MILWAUKEE
Social workers deserve thanks, recognition
March is National Social Work Month, whether you knew it or not.
Social workers do a lot of positive things. They work in schools, hospitals, universities and even prisons. In past decades, social workers have been considered quintessential "do-gooders." These days, opinions about social workers aren't universally positive. As a result, some end up feeling unappreciated.
"I believe the profession should be valued more," said Bevelyn Johnson, a Milwaukee social worker and member of the southeastern Wisconsin branch of the National Association of Social Workers. "These are people who bring about real change in the community," she said.
She was talking about the individuals in Milwaukee honored by the social workers group last week for their contributions. It was an impressive group:
I attended the award ceremony at the House of Peace and was impressed by the passion of those attending.
Marc Herstand, executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, told me that he felt his profession was often inaccurately portrayed in the media. During an interview from Madison, Herstand said social workers were often wrongly lumped together with another much-maligned group – "community organizers" – in the public's mind. The two fields are similar, he said, but also different in significant ways. "Some kinds of community organizing have nothing to do with social work," he said.
Herstand said there were other stereotypes about social workers that contributed to confusion. "Some people think all social workers do child welfare. That's not true," he said. "It's such a broad field. There are just so many things you can do." But Herstand said social workers often were wrongly blamed for problems within the child welfare system. "All people ever see is social workers getting blamed for taking children away from families or blamed for not taking the children away."
With the passage this week of a historic national health care bill, the spirits of many social workers have been buoyed, Herstand said. His group supported the bill. He said its passage will mean a nation of social workers with uplifted spirits can continue to work on behalf of social change.
Bottom line: It's been a happy National Social Work Month so far. For all that social workers do, they deserve it.
Eugene Kane
25 March 2010
