Supporting Professional Social Work Month And World Social Work Day

Floor Speech

Supporting Professional Social Work Month And World Social Work Day

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 240, which supports the goals and ideals of Professional Social Work Month and World Social Work Day.

As a health care professional of three decades and a former licensed nursing home administrator, I observed personally every day social workers making meaningful contributions throughout the Nation.

They are on the front lines helping people overcome life's most difficult challenges--poverty, abuse, addiction, illness, disability, discrimination, and more. Social workers are the Nation's largest providers of mental health services, delivering 60 percent of mental health treatment.

However, these highly trained professionals also work in schools, hospitals, health care agencies, senior centers, crisis centers, and military bases. Social workers also actively advocate changes in policy and legislation to strengthen the social safety nets critical to so many. Whether in direct practice, administration, education, research, or policy development, social workers promote social justice for all.

According to the International Federation of Social Workers, social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals, and its values are based on respect for equality, worth, and dignity of all people.

Since its beginnings over a century ago, social work has focused on meeting human needs and developing human potential. Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. In solidarity with those who are less fortunate, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to promote inclusion for the most vulnerable populations.

This year's Social Work Month theme--``Purpose and Possibility''--truly highlights the special characteristics of those who choose social work as a profession and underscores the goals of their work. While their day-to-day work often goes unnoticed, we stand today to recognize with gratitude the contributions of the millions of caring individuals who have chosen to serve their communities through social work. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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