Category: Social Work Month

Social Work Month 2017: For What Do You Stand Up?

Poster for 2017 Social Work Month : Name in Red background at top with white band in middle with the motto, "Social Workers Stand Up" in White space - the "d" in "Stand" has an arrow pointing up as the long side of the "d." Ath the bottom is the logo for NASW, the national association of social workers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster: National Association of Social Workers

(archive of this chat here)

March is Social Work Month, a time to “educate the public about the contributions of social workers and give social workers and their allies tools they can use to elevate the profession,” according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). “Social workers stand up for millions of people every day. These include people who are experiencing devastating illnesses and mental health crises, our veterans, children, families and communities. Yet many people still misunderstand who social workers are and the invaluable contributions they bring to society…Social workers are trained to look at situations in a holistic way. They help people increase their ability to solve problems, to cope with stressors and to get needed resources. Social workers bring individuals together with other people and their communities to find solutions for problems that continue to plague our society, including hunger, lack of affordable housing, and equal rights for all. And social workers make organizations responsible to people through sound social policy.”

Every year, Social Work Month highlights resources and information that can lead to policy, laws and legislation that serve to increase social justice and advance the social work profession. It was established in 1963.

Logo for 2017 World Social Wrok Day has human head with long hair in streams of multi-colored ribbons, blue background, at bootom are country- and cityscapes, with the title in upper left in oick letters.
Logo: International Federation of Social Workers http://ifsw.org/news/world-social-work-day-2017/

 

 

World Social Work Day is celebrated on the first day of Spring, March 21st.

 

 

 

 

Join the #MacroSW chat this Thursday, March 16, with host Pat Shelly from @UBSSW, as all kinds of social work organizations, practitioners, agencies, legislators, schools and students share ideas and actions that help celebrate our profession in all its aspects. We’re pleased to have Greg Wright of @NASW on the chat too!

Discussion questions:

  1. What activities are you engaging in for #SWmonth 2017?
  2. Who or what do you stand up for?
  3. Why this choice?
  4. How does Social Work Month help you and other social workers?

And…
~Please share media – news, movies, books – that feature social workers~

The New Social Worker Online magazine has many articles, art and poetry by social workers in its special Social Work Month Project 2017 series.

Here is an annotated list of novels about social workers from 2015. Titles:  All Our Names (2014); The Believers (2010); Fourth of July Creek (2014); The Interestings (2014); The Social Worker (2011); Unprotected (2012). And let’s add PUSH by Sapphire (1997).

 

Multi-colored letters wiht a sunburst effect spell out "social work month" in a design of 3 tiers, one word on each line.
Image: Media Education Foundation

 

Resources:

Green, Adrienne. (2016. August 11). From social worker to foster parent and back. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/social-worker/495533/

International Federation of Social Workers. (n.d.) Global definition of social work. Retrieved from http://ifsw.org/get-involved/global-definition-of-social-work/

Lewis, C.E. Jr. (2017 March). Young social workers should be preparing for the future. The New Social Worker. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/extras/social-work-month-2017/young-social-workers-should-be-preparing-for-the-future/

National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.) Social Work Month 2017. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/swmonth/2017/default.asp

New Social Worker (2017 March). Social Work Month 2017.  [Blog posts].Retrieved from: http://www.socialworker.com/topics/social-work-month-2017/

Social Work Licensing Map (n.d.) [Social worker’s salary guide] [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-worker-salary/

Zimmerman, E. (2017, March 12).  Social workers help many people. Sun Herald. Retrieved from http://www.sunherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article137497983.html

 

 

 

Documentary Movie Night 3/31/16 – A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness

A new mind

 

For our March 2016 Documentary Movie Night, we will be watching A New State of Mind: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness produced by the public television station KVIE-TV in California. Here is the description of the movie:

“A New State of Mind” is an hour long documentary that was produced in the state of California by the public television station KVIE-TV for a mental health awareness month in May 2013. Its aim is to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and to encourage sufferers to seek help earlier rather than later in their illness. The film is freely available to watch online at Vimeo.com and the makers are keen for it to be viewed as widely as possible. Further information about California’s Mental Health Movement can be accessed at their website called Each Mind Matters, where there are also some other interesting videos available to watch.

“A New State of Mind” features some famous people from the political and sporting worlds as well as ordinary people who come from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The film is filled with hope and a positive attitude and is narrated by the well-known actress Glenn Close, co-founder of the national anti-stigma campaign in America called Bring Change 2 Mind, which aims to remove misconceptions about mental illness through public education. Glenn Close has become a mental health advocate as a result of having her sister diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her nephew diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Here is a link the movie (57 minutes): https://vimeo.com/67439197.  You can watch the movie for free.

This movie shows what it is like to live with mental illness in the US.  As you watch the movie, put on your #MacroSW hat and think about some of the policy, research and other macro-level issues that surround the individuals and families in this movie.

Here are the questions we hope to discuss during the chat:

  1. From the movie, what are some of the challenges for individuals suffering from mental health challenges and their families?
  2. What are some macro-level approaches to addressing these challenges?
  3. What do you think is the most important policy issue affecting individuals with mental health problems? Why?
  4. What do you think most Americans don’t realize about individuals with mental health problems?
  5. What single word best describes how the film made you feel?
  6. What’s next? How do we as social workers address the challenges experienced by individuals with mental health challenges?

Here is the transcript for this chat:  chat: https://storify.com/OfficialMacroSW/documentary-movie-night-3-31-16-a-new-state-of-min#publicize 

About #MacroSW:

#MacroSW is a collaboration of social workers, organizations, social work schools, and individuals working to promote macro social work practice. Macro social work practice focuses on changing larger systems, such as communities and organizations. It encompasses a broad spectrum of actions and ideas, ranging from community organizing and education to legislative advocacy and policy analysis. The chats are held weekly on Twitter every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST). Click here for a list of chat partners. For information about how to participate in the #MacroSW chat, view our FAQs. For chat schedule and chat archives check out: http://macrosw.com

 

 

#SWmonth and What We’ve Been Up To! #MacroSW chat 3/24/16 at 9pm EDT

logo for 2016 Social Work Month, with the hashtag #SWmonth and the phrase "March is Social Work Month"

Archive of this chat can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

Join us as we ask, “What have you done for Social Work Month?” We want to hear all about the observances that you social workers made or have plans for during the last week of #SWmonth.

We’ll offer a few of our own activities to start out the chat – and we ask you to share those photos, articles or other resources that will provide inspiration for next year!

Host: Pat Shelly @UBSSW

 

  1. Why was March chosen for Social Work Month?
  2. What did you do for Social Work Month?
  3. Did your employer observe Social Work Month in any way, or your social work students?
  4. Can you share your best times / ideas / activities for Social Work Month?
  5. Have you received or given any signs of appreciation – verbal or otherwise – because it is prime time to #ThankASocialWorker?
  6. Any advice for a great 2017 SW Month?