Social Work Month — March 2023

Social workers have a strong desire to help others and make society a better place. The annual Social Work Month campaign in March is designed to shine a spotlight on the invaluable services we provide to an array of sectors — including hospitals and mental health centers, federal, state and local government, schools, community centers and social service agencies.

Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 700,000 professional social workers are hard at work nationwide, and that number is expected to rise to more than 800,000 by 2030.

Social work began more than a century ago and has always been about Breaking Barriers, which is the 2023 theme of Social Work Month. From working with immigrant populations, anti-lynching and women’s rights activists in the 1900s, to improving working conditions and benefits during the Great Depression, to promoting the equality during the Civil Rights era, social workers have helped to drive significant, positive changes in our nation.

Social workers were at the forefront of the global COVID-19 pandemic. When most of us were quarantined at home, social workers were out in their communities — making sure children and at-risk youth were attending classes over Zoom, providing food and other resources to the elderly, helping those with substance-use disorder get the help they needed to stay sober, and helping tens of thousands of people of people stay connected to loved ones quarantined in nursing homes or at hospital.

Today, social workers are the largest providers of mental health services, and are working on the frontlines helping our nation overcome myriad challenges, including economic inequality, reproductive rights, racism and natural disasters worsened by global warming. They continue to break barriers by advocating for student-debt relief, equal rights for all, and improving delivery of health care and mental health care.

Support

One way to celebrate Social Work Month is by participating in Giving Blueday on March 15! Giving Blueday is the university’s annual 24-hour day of giving and on this day, Michigan Social Work will promote the Student Emergency Fund, which provides critical support to students in need. By supporting this fund, you will enable students to push past their financial roadblocks to pursue their education and serve the community. You will receive email communications from Michigan Social Work and the university at large leading up to Giving Blueday. Thank you for your support!

For more information on how to support Michigan Social Work and our students, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.