• 10 Things You Can Do to Change Social Work Media Portrayals
• Visitor’s Guide to the SocialWorkersSpeak.org Web Site

Student Recruitment Overview

• 10 Things You Can Do to Introduce Students to Social Work
• Visitor’s Guide to BeASocialWorker.org Web Site

Resources

• History of Social Work Month
• Who Are Social Workers? Handout

If you have any questions about Social Work Month 2010, please contact NASW Communications at 202-336-8212.

Find out where to take your career and how to get there!  The NASW Center for Workforce Studies has compiled survey results, indentified decision points, and classified the social work labor force to help you understand your place on the professional spectrum.  These reports are must haves for any social worker looking to equipt themselves for the current workforce demands.

Your feedback is needed:  Share your experiences:  Complete the survey

CLICK TO ORDER

The Results Are In: What Social Workers Say About Social Work

NASW Center for Workforce Studies, Tracy Whitaker, DSW, ACSW, Director

2009. Item #B200. 66 pages. $24.99

CLICK TO ORDER

Workforce Trends Affecting the Profession 2009

NASW Center for Workforce Studies, Tracy Whitaker, DSW, ACSW

2009. Item #B100. Booklet. 28 pages.  $9.99

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH

Our delegation was received today by the social work faculty of Helwan University. We were met by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Maher Abo Elmaate, and by the Vice Deans for Post Graduate Studies and Community Organization. Their faculty mission is “Preparing a high quality social worker able to apply the skills of dealing with social work systems and influencing them for making changes for developing the community and individuals.”

They explained their programs and that they use the CSWE standards as a guide. They also were quick to point out that they had the latest version of The Encyclopedia of social Work published by NASW.

We discussed the challenges facing social work in our respective countries. One theme in common was the need for a clearer understanding of what social workers do. We mentioned the need for tuition assistance and loan forgiveness for social work students in the USA. They do not have that problem because their university is government run and undergraduates can attend at almost no cost and MSWs pay a small sum. Doctoral students pay a bit more, perhaps $400 per year. Since they are government run, they accept only Egyptian and Palestinean students.

We toured their computer lab and library which housed all of the theses and dissertations that have been completed on their campus. It was an impressive number. They are working at building a data base for their research and community projects.

We discussed the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act that is currently pending in the US Congress. They enjoyed hearing about the legislation and thought it was a good idea.

Helwan University was established as a social work school for women in 1946. They opened admission to men in 1975. They are very active in community development and action programs.

At the conclusion of our meeting, we were interviewed by Nile Television. They were interested in knowing how we felt Egypt was progressing.

The Prevention Fellowship Program is a two-year program. Fellows receive a yearly stipend of up to $35,000, with a one-year option for renewal based on the previous year’s performance. Currently, there are 45 Fellows located in state, community, and local agencies throughout the U.S. and the Territories.

Fellows are placed in state offices or other designated locations and assigned to a mentor representative, who is usually the director of the agency. Together, these two develop a Fellows Accomplishment Plan that defines a core set of well-defined assignments with associated milestones, objectives, and outcomes.

Working closely with their mentor and other leading professionals in the prevention field, Fellows undertake projects that promote skills development and knowledge of state-of-the-art prevention practices. This direct, hands-on experience is reinforced by intensive online and in-person training that focuses on the following areas:

• Substance abuse prevention across the life span
• Community prevention planning and service delivery at the State and community level, including coalition building
• Data, evaluation, and alcohol, and drug epidemiology
• Environment prevention strategies, systems change, and service delivery
• Social marketing and substance abuse prevention

In addition to becoming aware of and building competencies in diverse areas of public health practice, Fellows have the opportunity to develop critical research, writing, evaluation, and presentation skills under a structured training program. Through participation in activities, field work, and training, Fellows forge a strong network of peers and public health and behavioral health professionals who can sustain their professional growth.

The Prevention Fellowship Program was created by SAMHSA in 2006 to build a workforce of highly competent prevention professionals who meet International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) standards. Certification indicates that individuals in the prevention field meet the highest standards of performance for the delivery of prevention services. To date, all Fellows who sat for the IC&RC exam have passed.

The Fellowship Program emphasizes SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework, a national strategy for prevention planning, program development, and prevention service delivery. Fellows also are exposed to other public health models in prevention service delivery, including the “Continuum of Care.”

Applications for this class of Fellows are due September 11, 2009, 5:00 PM (EST). Before applying, please refer to the eligibility requirements. Then, fill out the online application, include a one-page personal essay, and provide two letters of reference electronically by September 11, 2009, 5:00 PM (EST).

Dear Babs: College major for a wannabe therapist? - Kansas City Star - 6/4/09
“Another way to be a therapist is to get your Masters in Social Work, or MSW. A person with a MSW can set up private practice as a therapist, but cannot prescribe medication. These therapists are often used instead of psychologists with children, families, or people with substance abuse problems.”

Lagos celebrates school Social Work Day - NEXT - 6/4/09
“Students, teachers, parents and public officers in Lagos State gathered at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa on Wednesday, to celebrate the first School Social Work Day.”

School of Social Work Plans Anniversary Celebration and Remembrance - University of Maine - 6/3/09
The UMaine School of Social Work is inviting members of the university community to an anniversary celebration for the school and a remembrance of an admired former faculty member June 18 at Wells Commons Conference Center.

Social worker helps CPS students shed light on school closings - Chi-Town Daily News - 6/3/09
So in February, when officials chose to merge Medill Elementary with a nearby West Side school, CPS social worker Aura Brickler decided to channel students’ confusion — into a documentary. She armed them with audio recorders and questions, and next week, just before the school closes, she plans to unveil the result: Medill Matters.

Obama’s auto team listens to state woes - Detroit Free Press - 6/3/09
Less than an hour later, the same officials heard heartrending stories from workers, union officials and social workers in Pontiac.”In the last 12 months, we’ve had a 30% increase in just emergency food requests,” John Ziraldo, CEO and president of the social service agency Lighthouse of Oakland County.

Source: GoogleNews

NASW Social Work Journal - A Special Issue on Racial & Ethnic Minorities will be available for July 2009. NASW Press has not published a special issue on racial and ethnic minorities since 1982(Vol. 27, No.1). Since that issue, the theoretical knowledge base undergirding social work practice with racial and ethnic minorities has both expanded and diversified.

For information about an online subscription or a combination print and online subscription, please go to www.naswpressonline.org

Social Work is the premiere journal of the social work profession. Widely read by practitioners, faculty, and students, it is the official journal of NASW and is provided to all members as a membership benefit. Social Work is dedicated to improving practice and advancing knowledge in social work and social welfare. Its articles yield new insights into established practices, evaluate new techniques and research, examine current social problems, and bring serious critical analysis to bear on problems in the profession. Major emphasis is placed on social policy and the solutions to serious human problems.