Social Work Month Shines Spotlight on Profession of Hope

[Kobi]

Retired. Inpatient medical, oncology, neurology, emergency med, and maternal and child health. Ran HIV clinic. Supervisor of student social workers. Consultant to home care agencies and nursing homes.

Quite an array of colleagues here. Nice!

[socialjustice_fsu]

Licensed Clinical Social Worker:

Psychiatry: Inpatient adult psychiatric unit, Director; State Hospital, Administrator; State Hospital, Forensic Unit, Lead Social Worker.

Legal: Lead Social Worker, Jimmy Ryce Center - Children's Sexual Predator Center (Court committed habitual sexual predator program); Expert Witness for attorneys related to hate crime perpetrator prosecution; Group/Gang trend researcher; Expert Witness for individual compentency hearings.

Hospice: Senior Social Worker Hospice Inpatient Unit (16 bed) for patients at end of life; Certification in end-of-life conflict resolution, Veteran end-of-life issues and instructor at the corporate level for MD's and ARNP's; Graduate intern supervisor/mentor.

Social Work is a noble profession. I am so pleased I chose this career.

Kobi, thank you for this recognition.

[Kobi]

Social Work is the profession of hope—fueled by resilience and advocacy. Social Workers matter because they help millions of struggling people every day dream differently.

In the United States, more than 650,000 of these highly trained professionals know how daunting and immobilizing life’s tragedies and obstacles can be. But they also witness the sheer determination of countless individuals and families to achieve different lives. Sometimes, all it takes to help people get on the right path is guidance toward what is possible. Other times, social workers are an immediate lifeline in crisis—providing access to resources and new life options.

Those served by social workers possess many strengths that keep them fighting for a better future despite personal and systemic barriers to success. They climb toward what is possible rather than simply accepting what the current situation may be. Professional social workers help combine these client strengths with effective personal and public advocacy.

It is with these concepts in mind that NASW has announced the theme for Social Work Month 2013 as “Weaving Threads of Resilience and Advocacy: The Power of Social Work.”

A Nation’s Fabric:

Our national fabric is comprised of many diverse lives. It is vibrant and strong because it has been woven from the stories of people from every continent into a compelling narrative of struggle, renewal, and success. Each thread helps make a brilliant tapestry that continues to be the envy of the world.

Stronger Safety Nets:

Resilience and determination alone cannot overcome all crises, but weaving those strengths with targeted advocacy often can. The Social Work profession has a distinguished history of not only providing social safety nets to the most vulnerable, but also challenging systems that impede social mobility.

Positive Futures:

Stories of hope in the face of tragedy share a common theme: better times are ahead. Illness, loss, abuse, and poverty shape our lives in profound ways, but how we learn to deal with each circumstance can determine how much those experiences define our limitations—or our opportunities.
-----------


For my often unappreciated and unacknowledged colleagues.....thank you for hanging in there. You make a difference everyday.

[DapperButch]

Thanks for acknowledging us again this year, Kobi!

I also give thanks to all the social workers. I am amazed by those who can work in social service programs such as child protection. Hospice is a difficult road, as well. I think both of those areas take very special people.

[femmeInterrupted]

Spent over a decade in the Violence Against Women sector
Then:

Woman's Advocate/Counsellor, feminist counselling, frontline:
Residential Programs Manager: 30 bed Domestic Violence Shelter for Women and Children, over saw crisis line, 2 residential shelters, Child witness programming.

Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre, Manager, Co-ordination/creation of programs, crisis line management/back up, outreach and educational programming, Clinical supervision to frontline staff/counsellors.
Specialized in compassion fatigue/secondary trauma/burn out

Now:

Back at school this coming September.
Working towards a law degree.

This was just posted on my Facebook wall:

[KCBUTCH]

Thank you to all those in the helping fields, as an addiction counselor and soon to be a MA student working towards my LMFT I have found only gratitude and life lessons in my journey of service and I am grateful to know I am not the only one who is passionate about it...

[RNguy]

Love love social workers .
Extremely smart and the way they find loop holes to help clients out is brilliant!!!!!
Thank you social workers
Love,
NurseBdawg