In Defense of Social Workers

Since 1984, the White House has officially recognized March as Social Work Month. Each year, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) uses it to promote the profession in general and the specific vulnerable populations that we work with. The National Social Work Public Education Campaign was enacted during the last five years to help promote positive images of social workers.

And boy do we need the positive publicity. Social workers have long gotten a bum rap. We are often seen as "do-gooders" or decried as people who take children away from their families. Unfortunately, the media only seems to pay attention to our profession when a child tragically dies due to system neglect. Those stories are horrific, and they do happen, though rarely. Every profession has its unfavorable images. We're not alone in that.

There aren't many positive stories in the media about social workers. This is why Social Work Month is so important -- so we can give people a better understanding of the profession by describing the vast and dynamic work that dedicated social workers do. Much of this work is on behalf of the homeless.

Social workers are an integral part of the daily lives of homeless people. We work at the shelters where they reside, we are part of the emergency room team that treats their illnesses, we assist in obtaining concrete benefits (such as Social Security, disability, Medicaid and/or food stamps), and we provide mental health and substance abuse counseling. The life of a homeless individual may seem simple, but it's almost impossibly complicated. Social workers are there to help the homeless individual navigate these systems and to improve the quality of her life. We're also advocates at the policy level, and use our voices to effect changes in laws and policies that can have profound effects on the quality of a homeless person's life. One such example is the current movement in New York City to have Mayor Michael Bloomberg restore federal housing aid priority to homeless New Yorkers.

On a more basic level, we are often the only people in a homeless person's life who take the time to sit and listen. Because of the overwhelming nature of the lives of homeless people, and often because they lack adequate support, we become their support systems and their sounding boards to vent frustrations and to discuss goals. And yes -- homeless people have goals. All of the remarkable individuals we meet who are not working want to work and contribute to society. The problem usually comes in the details. To get an apartment, you need a job. To get a job, you need an address and a phone to communicate. Without these, many people don't make it through an interview or even an application. We not only help people navigate this catch-22 and obtain some of these concrete necessities, we provide support and encouragement through the process.

Social workers are a vital part of the quest to end homelessness. We often know this population on a deeper level and can help provide insight and advocate in a unique way. We encourage all of you to check out the NASW and Social Work Month to learn about the people working on the front lines of the movement to end homelessness.

Photo credit: Rich Lombino