This March, social workers across Canada celebrated the profession and the essential work we do to support people navigate complex systems. In March we also honoured and recognized International Women’s Day, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and International Transgender Day of Visibility. These annual events marked an opportunity to remember the essential role social workers play to embrace equity, create safer spaces for gender diverse people, and eliminate racism. Social workers from a variety of sectors and fields shared testimonies of how they navigate complex systems and the web of social and economic factors to support people’s well-being.
Although Social Work Month has ended, we will continue to honour and celebrate social workers beyond Social Work Month. Social workers are essential because…
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We support individuals, families, groups, and communities by improving collective well-being and creating opportunities for growth, recovery, and personal development.
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We build rapport, trust, and good relationships with their clients, and strive to build community capacity to create an equitable and just world for everyone.
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We facilitate collaboration, mutual support, and a sense of belonging so that our clients feel empowered to live their truth without fear or judgment.
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We guide people to attain holistic well-being and reclaim their voice and dignity as they heal from trauma and strive to live a purposeful life.
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We connect the personal to the political and reconnect people to resources, support systems, and communities.
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We illuminate critical gaps in social service provisions and strive to fill these gaps so everyone can receive equitable access.
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We mobilize across sectors to encourage collaboration, leverage resources, and create strategies to address structural injustice.
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We advocate for legislative and systems level change in recognition that individual problems are symptoms of larger political or systemic injustices.
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And finally, we make change by envisioning a fairer world for their clients and communities and putting that vision into practice!
Beyond Social Work Month, CASW will continue to support social workers individually and collectively work towards a just and equitable recovery, while navigating the uncertainties that lie ahead. Thank you social workers for addressing systemic gaps, providing key services, strengthening communities, and building a more just world!
Joan Davis-Whelan, MSW, RSW
President - Canadian Association of Social Workers