What IS Social Work?
It is finally the beginning of March! As most Canadians spend this month awaiting the beginning of spring and hoping for warmer weather, some of us have a different reason to celebrate. For social workers across the country, March 1st marks the beginning of National Social Work Month; a time to reflect on our work individually, as well as to consider our impact as a collective field. Many provinces also dedicate a specific week within this month to celebrate their own social workers. I spend this month reminding myself of the many reasons I chose this work, including my belief in the unlimited potential of my young clients and the knowledge that I can make a difference in their lives. Many of us take some extra time to volunteer, fundraise, advocate for a cause, or simply to engage in much needed self-care in order to best serve the people we work with.
In the weeks leading up to the start of this month, I was reminded of my first couple National Social Work Month celebrations during my time in college. My class fundraised, organized donations, and made lunches for a local shelter in-need while discussing what we wanted to do in our careers. These were amazing moments for me, as was all my time learning and growing in college. This also reminded me of being a student, where I remember being asked many times what I was in school for. When I responded that I was taking social work, most people assumed that meant taking children away from dangerous families. While social work does have a history with child protection, a field that is drastically changing to become more inclusive and diverse, that barely scratches the surface of what we can do as a profession. This made me realize that most people are not aware of who social workers are or what they do. So…
What IS a social worker?
Social work is a regulated profession that is dedicated to serving the people. In order to become a social worker, one must attend a post-secondary institution that meets national and international standards. Courses focus on building an understanding of the diverse backgrounds that people come from, and how this needs to be reflected in the services we provide. Social workers must be registered and therefore accountable for the work that they do. We have a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for our field that we must abide by, regardless of the rules of our agency or place of work. We also must prove that we are maintaining professional competency by taking courses and workshops every year that we work in the field. This is necessary as political climates change, and services must be adjusted to meet the evolving needs of the people. Social workers essentially exist to represent and work for the most vulnerable populations, fighting for policy and service changes that progress equal human rights and opportunity. There are many levels to social work, including: front-line work with clients, community development, and social policy. Regardless of where they are, they are all dedicated to serving the people.
WHERE are social workers?
The short answer is everywhere! Social workers are many of the faces you see in non-profit organizations, government social services, health services and private practices. They are shelter workers, program facilitators, counselors, and caregivers. We work with youth, seniors, immigrants and refugees, women, families, people experiencing addiction and homelessness, persons with disabilities and so much more. Social workers are only limited in their work by the change they wish to see in the world, and for many of us that means the sky is the limit.
What PREVENTS change?
Unfortunately, even though the sky is the limit for what we can do, the ultimate success and momentum of change is strongly influenced by the political system. If the government does not prioritize social services and the needs of people, the people suffer. Often the most vulnerable and under-represented people.
HOW can social workers help you and how can you help them?
There are thousands of services available to support yourself and your family, but you do need to search for them. I have lost count of the number of times a friend or family member has come to me with a problem, and they are baffled to hear that there is a service available to help. Luckily, finding these services is becoming easier due to information increasingly being available on the internet. You may be asking, if there are thousands of services available, why do we need more? Among a long list of answers, the simplest is that these services just aren’t enough to meet people’s needs. There isn’t enough diversity or availability, which results in eligibility requirements that not everyone can meet. We still have so much work to do when it comes to addressing these shortcomings. So what can you do? Access services! Reach out to your local representative and vote for people who fight for what you need. Showing that these services are necessary is one of the key ways that they will become a priority to those in power. All you need to do to help, is to let us help you, and we will do the rest. By reaching out for services, your voice is being added to the message that investing in the community is the way forward.
So, for this National Social Work Month, I am hoping that this post helps some people to better understand what social workers do, and encourages everyone to access the services they need!
