PRINTER'S NO. 1746
No. 229 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY McILHINNEY, TOMLINSON, ROBBINS, MUSTO, PUNT,
FERLO, GORDNER, FONTANA, C. WILLIAMS, MELLOW, PIPPY,
TARTAGLIONE, BAKER, KASUNIC, O'PAKE, DINNIMAN, STOUT,
PILEGGI, ERICKSON, KITCHEN, ORIE, RAFFERTY, WOZNIAK, EARLL
AND GREENLEAF, FEBRUARY 8, 2008
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
FEBRUARY 8, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of March 2008 as "Professional Social Work
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Social workers' primary mission is to help; and
4 WHEREAS, Social workers have the right education and
5 experience to guide individuals, families and communities
6 through complex issues and choices; and
7 WHEREAS, Social workers hold bachelor's, master's or doctoral
8 social work degrees and have attained a minimum number of hours
9 in supervised fieldwork to become licensed social workers; and
10 WHEREAS, More than 600,000 people in the United States hold
11 social work degrees; and
12 WHEREAS, Social workers connect individuals, families and
13 communities to available resources; and
14 WHEREAS, Social workers can be found in hospitals, police
15 departments, mental health clinics, child welfare agencies,
16 military facilities, adoption agencies, drug and alcohol
1 treatment facilities, schools and corporations; and
2 WHEREAS, Professional social workers are the nation's largest
3 provider of mental health services; and
4 WHEREAS, The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
5 employs more than 5,000 social workers to assist veterans and
6 their families with individual and family counseling, client
7 education, end of life planning, substance abuse treatment,
8 crisis intervention and other services; and
9 WHEREAS, Social workers are dedicated to improving the
10 society in which we live; and
11 WHEREAS, Social workers are positive and compassionate
12 professionals; and
13 WHEREAS, Social workers stand up for others to make sure
14 everyone has access to the same basic rights, protections and
15 opportunities; and
16 WHEREAS, Social workers help people help themselves, whenever
17 and wherever they need it most; and
18 WHEREAS, Social workers have been the driving force behind
19 important social movements in the United States and abroad; and
20 WHEREAS, According to the United States Bureau of Labor
21 Statistics, the need for social workers is expected to grow
22 twice as fast as any other occupation, especially in
23 gerontology, home health care, substance abuse, private social
24 service agencies and school social work; and
25 WHEREAS, With approximately 12% of social workers planning on
26 leaving the work force in the next two years and the increasing
27 need for social work services, there will not be enough social
28 workers to meet the needs of their clients; therefore be it
29 RESOLVED, That, in recognition of professional social workers
30 and their commitment and dedication to individuals, families and
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1 communities everywhere through service delivery, research,
2 education and legislative advocacy, the Senate designate the
3 month of March 2008 as "Professional Social Work Month" in
4 Pennsylvania and call upon all citizens to join with the
5 National Association of Social Workers, Pennsylvania Chapter, in
6 celebration and support of social workers and the social work
7 profession.
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