National Social Work Month: The Time is Right
March 11, 2022
NEWTON, Kan. (March 11, 2022) – The month of March is celebrated as National Social Work Month. This month serves as a time to recognize the dedication and passion that individuals have devoted to the field of social work. The theme for this year’s celebration is “The Time is Right for Social Work.”
Social workers are the most common contact for millions of people with mental illness and addictions. There are currently 4,730 licensed social workers in the state of Kansas. Prairie View employs 25 of them. Across the country, social workers are the largest group of mental health providers, employed in over 50 different fields of practice.
Unfortunately, the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of social workers due to lack of funding and incentives in rural areas, professional demands, a looming retirement wave, and the complexity of challenges that social workers face.
In a time marked by aging population, social isolation, homelessness, incarceration and the opioid epidemic, the time for social work is now.
The role of a social worker is not defined by one environment. Social workers can be found in mental health centers, schools, hospitals, nonprofits, the military and corporations to guide individuals through obstacles that they may be facing.
As stated in this year’s theme, the time is always right for social work. The need for social workers has always been a necessity within the nation and around the world. Social workers have provided life-changing impact across multiple decades, and the occupation is expected to grow even further as time progresses.
Social workers touch the lives of many, and it is possible that a social worker has had impact somewhere within one’s life. This may be through personal experience or through a friend or family member’s life. Times are changing, bringing fresh obstacles to face. However, the field of social work is a constant, and those who pour their time into this practice are present so that one does not have to face obstacles alone.
For more information about social workers or National Social Work Month, visit www.socialworkers.org