March is National Social Work month. As we come to the end of the month, we at Ark Homes would like to give thanks to all those who work in social work and, we’d like to share some information about them.
There is an array of various social work departments. Here at Ark Homes, we partake in foster & adoption social work. Social workers do much of the emotionally-taxing, yet necessary work that a lot of common people would not have the capacity or endurance to perform. Yes, social workers are very hard workers & I’m sure many people would say social workers deserve more than one month of recognition. Being one the fastest growing profession in America, social work is becoming more widely known to the masses. Social workers have five main responsibilities: Guiding families through the licensure process, training foster families, paperwork, post-placement support and services, and outreach families to support. This is in addition to the many other duties that they perform day to day. One of many qualities a person must have to become a social worker is not just the degree and experience but to have empathy. Many social workers decided to go into this field because they have either been in the shoes of the people they work with, or they have the capacity to empathize and understand the feelings of those involved with the foster care system. For some, their empathy is so strong that they must learn balance their own lives to help prevent burnout. It is called burnout fatigue; when social workers devote so much time and energy into taking care of their clients that it results in the expense of their health. Despite this point, somehow many social workers are seen as the bad guys; that they’re the ones who are looking to take people’s children away. This is very far from the truth. The main objective for social workers is to assist and encourage the reunification process for families to get the help they need and become a healthy unit.
Social workers play an important role in our society. It takes a lot of emotional labor to do their work and they deserve the appreciation & credit. Even though March is their appreciation month, it is no question that they are the type of people who deserve year-round appreciation. From foster care all the way to veteran affair services, social workers are always backing those who need support, and this is a characteristic that everyone can respect & appreciate.
From a cold winter we look forward to the brightness of spring in the month of March. We also observe and honor the ones who work for and with children, helping to pull them from their unfortunate obscurities, into a life of warmth.