Growing need for social workers
Our nation needs social workers more than ever.
Homelessness is on the rise. The opioid addiction crisis has hit the United States hard, impacting all races, regions, and economic levels. Suicide rates have risen, according to the CDC.
Socal workers are uniquely qualified to handle these societal troubles. Social workers enter the profession because they truly want to help others. They go through years of education, training and supervision so they can do the delicate but important work of meeting people where they are and helping them achieve their goals.
Social workers are trained to help individuals, families, communities and the larger society if regulations and laws must be changed in order to help people who need it.
Social workers are everywhere — in schools, hospitals, and at the federal, state, and local levels in government, corporations, social services agencies, veterans centers.
The need for social workers is reflected in the statistics. Did you know that by 2030 there will be more than 782,000 social workers in the United States? This makes social work one of the fastest growing professions in the U.S.
However, social workers need support to meet the high demand for their work. That is why the Social Work Month theme for 2024 is “Empowering Social Workers!”
It is important for the public to support legislation and initiatives that empower and support the social work profession. This includes the Improving Access to Mental Health Act, student loan debt relief and social work safety legislation.
The National Association of Social Workers, the country’s largest social work organization, is raising awareness of the social work profession and highlighting the need for the government, regulators and employers to work to improve pay for social workers as a way of investing in addressing challenging social issues.