Social Work History Month 2021: Social Workers are Essential

March is National Social Work History Month. The 2021 theme is " Social Workers are Essential.”  

From the NASW website:

Social workers are essential to community well-being.

As practitioners, social workers are trained to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living. They are employed to effect positive change with individuals, families, groups and entire communities.

As a profession, social workers frequently use their collective power to pass laws and establish policies that give more people access to community services and benefits, improving the quality of life for everyone.

Social work is the only helping profession which requires social justice advocacy as part of its professional code of ethics, and is therefore a large workforce mandated to advance the rights of the most vulnerable in society.

For more than 120 years, the social work profession in the United States has helped bend the arc of justice, making our nation a more equitable and inclusive place. 

Read the proclamation here. 

Social workers aim to improve the lives of children, the elderly, minority groups, disadvantaged populations. The social work profession accomplished major milestones throughout American history.  Social workers and allied professionals (from human services to social policy) have:

• Achieved the minimum wage and safer workplaces for poor people (Progressive Era)
• Fought for civil rights and voting rights (Civil Rights Movement)
• Expanded employment and reproductive rights for women 
• Supported marriage and employment protections for LGBT people

Social workers can be found in many different specializations, industries and fields requiring different levels of training, education and licensing to fulfill the various roles of advocate, therapist, mediator, researcher, educator, manager, evaluator, facilitator, case manager, administrator, and community change agent. Social workers play a vital role in helping to create programs and policies that make society a better and more equitable place for all. 

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed major racial, gender and socioeconomic disparities in access to health care, employment, and critical supplies. This is a crucial time for social workers, especially macro social workers, to enhance the lives of the disadvantaged through advocacy, research, education and support. 

For more information about National Social Work History, browse the websites below:

• National Association of Social Workers: Social Work History
• National Today: National Social Work History Month
• National Association of Black Social Workers: NABSW Celebrates Social Work Month
• Rutgers University: Influential Women in the History of Social Work
• MSW Careers: A Short History of Social Work

For more information about the social work profession's response to COVID-19, check out these websites:

• Council on Social Work Education: Responses Addressing Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• National Association of Social Workers: Coronavirus Disease 
• National Association of Social Workers: COVID-19 Resource Center
• Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers’ Use of Information and Communication Technology
• Social Work Guide: The Role of Social Workers During COVID-19 

Review: The CQ Press' Career Guide for Public Sector Students (2020)

The CQ Press' Career Guide for Public Sector Students (2020) by Michelle C. Pantz is an informative book on careers in government and the nonprofit community. Geared towards undergraduate and graduate students, the booklet provides essential steps on finding your passion and the steps to pursue it. Professor Pautz (who has a background in public administration) guides the reader through an introduction to the public sector, recommended curriculum considerations, supplemental opportunities and experiences outside the classroom, and career profiles of individuals currently working in the public sector. Lastly, the book provides a career checklist with valuable insights on resume building, social media strategies, and networking.

This book has two major strengths. First, the application activities encourages readers to set personal and professional goals. These activities are motivating because you can discover new ideas and identify your academic and professional interests. Second, the curricular and co-curricular options enable students to develop a better understanding of how to tie their major and interests to the workplace. Too often, students believe they must major in traditional fields such as political science to pursue a successful career in the public sector. The truth is any major is sufficient as long as you gain knowledge and skills in the area that you wish to work. For example, a student who wants to specialize in social policy can major in, for example, sociology or social work, and link their research interests and co-curricular activities (e.g., internships, volunteer service) to a particular area within social policy (e.g., access to health care, poverty reduction, education, or labor). Employers care more about how your academic, research, and professional experiences can enhance the organization.

Once students have chosen their research area of interest, they should create an e-portfolio or master resume of their accomplishments in college. Professor Pautz suggests also graduate and professional school as an option to gain new skills and specialized knowledge as well as accelerate career growth. Examples form the booklet include earning a Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Public Administration (MPA), or Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) for example. I would go one step further and recommend other applicable fields such as a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a specialization in macro practice, Master of Public Health (MPH) with a specialization in health education or health policy, or a Master of Arts in Education (MA) with a specialization in public policy. These programs exist and require extra diligence and effort on your part. Research the different programs' websites for admissions requirements, attend graduate school and career fairs in your region (e.g. Idealist Graduate Fair), or speak to career services at your alma mater.

Overall, this is a useful guide for any student or early career changer who is new to the public sector. It is well organized, practical with action items, and easy to follow. I would have found this book (less than 50 pages in length) very convenient during my undergraduate studies. 

Personality Test Update: I am a Defender (ISFJ)

It has been nearly four years since I had last taken a personality test. At the time, my results came back as an Advocate (INFJ). However, my employment history changed since that time frame -- new job, more responsibilities, and greater confidence in my skills and abilities. My specialty area narrowed from higher education to legal education. Thus, I believed this was the right time to complete another personality test.

According to the 16Personalities.com, I am a Defender (ISFJ-A).

ISFJ: Intuitive, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging-Assertive Role: Sentinel
Strategy: Confident Individualism

Defenders are true altruists, meeting kindness with kindness-in-excess and engaging the work and people they believe in with enthusiasm and generosity.

Combining the best of tradition and the desire to do good, Defenders are found in lines of work with a sense of history behind them, such as medicine, academics and charitable social work.

Few personality types are as practical and dedicated as Defenders. Known for their reliability and altruism, Defenders are good at creating and maintaining a secure and stable environment for themselves and their loved ones. Defenders’ dedication is invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.

Below is a breakdown of the ISTJ personality type:

• Introversion: Defenders tend to spend time alone or with small, familiar groups of friends. They expend energy in social situations, but need to recharge when by themselves.
• Sensing: Defenders tend to focus on immediate needs rather than future possibilities. They value realism and common sense, and they like ideas with practical applications.
• Feeling: Defenders make decisions based on their principles and values. They give more weight to social implications than logic, especially in cases where personal considerations or feelings are concerned. 
• Judging: Defenders prefer to make decisions early, predict outcomes, and stick to plans. Their lives are structured -- predictability is their preference over spontaneity.  
• Assertive: Assertive Defenders are generally more confidently proactive and thus are more visible. They have a greater likelihood of receiving recognition for accomplishments.

Defenders have a strong desire to serve and protect others. People with the ISFJ personality type are known to be hardworking, reliable, supportive, organized, observant, and emotionally intelligent to feelings around them. They are kind, loyal, and considerate. Furthermore, they value traditions and history highly in their decisions.

While Defenders prefer to work in solitary environments, they also appreciate working with others. They also thrive in service-oriented occupations that require caring for others and utilizes their exceptional skills in problem-solving tasks. While they prefer to avoid the limelight, they want to be appreciated for their contributions. Lastly, they get satisfaction from closure and enjoy completing tasks.

By their very nature, Defenders are humble, persistent, and dedicated workers. They are also not afraid of mundane and necessary tasks, especially if it means those small tasks can help lead them to a greater goal. As for weaknesses, people with the ISFJ personality type tend to dislike change, prefer to work with people over numbers, have trouble with conflict, may neglect their own needs (e.g., shy away from expressing their own emotions), and may take criticism too seriously.

These results underscore the progress I have made in my own personal and career development in the last five years. I was a young idealist in graduate school, but I was not sure on what I wanted to do with my life. Since then, I gained skills and experience at several mission-driven nonprofits. I am more self-aware of my own work style. After reflecting on my career history to date, I listed these strengths:

• I am selfless, resourceful, empathetic, and imaginative. 
• I flourish in positive work environments that provide stability.
• I prefer organizations whose missions align with my values.
• I enjoy providing practical solutions to problems.  
• I consider myself a detailed-oriented person who takes it upon herself to make sure the job gets done well. 
• I like feeling appreciated for the work that I put into improving processes within the organization.

What is your personality type? Share in the comments section.