A Social Worker can help bring order and calm to chaotic situations. They are their superpower! They will be available to assist in any way they can. This superpower makes it easy for us to understand why National Social Work Month is so important!

1984 was the first year that National Social Work Month was officially recognized by the White House. Each year since then has had its own theme to help people understand the work of social workers. Some themes in the past have been about issues such as AIDS/HIV and violence prevention, hate crimes, violence prevention or children in poverty, to name a few. The themes of this month were more focused on raising awareness about how social workers can benefit their communities in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s.

This event is sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers each year. It aims to recognize those who practice and to help young people understand the profession in order to encourage them to choose social work as their career. According to statistics from the Department of Labor, the demand for social workers is expected to increase by more than twofold in 2008. This was true in the areas such as substance abuse, home care, and social service agencies.

Learn more about National Social Work Month if you’re still pondering what career you want. You can find great resources online that provide information about education requirements, expected salaries, as well as details about their work at the Department of Labor, in career counseling centers, and on the internet.

Are you a social worker? If you do, you are very lucky! Let them know that you are proud of them and help them celebrate this month! You can send a handwritten note or a card to let them know you appreciate them and that they have done great things. They can often be found in our lives when things aren’t going as well as they should. It’s nice to give them positive feedback.

Social workers often spend their day in the car, going from client to customer. This month, you can celebrate with gift certificates to their favorite coffee shop or where they might eat lunch. A gift certificate for something they would enjoy is even better! You could send a sweet message or a favorite candy shop to make their day.

It doesn’t matter what you do, recognize those who choose social work to be their career. They make an impact on the lives of others every day by using their superpower. Isn’t that cool?