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• Social Work Month 2012
  • Social Work Month 2012 Toolkit Homepage
  • Social Work Month 2012 Press Releases
  • Social Work Month 2012 Multimedia
  • Social Work Month 2012 Key Messages
  • Social Work Month Activity Overview
  • Social Work Month 2012 Logos
  • Social Work Month 2012 Photo Project
  • Social Work Month 2012 Merchandise
  • Social Work Month 2012 Proclamation Template
  • The History of Social Work Month
  • Questions: socialworkmonth@naswdc.org

  Social Work Month 2011
  Social Workers Change Futures - Targeted outreach and promotional ideas, including tips for securing endorsements, hosting events, publishing articles and marketing your private practice.

  Social Work Month 2010
  Social Workers Inspire Community Action - Visual guides to three social work public education websites, profiles of inspiring social workers, and tips for promoting the profession.

  Social Work Month 2009
  Social Work: Purpose and Possibility - Information and tools for social work student recruitment, sample consumer radio PSAs, and specific tips for working with the media.

Poverty Reduction Home

Trends in Social Work

	Recession Fallout: Social Worker Face New Challenges NASW News February 2012 Many Americans have had to change the way they live over the past few years. According to an Associated Press report on the 2010 U.S. Census data, nearly one in two Americans is in poverty or considered low income. The latest Census results also show increases in the number of single mothers in America and the number of people over the age of 65 who are still in the work force instead of retirement. The quintessential American dream has dissolved into meaning something entirely different than it once did, challenging social workers as they help an increasing number of clients who are suffering from the negative effects of a strained economy.
	Peace Corps: A Social Work Tradition NASW News November 2011 Since its inception, the Peace Corps has had more than 200,000 volunteers serve in 139 nations. Social workers have played, and continue to play, a vital role in the organization’s success. Jody Olsen has held a series of leadership roles in the Peace Corps, including chief of staff, deputy director and acting director. Her involvement with the organization began in 1966 when she served as a volunteer in Tunisia the first year out of college. Currently, she is a visiting professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore, which joins five other U.S. schools of social work in offering the Master’s International Fellows program, allowing students to earn academic credit for their Peace Corps service.
	‘It’s the Economy’ ... Once Again NASW News September 2011 Congress’s “debt deal” initially spared key “entitlement” programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP/Food Stamps. However, many of the discretionary programs that will be cut now disproportionately aid women (especially women of color) and their families, such as low-income housing, child care and family planning clinics, over 90 percent of whose clients are women. Needless to say, social workers employed in these and other similar settings will be affected as well.
	Social Work and the Second Chance Act NASW News May 2009 The size and cost of America's prison system has skyrocketed in the past 30 years. Yet, according to reports by the Pew Center on the States, recidivism rates remain high. After decades of building more jails and prisons, the U.S. Department of Justice along with lawmakers are putting new faith behind programs that help prisoners successfully reenter society.  The "One in 31" report pointed out that 7.3 million people are under some form of prisoner supervision in the U.S. It costs 22 times as much to incarcerate someone as opposed to a lesser method, and more legislators say they are on board with promoting prisoner reentry projects that use evidence-based practices.
	Helping Clients Facing Foreclosure Threat NASW News May 2008 The alarmingly high number of foreclosures across the U.S. has lawmakers and financial experts scrambling to find solutions. Besides the financial woes a foreclosure can cause an individual or a family, social workers are taking note of the emotional implications when a person or family faces such a traumatic situation.  Feelings of helplessness and despair are common among this group who, for whatever reason, find themselves unable to make their mortgage payments, say social workers.  People who are facing foreclosure are in a crisis.
	Teaming Up for Case Management NASW News April 2008 Case management is an integral part of the jobs of many social workers in many areas of practice. While social workers have always looked beyond isolated problems toward a more holistic approach, case management provides a specific approach to providing services.  Today, case managers may help clients with needs such as housing, health and mental health concerns, job resources and social services. The functions of case management are considered outreach and engagement; assessment; service or treatment planning; resource linkages and referrals; and monitoring delivered services.
	Breaking the Mom/Daughter Prison Cycle NASW News March 2006 Eighty percent of mothers who are incarcerated go back to parenting once they are released — and more often than not, their daughters follow a similar path to trouble.  Studies show these daughters are six times more likely to land in the juvenile justice system than children whose parents have not been jailed.  Stopping the cycle of mother/daughter incarceration is the aim of a unique Girl Scouts of America program in Texas.  Besides allowing an opportunity to improve the mother/daughter bond, the mothers in the program also get a chance to learn how to be better themselves in the program. They learn such things as job interview skills, problem-solving techniques and parenting tips. On top of their therapy, they also receive workshops and lectures on how to better their lives.