Does Social Work Matter?

by Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, MSW, MPH

     Sometimes – particularly on a bad day – we may forget that social work is a powerful profession. It is powerful because those of us who choose it tend to be strong, committed individuals with a passion to change the world, to help others, to better society, and to work for social justice. We may get discouraged, or angry, or disillusioned, but our caring and our purpose are never extinguished. Our job titles may not always contain the words “social worker,” but our social work skill set -- all that we learned in preparation for the profession -- is permanently ingrained. We may work with marginalized, oppressed, or devalued populations, but we value each individual and we recognize the positive impact that our interventions can have. Most importantly, as social workers, we never back down and we never give up.

     If you ever doubt the importance of what you do or the impact of our collective profession, take a moment and think what the world would be like without social workers. If the profession ended this decade, would it matter? Would it matter to those living in poverty, to those living with serious illnesses or facing end of life, to those struggling with addiction, or PTSD, or autism? Would it matter to the homeless, to those families who are undocumented, or to children and the elderly who are being abused? Would it matter to those in prisons, on reservations, or in crime-ridden communities? What would our social policies and programs be like without social work input? If the more than 600,000 professional social workers practicing in our country today stopped practicing at the end of the decade, would it matter?

     I contend that it would matter, and matter greatly. Our world would be less caring and less hospitable, and the future of our society would be compromised in many and important ways. As a profession – the social work profession – we have the potential to make a difference. As social work pioneer and civil rights activist Dr. Dorothy I. Height once said, “We hold in our hands the power…to shape not only our own, but the nation’s future.”

     So, during the month of March, as we honor our profession, take time to recognize and acknowledge the essential and meaningful work that you do. Most importantly, take pride in saying, “I’m a social worker and what I do matters.” It does.

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, MSW, MPH, is President of the Start Smart Career Center. She served as the CEO of the National Association of Social Workers from 2001-2013.