Dear Colleagues!
I want to take a moment to acknowledge you during National Social Worker Month for your extraordinary contributions to achieving our vision and mission, for your dedication to upholding the values of our profession, for your advocacy for social justice, and for your relentless focus and tireless energy to support and improve the lives of our most vulnerable populations.
The National Association of Social Work (NASW) has chosen “Elevate Social Work” as the theme for 2019. Holistically, social workers assess and examine issues at the individual, family, community and systemic levels. They ELEVATE and EMPOWER others to solve problems and they help connect them to resources to remove barriers. Built on a strong foundational belief in the importance and value of relationships, social workers are natural conveners, bridge builders, and facilitators of change at many levels.
As I reflect on my career as a social worker and think about the work that you do every day, I think about the following characteristics that help describe who we are: courageous, resilient, persistent, perceptive, patient, passionate and compassionate, dependable, motivated, trustworthy, ethical, creative, and flexible. Social work also requires a sense of humor. These are your SUPER POWERS!
- Thank you for creating caring, understanding, and empowering environments for others during times of high emotional distress or crisis.
- Thank you for your patience as you handle life’s complexities with dignity and grace.
- Thank you for building dependable relationships anchored in trust through open, honest, transparent conversations, and unconditional support.
- Thank you for being fierce advocates, for not giving up, and for doing what needs to be done.
- Thank you for being flexible in your schedules and in your thinking – the work we do is messy and often unpredictable.
- Thank you for caring others’ burdens with grace, for your ability to walk through heartache, and for finding ways to set healthy boundaries and to take care of yourself and those around you.
- Thank you for your creativity in being able to “think outside of the box” and see various ways to approach a situation.
- Thank you for your courage to face your challenges head on, to embrace the discomforts that life gives us, and to do so with bravery.
- Laughter is good for the soul – please take the time to celebrate small successes and victories in the midst of your day-to-day work.
You are all my SUPER HEROES – thank you for inspiring those around you and for making the world a better place! The following poem, written by Terricka Hardy, LCSW, ACSW, sums up our profession:
Who Am I?
Who am I? I’m glad you asked
I’m the one who’s willing to advocate, no matter how hard the task
To some I’m an educator, to others a broker
I wear many hats, I’m a Social Worker!
Many fail to realize the impact of this great profession
Promoting human well-being, Social Work has contributed to our world’s progression
Held to strong ethical standards, inspired to serve
Social Workers fight hard to promote the social justice everyone deserves
Valuing the human relationship, respecting the worth of the individual
A true Social Worker is selfless, putting people first is a ritual
Vowing to remain competent in all we do, we strive to uphold integrity by staying committed to you.
So, who am I, again?
Well, I’m glad you asked
I’m a proud, dedicated Social Worker, that’s who.
You are amazing!
Jody Becker, MSW, Ph.D.
Deputy Secretary – Programs for Children and Families
Department of Children, Youth, and Families