Click Here for the 2009 Social Work Month Tool Kit

Key Messages for Social Work Month 2009

Click here to download a pdf version of the 2009 Social Work Month Toolkit.

When speaking to the media and others about Social Work Month 2009, the messages need to be concise and engaging. We encourage you to incorporate these key talking points when discussing Social Work Month 2009:

• Social workers make a wide range of contributions in every community throughout their careers.
• Some social workers work to resolve systemic issues that plague a community. Some work in education or research, furthering the knowledge-base of social work. Others work as elected officials or work in other capacities in government to create real and lasting change for communities.
• Most social workers serve individuals and families. Working one-on-one with these groups through private practice, agencies and organizations, they provide resources and support to the lives of individuals and families.
• People who become professional social workers believe that there are no limits to human potential and use their talents to help others create better lives for themselves and their families.
• Social work is a profession of hope, grounded in practical problem solving expertise.
• Social work is a desirable field of study for bright, socially engaged, and committed people of all ages.
• Professional social workers are those people who have a bachelors, masters or doctorate in social work from a program or school of social work.
• While child welfare is an important area of social work practice and the one that comes to mind most often when thinking about social work, it is only one of the places where you can find a social worker.
• Social workers are in schools, courtrooms, drug clinics, hospitals, senior centers, shelters, nursing homes, the military, disaster relief, prisons and corporations.
• Social workers are society’s safety net, providing vital resources and support when they are most needed.

When you’re seeking general talking points about the social work profession and about social work issues, the best place to look is the Help Starts Here.