Self-Care, A-to-Z: Celebrating March, Social Work Month

by Erlene Grise-Owens, Ed.D., LCSW, LMFT, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals 

     Let’s celebrate March - Social Work Month - by emphasizing self-care as a professional priority! The topic of self-care is gaining much-needed attention. However, too often, self-care is still used as a buzzword or given superficial importance.

     Yet, in the current climate, practitioner well-being and organizational health is even more crucial.  As a profession, we face systemic dismantling of social supports and myriad challenges to our core values. This stressful context pressures individual practitioners to neglect self-care. Likewise, with competing demands, organizations are even more likely to prioritize addressing immediate programmatic crises over investing in organizational wellness.

     Operating in this era is comparable to running a marathon. The profession must “run” in a manner that ensures long-term capacity and competence. More than ever, the profession simply cannot afford to lose practitioners to burnout and lessen effectiveness as a result of organizational dysfunction. If our profession’s impact and purpose are to be sustained, the passion and dedication that bring people to our important work must be supported! Social work must be vigilant in giving self-care the attention necessary for an effective and healthy profession.

     Here are five crucial aspects to sustain our profession through integrated and systemic attention to self-care and wellness.

1. Practitioners must understand that self-care is an essential professional obligation, not an extra. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) agree that self-care is a requirement of sound professional practice. Practitioners must fulfill this obligation by intentional development of the skill of self-care.
2. Schools of social work must integrate self-care and organizational wellness into professional preparation curricula. Merely encouraging students to practice self-care is insufficient. Like all important aspects of professionalism, social work curricula need explicit assignments and resources designed to develop professional self-care. 
3. Professional organizations should promote self-care and organizational wellness as emphases in professional development and accountability. Organizations, such as NASW and IFSW, can lead in building a self-care movement in the profession. Professional organizations can provide continuing education offerings and resources for ongoing development of self-care and wellness. Licensing boards can require trainings related to these key topics.
4. Agencies must dedicate resources to developing systemic organizational wellness cultures. While individual practitioners have an obligation to practice self-care, organizations must realize their responsibilities and contributions. Most social service organizations are woefully lacking in attention to organizational wellness. Gym memberships or wellness checks, while helpful, do not adequately promote the necessary systemic attention to the well-being of staff.
5. Individual practitioners must expect that employers commit to employee wellness. In a job search, assess how potential employers support staff well-being.  In current roles, advocate for and contribute to a culture of wellness.

      March, Social Work Month, is a time to reflect on where our profession has been, our current status, and future directions. In this era, the profession has a crucial role in promoting the aims of social justice and human well-being. To sustain us in the marathon ahead, we must have the training, resources, discipline, and dedication of self-care and wellness.

     Peace, Love, & Self-Care, Erlene

drerlene@gmail.com

Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens, Ed.D., LCSW, LMFT, MSW, MRE is a Partner in The Wellness Group, ETC.  This LLC provides evaluation, training, and consultation for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals.  As a former faculty member and graduate program director, she and a small (but mighty!) group of colleagues implemented an initiative to promote self-care as part of social work education curriculum. Previously, she served in clinical and administrative roles. She has experience with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and personal! Likewise, as an educator, she saw students enter the field and quickly burn out. As a dedicated social worker, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights.  Thus, she is on a mission to promote self-care and wellness!