This issue of the Academy newsletter is dedicated to social workers who are being honored this National Social Work Month. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this profession as I continue to see the essential role social workers play in the lives of individuals and families, in our organizations, and in our communities. We have all seen social workers show up in times of crisis, ready to serve as counselors, and as advocates for and facilitators of change. Social workers work relentlessly, and in partnership with our communities, to rectify inequities and social injustices.
As leaders of organizations, social workers are transforming work cultures in ways that put the needs of their employees first and that allow employees to bring their whole selves to work. According to Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, authors of The Mind of the Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results (2018), leaders must be humans first, to be mindful, selfless and compassionate, if they are going to cultivate work cultures that enable engagement, fulfillment and meaning which leads to greater business.
In my role as a member of the Academy for Professional Excellence’s Leadership Team, and as a member of the San Diego Chapter of the Network for Social Work Managers, I have had the opportunity to hear countless examples of how social work leaders are transforming work cultures to ensure employees feel seen, heard, and valued. They are leading with inquiry, with authenticity, and with vulnerability. They are listening and truly hearing the perspectives being shared by their staff. They are working diligently to respond to the needs that are being voiced during these particularly challenging times. I have seen a commitment to make employee well-being and organizational culture top priorities.
This approach to leading organizations aligns with social work’s core values, which have been embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, and which are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective: service; social justice; dignity and worth of the person; the importance of human relationships; integrity; and competence (Source: NASW Code of Ethics).
Social workers are finally being seen as essential workers, and along with this is the recognition that there are not enough social workers to meet the current and growing needs of individuals, families, and communities. On February 16, 2022, the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) jointly with the Service Employees International Union State Council (SEIU), National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA), and the California Association of Deans and Directors of Social Work (CADD) released a Legislative Fact Sheet: Expanded Capacity for MSW Students in California Schools and Budget Memo addressed to the Senate Budget and Assembly Budget Subcommittees that aims to increase the number and diversity of master’s level social workers (MSW) in California (via the University of California and the California State University systems) to serve vulnerable populations, support best outcomes and to meet federal and state mandates.
Written by Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, MSW, Chief Executive Officer,
Academy for Professional Excellence