The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) is excited to celebrate National Social Work Month during all of March 2024! This year Social Work Month focuses on empowering social workers as they address mental health and other issues. The campaign being led by the National Association of Social Workers will focus on ways Americans can support the social work professions as it addresses issues our nation is facing, including the need for more mental health services providers.
People become social workers because they have a strong desire to help others. Social workers have a hearty sense of social justice and follow a Code of Ethics that calls on them to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people. They are particularly attuned to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.
Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It predicts nearly 800,000 people will work as social workers in the United States by 2032, an increase of seven percent over the decade.
They are certainly needed. Several states have said they are experiencing a shortage of mental health services providers, including social workers, and social services staff to help people and families in economic distress find affordable housing and other services.
Social workers are trained to work in holistic ways, assisting not just individuals but their entire families, communities, and even the larger society at large—especially if laws and regulations must be changed to benefit people. You will find social workers everywhere – in hospitals, schools, local, state, and federal government, social service agencies, corporations, and veterans centers, too.
Since the first social work class was offered at Columbia University in 1898, social workers have led the way, developing private and charitable organizations to serve people in need. Thank a social worker and celebrate them all month long.
National Social Work Month was officially recognized in 1984 when the White House declared March as the month to celebrate social workers and the profession. Social workers play a vital role in our society and we thank you for your commitment to your patients and their families.
Thank you for the work you do to support your patients and their families. #SocialWorkMonth!
To learn more visit: socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Month
