Social Work Month Promotes Compassion With Action
By Paul R. Pace
With new federal policies negatively impacting underserved and underrepresented populations across the U.S., social workers showed their strength during this year’s Social Work Month campaign in March.
NASW CEO Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C, said this year’s theme, Compassion + Action, “reflects the very essence of our profession.”
Students and faculty from St. Edward’s University gather at the LBJ Auditorium for a full morning of learning, networking and advocacy during Social Work Advocacy Day 2025, hosted by the NASW Texas Chapter. Attendees heard from NASW-Texas Government Relations Director Bryan Mares on the chapter’s legislative impact, top priority bills, and how members play a vital role in shaping policy.
“Every day we turn empathy into advocacy, care into change, and passion into progress by breaking down barriers, fighting for justice, and transforming lives,” he said in a Social Work Month video address to members and social workers nationwide. “Whether you are advocating for policies, providing mental health support, or addressing systemic injustice, please know that your work is shaping a better, more just world, and NASW stands with you.”
“NASW will continue fighting for the resources, protection and the policies you need to continue your essential work,” Estreet said. “At the same time, we have to acknowledge the challenges we face, which have very real consequences.”
Executive orders and policies are threatening livelihoods, limiting resources and putting the rights of social workers and our clients at risk, he said. “Now more than ever, we must stand together, and I know social workers are up for the fight. We will educate. We will advocate. And we will not back down.”
“As we celebrate Social Work Month, let’s recommit to our mission. Let’s continue to fight for fairness, amplify marginalized voices, and push for policies that reflect the dignity and rights of all people.”
Campaign Goals
Attendees visit their state capital during the NASW Arizona Chapter’s annual advocacy days in March. About 300 social work students participated
Social Work Month, held each March, was particularly essential this year. With a new White House administration that is enacting policies that threaten the vulnerable populations social workers serve, it was important to have a theme reflecting that social workers care and stand ready to advocate for people, said NASW Communications Director Greg Wright.
The goals of this year’s campaign included:
- Educate the public and policymakers about where social workers stand on pressing issues of the day, including threats to social safety net programs.
- Inform the public about the services and support social workers provide.
- Use film and short videos to tell stories about the positive contributions of social workers.
As in the past, social media played an essential role in promoting the campaign. Social Work Month-related posts reached a potential 429 million people worldwide in March, according to NASW’s social media monitoring services, Wright said. The top country to view Social Work Month posts by far was the United States, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the Philippines.
More than 163,000 people visited NASW’s Social Work Month website, SocialWorkMonth.org. The most frequently visited sections of the site were the theme and rationale, logos, the social media toolkit, and the draft proclamation.
There were about 200 news stories about Social Work Month in March, according to the Meltwater news and social media monitoring service. Some mentions included:
- Arizona Midday TV spot on social workers at Solace Hospice
- News Channel 9 spot on social workers who work for Erlanger hospital in Tennessee
- University of South Carolina announcing study of African Americans with dementia during Social Work Month on South Carolina’s WISTV
- A March 12 editorial from Estreet on Salon.com outlined how Trump 2.0 administration policies are worsening the nation’s already existing mental health and substance use crisis. The article, which also was shared on MSN.com, reached a potential readership of 112 million people, according to Meltwater.
Estreet also participated in a radio tour to promote Social Work Month. His interviews included the Rick Smith Show Online, the Earl Ingram Show, Watchdog Radio w/ Howard Monroe Pennsylvania/Online, KBLA 1580 Los Angeles, the Midday Show with Cleopatra Draper in Chicago, Today’s Senior Living in Washington, D.C., and the Leslie Marshall Show.
In Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, a social worker, introduced H.R. 275, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day on March 18.
There were activities around the nation. For instance, CareRite Centers partnered with Girl Scouts in New Jersey to honor social workers; Mecklenburg County in North Carolina had a ceremony lauding social workers, as did Brownsville, Texas; and the University of Alabama had an advocacy day in Montgomery on March 5.
Globally, Wright said social workers swam with the sharks in Western Cape, South Africa, for a special Social Work Month activity, and were honored with a ceremony in Maram, India. A Social Work Month column in the Jamaica Observer from Lecturer Dujean Edwards noted how social workers are helping that nation address a mental health crisis.
The winner of the short documentary contest for Social Work Month was “The Phoenix,” by South Dakota social worker Erika Jean Jacobson. The film is about how a tragic accident involving Jacobson's sister inspired her to become a social worker.
Closer to home, NASW chapters hosted or took part in various activities, including Legislative Action Days and Social Worker Appreciation events in Maine, New Jersey, Florida, and other locations.
The NASW Foundation hosted a Social Work Month short documentary, short social media reel contest. The winner of the short video reel contest was “Compassion plus Action” from Byanca Beasley, a school social worker from Paulding County in Georgia. Her video is about how she helped a troubled teen who was thrown out of his home by his family.
The winner of the short documentary was “The Phoenix” from South Dakota social worker Erika Jean Jacobson. The film is about how a tragic accident involving Jacobson’s sister inspired her to become a social worker.
For more information, visit SocialWorkMonth.org