Social Work is a Profession — And Needed Now More Than Ever

Workforce

By Barbara Bedney, PhD, MSW

Yes, of course social work is a profession: a proud, successful, longstanding one.

It was social workers who put social determinants of health (SDOH) on the map more than a century ago, and it is social workers who are found today in almost every setting where people are in need of advocacy and support: treating individuals with substance use and mental health disorders; comforting and treating veterans struggling with PTSD; protecting children from abuse and neglect; and developing programs that advance the public good.

Despite all of this, the U.S. Department of Education recently categorized social work as a “graduate” degree and not a “professional” degree in its proposed rule for federal student loan limits. This egregiously misinformed categorization disregards the specialized education, training, skills, practice standards, continuing education requirements, and 100+ year history of our profession. If implemented, it would limit the ability of social work students to fund their education and pursue social work careers through federal student loans. The designation is, in other words, a threat to the diversity and growth of our profession.

Fortunately, NASW has made student loan relief a public policy priority for years. In response to the proposed rule, we quickly drafted a petition asking the Department of Education to reclassify social work as a profession. More than 21,000 social workers signed the petition.

I wrote previously that we have only just begun to show how powerful we are when we make our collective voice heard. That is what I mean by making our collective voice heard! This is no time to be silent, so continue to keep an eye out for updates on how you can participate in our advocacy efforts to ensure that social work gets the recognition, respect, and financial resources and reimbursement we deserve.

There are other challenges NASW is addressing as well. We recently submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the 2026 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, for example, strongly disagreeing with their proposal to delete an SDOH risk assessment code from the telehealth services list. And while the government shutdown has ended, the consequences of federal funding cuts to programs such as Medicaid remain, all while the government continues to restrict health care to transgender individuals and to harass, dehumanize, and detain immigrants and those who support them. This policy not only led to the shocking deaths in January of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota, but to subsequent attempts by the federal government to defend both shootings as justified.

We cannot remain silent on these issues either. Our Code of Ethics instills in us a core set of values that includes social justice, dignity, and worth of person, and it is those values we continue to advocate for at NASW. Our statements, blogs, comment letters and policy updates can all be found on our website, so check it frequently for updates, stay involved, and stay connected. We appreciate all that you do, and we need you with us to be able to show not only that social work is a profession, but that it is and always will be a powerful voice in the struggle for a healthier, more just, and equitable America.

Barbara Bedney is Chief of Programs at NASW.