Social Work Month 2023: Thank You for All You Do To Break Barriers

by Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW

    Social Work Month! It's a great time for a month-long celebration with The New Social Worker. Please join us! First and foremost, I want to... 

                    THANK YOU

...for all you do, today, this month, this year, and every day and every month of every year.

     This year, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has designated “Social Work Breaks Barriers” as the theme for Social Work Month. In the rationale for this theme, it is expanded to “Social Work Breaks Barriers That Prevent People and Communities from Thriving.” So, what is a barrier? According to Merriam-Webster.com, a barrier is “something material that blocks or is intended to block passage” (a physical barrier), or it can be “something immaterial that impedes or separates” (an intangible barrier). Synonyms include barricade, wall, and fence.

     So, what do barriers look like in social work practice? In an individual context, Dr. Danna Bodenheimer, LCSW, has said, “Our work, really, is to keep our clients feeling safe with us, safe within their own minds, and safe to keep exploring what feels incredibly unsayable and unthinkable.” “Walls” of fear and shame need to be worked through to get to that safe feeling, allowing one to be vulnerable enough to say the unsayable to a clinical social worker. Barriers to transportation can make it difficult to even get to a social worker’s office, a doctor’s appointment, or a job. A person may decide not to seek services from a social worker because of stigma related to mental health issues or asking for help in general.

     More barriers for individuals, families, and communities are many—

• Have your clients experienced barriers to access to health care, including mental health care?
• Have you noticed barriers to equal rights and treatment for marginalized groups? How has this affected your clients or your communities?
• What impact has access to housing and food (or lack thereof) had on families you work with?
• Are the children and adults on your caseload safe? What are the barriers to physical and environmental safety? Do they have guns in the home? Is clean water available? 
• What are the barriers to education in your state or local community, including access to books and courses that teach or include mentions of “uncomfortable” topics such as racism, African American history, sexuality, and gender identity?
• Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. Has that created barriers for you or your clients?
• Systemic racism, both inside and outside the profession, is an ongoing source of harm. 
•  Open hate and “ism”s are on the rise. More and more legislation is being introduced and/or passed on the state or national level based on stigma and hate. How does this relate to the NASW Code of Ethics and the ability of social workers to practice both ethically and legally?

     All of these barriers (and more) can be incredibly overwhelming and discouraging. It seems that the people who want to put up the barriers are sometimes the loudest and most vocal. And those of us who want so much to break through the barriers are SO TIRED (speaking of which, don't forget your self-care—it’s okay to binge-watch Netflix or say “No” sometimes) and asking: HOW can I best make my voice heard and make real change? Small steps add up, so whether you can make one phone call, post on social media, or organize a whole community, together WE can contribute. Do you have ideas? Please share your thoughts and what you have been doing.

The New Social Worker Social Work Month Project 2023

     For The New Social Worker’s Social Work Month Project 2023, I asked leaders in the profession—including our columnists—to address the theme. You will see their messages and others in our 2023 Social Work Month series throughout the month. Watch our website, Facebook page, and LinkedIn group for additions each day.

     Also, throughout Social Work Month, we will highlight past writings from The New Social Worker that represent ways in which social workers are doing good and breaking through the barricades, walls, and fences that prevent, slow down, or even reverse progress.

     Please join us! 

Social Work Month Through the Years

     Looking for more? Download our 2022 Social Work Month Calendar from last year. You, your team, or your class can use it for a one-a-day dose of social work inspiration.

     To explore Social Work Month through the years, click on a year below to see our Social Work Month Project series for that year. I cannot even begin to tell you how many gems there are in these—I hope you will take some time this month (or any time) to read and be encouraged by them.

• 2022 
• 2021 
• 2020 
• 2019 
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014

Linda’s Social Work T-Shirt Project: Take 4

     T-shirts are such a fabulous form of expression for me! My personal commitment is to “wear my heart (social work) on my sleeve” during Social Work Month. Wearing these shirts is a way to advocate and educate about social work in my community.

     I hope you'll join me in the fourth year of this project. Take Linda’s Social Work T-Shirt Challenge! I have seen so many great t-shirts on social media lately, and I love them.

     If you have a social work or social justice t-shirt, wear it during Social Work Month. Take a selfie in your social work t-shirt and post it on social media, tagging @newsocialworker on  Instagram, or drop me a tag on LinkedIn or Facebook or other social media, so I can amplify the message with posts and stories. If you want to send me a t-shirt, I'll wear it, too. Just let me know!

Get Ready!

     Social workers serve others while respecting the dignity and worth of the person, with competence, with integrity, with a recognition of the importance of human relationships, and with a dedication to social justice. These core values are always timely for us as social work professionals. Social Work Month is a great time to recognize and highlight this commitment.

     Please watch The New Social Worker’s website throughout March, as we post new items. Follow us on Facebook (click “Like” and then “Following” and “See first”) or subscribe to our publications, to make sure you don't miss anything! We'll also be celebrating on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

     So, let’s break some barriers! HAPPY SOCIAL WORK MONTH from me to you. Thank you. Please join me.

In harmony, Linda

Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW, is the publisher, editor, and founder of The New Social Worker® magazine.