March is National Professional Social Work Month
At the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD), we want to take the time to acknowledge the contributions of our social workers to Marion County residents. In total, there are 14 social workers spread throughout the city in district offices, public and charter schools. As witnesses to the best and worst of human nature, a social worker’s success is defined by the opportunities people enjoy as a result of their interventions. The MCPHD social workers offer interventions in multiple areas.
Social workers offer services throughout Marion County, including psychosocial assessments, referrals, case management, short-term mental health counseling, care coordination for at-risk pregnant women and advocacy. Additional services include psycho-educational counseling for individuals and groups in subjects such as anger management, parenting, depression, self-esteem, stress management and many others. More recently, the department has agreed to work in conjunction with the Indiana Women’s Prison and the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center to provide services to inmates and residents. The Marion County Public Health Department Social Workers have workers experienced in departments of Housing, ACTION Health Center, District Health Offices, school-based clinics, and in the Mother Baby Healthline.
Frankye E. Johnson, Administrator of the MCPHD Social Services Dept. states, “our department and team work tirelessly to impact in a positive manner, the future and well-being of our clients.”
This year’s National Social Work Month theme, “Social Workers Change Futures,” celebrates the many ways professional social workers make a difference for people every day. In addition to services provided by MCPHD Social Services, social workers can also be found in nonprofit and government agencies, schools, hospitals, hospices, universities, legislatures, private practices, corporations and the military.
The social work profession began developing more than 100 years ago to address and mitigate social problems including poverty, chronic illness, addiction, abuse and discrimination. Some historic figures include Jane Addams, Frances Perkins, Harry Hopkins, Whitney M. Young and Dorothy I. Height.
“Social workers improve the fabric of society by often caring for those who have been left behind or those who have lost their voice,” says Dr. Elizabeth Clark, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers. “They help people from all walks of life find renewed hope for the future.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the profession is growing faster than average for all occupations, especially in the areas of aging and health care services. There are currently more than 640,000 professional social workers employed in the United States.
