Our Financial Times

Many of us have lost our jobs, a home or both. Many of us have family and friends in very difficult situations. Many of us know agencies struggling to continue to serve those in need.

Here we stand, in the midst of the most difficult financial crisis in our country in decades. It is time to use our creative juices called courage, innovation, do things different, to share with others and any other idea that comes to you. We absolutely need to pull together and collaborate.

As the list of people in need multiplies, how will you reach out to family, friends, other agencies, neighbors and towns. These are times that will test us and really bring out the best of us as social workers. What creative actions have you participated in or have created along with others?

Impact!!

As social workers we go to school, learn all these news skills and tricks the trade. We seek to make an impact on the lives of others. In reality, it goes both ways.

As a social worker you will visit clients, you will have clients in your office, you will be working with clients in a field, behind bars or in the street. You will hear the wisdom from clients, their families and little by little, their lives, will begin to transform you and make an impact on the way you live and process life.

Social work is a daily powerful experience. Never underestimate your day. Never think that your work is routine, that everything will be the same as yesterday. There will be a tear, an outburst of anger or the beauty of poverty blended with efforts of joy and hope. The following day, you, the social worker, will be a transformed.

Social Work Courage

This field can be exciting. You just never know what is around the corner. It does require that your spirit be open, flexible and brave. We do run into situations that are unbearable for our clients. They come to us full of fear and paralyzed. It is our training and experience that needs to come forth to model courage, a stance that our clients have forgotten due to being overwhelmed or physically/emotionally hurt.

To practice standing up to the plate of courage is critical in our field. We deal with all kinds of issues such as family violence, human trafficking, drug trafficking and people seeking political asylum. These are no simple social issues. They are to be taken seriously and with great caution. Good training, collaboration and being a person of peace will help you get to where you need to go in the arena of social work.

The many things social work is about....

Good morning to the social work world.

Social work is about thinking about community issues to be resolved right before you go to bed. Social work is about knowing things will be a bit better tomorrow. Social work is about knowing that you are not alone working these problems out. Social work is about admiring the strengths of your clients. Social work is about knowing that every step you take with others, will lead to a better world.

Today is the first day of a wonderful month, Social Work Month. This is a month to look deep into who we are as professionals. This is a month to seek renewed energy for the journey. This is a month to look back and treasure those moments we were able to share those incredible triumphs with our clients.

I call each of us to stand during this month of March, speak about our profession, tell the world what we do. Let us stand proud and continue to make contributions to the profession and to all of society.

Happy celebrations!!