Social work acquires its name by virtue of its responsibilities. The profession is entrusted by society to look at how individuals are affected by their environment, how they interact and are affected by their community, and at how individuals are influenced by social institutions. These are important responsibilities and it is important that the profession keep its eye on its responsibilities (Howe, 1994).
Too often the profession's clients are victims of an imperfect social system. Such victims are disadvantaged, disenfranchised, and forgotten. Their resources both financially and personally are limited. The duty of the social work profession is stand firmly on the side of such victims and to ensure that they are, at a minimum, provided with some measure of social justice (Lundy, 2011).
It is the pursuit for social justice that distinguishes social work from other professions. Social workers are dedicated to making a difference and making sure that society is improved through their efforts. Social workers do not work for themselves. They work for the disadvantaged in society. They advocate for those whose voices would otherwise be unheard or ignored.
Advocacy is an essential element of a social workers' daily job duties (Sherraden, 2002). It is the cornerstone of the profession and if there was not a need for social workers to advocate on behalf of their client there would be no need for the profession. Advocacy is what defines the profession and it is its most important role. This has always been the case for the profession and will remain so for the future.
Advocacy is what allows the profession to make an impact on society. It is advocacy that allows social work to help those in the population that are underserved and marginalized. It is advocacy that allows social workers to provide counsel and assistance to those affected by disasters and it advocacy that allows social workers to step into the shoes of those needing help in hospitals and hospices, nursing homes, mental health facilities, prisons, and in the general community. Without social work professionals, the needs of these...
Even in the worst of circumstances, social workers work with those suffering in an effort to help them change their circumstances, live their difficulties, or readjust to society. Social workers must believe that everyone can change; that every situation can be dealt with; and, that there is always hope.
The social work profession's ability to create hope is one of its most important future goals. It is social work that allows inmates in prison to look optimistically at the future. It is social work that gives an addict reason to believe that life will be better. It is social work that gives a battered woman hope that things can get better.
Providing hope for the future is an important role for social work but unless something is done to address the workforce challenges facing the profession there may not be enough professional social workers to perform the various functions necessary to sustain this hope. Presently, social workers are enduring low wages, high educational debt, and serious safety concerns. The profession must work to address these concerns through active participation with state and national legislatures to ensure that adequate funding is available to provide educational assistance to prospective social workers, continuing education and training to those already working in the field, research grants, and community support. These measures are necessary to ensure that the long-term future of the profession is protected and that society continues to benefit from the many services that social workers provide.
One of the overriding problems facing social workers today is an increased need for services while at the same time there is a decrease in funding. The tendency in such circumstances is to complain about the situation but to do so would run counter to the profession basic mission. Instead of complaining about the situation, the social work profession needs to find viable solutions. These solutions are not likely to come from outside the profession…
