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From June 2001 NASW NEWS Chapters Celebrate Social Work Month
Observances ranged from tributes to educational activities. By Corinna Vallianatos, NEWS Staff Among the celebrations of Professional Social Work Month in March, the Massachusetts and New Hampshire chapters undertook a variety of educational activities, while a tribute in the U.S. House of Representatives noted the observance in Guam, the site of NASW's newest chapter. The Massachusetts Chapter distributed social work posters to social services agencies, collaborated with agency directors on a Social Work Month display to help educate the public about what social workers do and helped agencies find speakers for Social Work Month events. The chapter also celebrated social workers on a billboard display and set up a social work photo exhibit in the Massachusetts State House. The chapter's Public Image Committee is in the process of interviewing consultants to create a major public Public Education Campaign in Massachusetts supported by the directors of graduate and undergraduate social work programs. To improve social work salaries, the chapter is promoting its Social Work Workplace Standards. The chapter is also active in the Coalition for Justice, which was originally formed to fight the nomination of Attorney General John Ashcroft. New Hampshire Chapter board members marked Social Work Month by visiting BSW and MSW students to promote membership in NASW. Social work students and practitioners were also interviewed by a New Hampshire television station for a spot on social work. And on his bi-weekly radio show, NASW New Hampshire Executive Director Stephen Gorin interviewed three social workers on the contributions of the profession. On April 4, congressional Delegate Robert A. Underwood of Guam paid tribute in a statement addressed to the Speaker of the House. "As we go about our daily lives, we must take a moment to reflect upon the services provided by the people dedicated to the field of social work," Underwood said. "With the recent unfortunate incidents plaguing the nation, especially the island of Guam, we depend upon these people to provide the necessary guidance and direction that will enable us to heal and, hopefully, prevent future problems." Back to NASW NEWS Contents
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