[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 28, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E682-E683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK MONTH AND 
                         WORLD SOCIAL WORK DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 27, 2007

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my colleague Congressman Ciro 
Rodriguez for arranging this time on the floor for us to celebrate 
World Social Work Day and to acknowledge the contributions of social 
workers to the well-being of our society.
  I'm proud to say that I'm a social worker and that my predecessor, 
former Congressman and now mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums, was also a 
social worker. I believe our records, interests and efforts here in 
Congress and outside reflect the influence of our social work 
background. This education has helped me to form my principles and has 
helped me to fight injustice and inequality, not just here in the U.S. 
but also abroad.
  Social workers make a difference in people's lives everyday and at 
all levels. They're in the streets working one-on-one with the 
homeless. They're in the hospitals and clinics helping people through 
their health crises. They're in the schools making our kids safe, 
adjusted, and prepared to take on the world. They're advocating for the 
rights of our country's most vulnerable citizens--our children, the 
elderly, the mentally ill, the poor, and others in our society that may 
not have a strong voice. They're fighting for social justice and human 
rights internationally and they're creating policies and programs here 
in the halls of both the Congress and the Senate that address the needs 
of our society.
  The hallmark trait of a social worker is their ability to empathize--
their ability and willingness to put themselves in someone else's 
place. This is not always an easy thing to do. Many times social 
workers encounter people who are in extreme states of crisis. Times 
when their lives are feeling out of control. It's no easy feat to step 
into someone else's nightmare and help them find the strength to cope, 
to problem-solve, and to move forward. But this is what social workers 
do on a daily basis.
  Nonetheless, there are also times that are incredibly heartening and 
rewarding--times that renew your faith in humanity. They are the times 
when you see the first trusting smile on the face of a child that came 
from the chaos of an abusive home and you feel that connection. They 
are the times when you're able to help a family--homeless and 
devastated by the ravages of a massive natural disaster. They are times 
when the grassroots movement you've been working with is able to 
achieve its goal. They're the times when you're able to help a young 
man who seemed like he was starting down the path to a life of crime to 
find a better road and to make better decisions.
  One of the ways that I think I've best used my social work education 
has been in the work I have done here in Congress. As a social worker, 
I am concerned about the many things that ail our community as a whole. 
That is why I have made the fight against AIDS a priority--not just 
domestically, but also abroad. We need to stop crimes against humanity, 
like the genocide that continues to ravage the Darfur region. I also 
believe we need to fully fund No Child Left Behind. Our education 
system is failing--No Child Left Behind is failing our children, our 
teachers, our parents, and our community as a whole.

  Recognizing the importance that social workers bring to our schools, 
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues who have 
cosponsored H.R. 171, the Student Support Act. I hope more of my 
colleagues will consider supporting this legislation, which helps 
ensure that our schools have the necessary amount of mental health 
professionals at their schools, including school social workers, school 
psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists. Almost all States fall 
below the recommended guidelines by the American Counseling Association 
of 1 counselor for every

[[Page E683]]

250 students. My own State of California has 966 students for every one 
counselor. So I hope my colleagues can cosponsor this important act, 
and maybe we can see this legislation make some progress here in the 
House.
  Social workers don't just make an impact on our students--social 
workers give back to our society by helping to make better citizens of 
us all. They strive to help their clients become the best that they can 
be, to improve their communities and to confront the injustices that 
they see. They foster a new way of looking at the world around you--one 
where you see promise and possibility. Social workers help us to 
realize a world where mediation, coalition building and effective 
communication are used to find peaceful solutions instead of military 
posturing.
  I'd like to close by saying, I'm grateful to be part of a profession 
that is devoted to service to our people and that is so necessary to 
our society's well-being. I know that many of my dedicated colleagues 
work quietly in the field and that their contributions are not always 
given the attention they deserve, so I'm very pleased to be able to 
celebrate this day and to publicly acknowledge their contributions.
  Thank you again, Congressman Ciro Rodriguez for organizing this 
special order, and also thank you to all of my colleagues who were able 
to participate tonight.

                          ____________________