Happy Social Work Month!

March is Social Work month. Social workers in hundreds of different roles, working with a variety of populations across the county have been celebrated and appreciated this month. Before March comes to an end, I wanted to take time to express appreciation for social workers.

Social Work is such a broad label. With a quick internet search of “social work” jobs, you will find thousands of positions requiring varying levels of education and experience, working with children, adoption, family services, hospitals, homeless, counseling/private practice, veterans, domestic violence, seniors, community services… the list goes on and on. That is just positions labeled ‘social worker’.

So, what is a ‘social worker’? That title often comes with a presumed image of a caring person doing their best to make social change, often working one on one with individuals and families, helping them through life’s’ obstacles. That is true in many cases, while far from all inclusive. When people ask me about my educational background, I often say that I am a “Social Worker by Education” hinting that I’m not actually practicing Social Work because even I picture a social worker using a narrow definition.

When considering graduate school options, I chose Arizona State University for my Master of Social Work degree because they offer a MACRO Social Work degree called PAC which stood for Planning, Administration and Community Practice. The PAC degree focused on leadership, management, organizational planning. I knew that would be my focus, rather than counseling, one on one and family specific work. I often felt like the minority among social workers. Yet, as I get further away from my graduate school days – I graduated 13 years ago – I find that the majority of my social work graduate school cohort – those who sought a Masters degree in Social Work – use their degrees in work beyond the traditional image of social work. We are fundraisers, advocates, trainers, marketing executives, consultants, managers, government/city officials, moms/dads and sales professionals.

With that said, I want to thank ALL Social Workers – those who fit the traditional Social Work role and those who do not. The days are long, the pay is not great and there are situations that at times seem hopeless. My charge to you - Keep fighting the good fight. Never forget what brought you here. And on the hard days, remember that small efforts by you make a big impact in the lives of those you serve.

Thank you for being a Social Worker.

Rebekah Wilson, MSW