Video: History of Social Work

Since it's Social Work Month, I thought it was essential for visitors to learn the history of social welfare. I thought this video did an excellent job highlighting the important policies and achievements in the last 500 years.



Other Resources:

History of Social Work Fact Sheet (NASW)

Review: Days in the Lives of Social Workers (1996)

Did you ever wish you could tag along with a professional in your chosen field, just for a day, observing his or her life? Join them on their journeys, and learn about the rewards and challenges they face.

Days in the Lives of Social Workers: 41 Professional Tell "Real-Life" Stories from Social Work Practice, edited by Linda May Grobman, LSW, ACSW. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of The New Social Worker, a quarterly news magazine and forum for social work students and recent graduates. Her book is a great resource for prospective and current social work students who are researching their niche and who are exploring real-life stories from the field. Each chapter contains narratives from real-life practitioners in different areas of social work.

Social work is a flexible and broad field, and this book clears up any misconceptions you may have about the profession. It also contains a list of organizations and recommended journal articles by specialty. My favorite chapters were employee assistance programs, management, and community practice. I have a better understanding of the working conditions and competencies in those areas.

However, I was very disappointed at the lack of macro-level topics. Most of the chapters focus on clinical-level and direct practice experiences. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this edition to clinical and interpersonal practice students.

It covers the following twelve settings and roles:

• health care
• school social work
• children and families at home and at work
• disabilities
• mental health
• private practice
• criminal justice
• older adults and the end of life



• management
• higher education
• working in communities

Check out the latest fourth edition of this book which covers 58 professionals in a myriad of practice settings, an appendix on social media and mobile apps, and a foreward by the Elizabeth Clark, (former) president of the National Association of Social Workers.

Social Work Month Theme 2010

The official 2010 Social Work Month theme is “Social Workers Inspire Community Action.” NASW has toolkit materials for students and professionals to educate their local communities.

This year’s Social Work Month celebration showcases the expertise and dedication of professional social workers in helping to improve community life. We will promote the chosen theme “Social Workers Inspire Community Action” through three core strategies of the ongoing National Social Work Public Education Campaign:

- Consumer Education
- Entertainment Outreach
- Student Recruitment

This is a current fact sheet about the social work field: Who are Social Workers?

If are new to the profession, take this opportunity to learn more about social work!