[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15096-15097]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            SUPPORT NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 2003

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, as a social worker, I rise to highlight 
the beneficial work performed every day by social workers across this 
country. Social work is a unique profession, which combines a diverse 
skill set to serve individuals, families, groups, communities, 
organizations, as well as society-at-large.
  Social workers help people address a wide variety of concerns, from 
homelessness, substance dependence and abuse, and mental illnesses to 
community development, employee assistance programs, emergency 
preparedness, and disaster relief. They work directly with individuals, 
couples, families, and groups to identify and overcome these and other 
challenges. Many social workers also aid communities, organizations, 
and systems in the improvement of services and the administration of 
social and health programs. As a result, social workers may be found in 
a variety of settings, among them, private practice, health and mental 
health, education, community, public welfare, agency administration, 
and policy and planning.
  Social workers hold almost 500,000 jobs, with one in three found in 
State, county, or municipal government agencies, primarily in 
departments of health and human services, mental health, social 
services, child welfare, housing, education, and corrections. In the 
private sector, social workers provide services in hospitals, nursing 
homes, home health agencies, and other health centers or clinics. An 
increasing number have successfully sought elected offices in local, 
State, and Federal Government, to further contribute to the welfare of 
our country and our society. I would like to commend our colleagues, 
Representatives Barbara Lee, Susan Davis, and Ed Towns, who are 
exemplary professional social workers, and are among the almost two 
hundred publicly elected social workers serving their communities.
  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of social 
workers is expected to increase faster than the average for all 
occupations through 2010. The elderly population is increasing rapidly, 
creating greater demand for health and social services, resulting in 
particularly rapid job growth among gerontology social workers. Social 
workers also will be needed to help the large baby-boom ``sandwich'' 
generation deal with the resulting pressures, depression and mental 
health concerns stemming from mid-life, career, or other personal and 
professional difficulties. In addition, continuing concern about crime, 
juvenile delinquency, and services for the mentally ill, the mentally 
retarded, the physically disabled, AIDS patients, and individuals and 
families in crisis, will spur demand for social workers.
  Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home healthcare services 
will continue to depend on social workers to coordinate and provide 
aftercare services for their clients. The popularity of assisted-living 
communities among the expanding senior population requires the 
expertise of social work gerontology specialists. Social workers with 
substance abuse and addiction skills offer those seeking treatment a 
better chance at successful reintegration into society. Employment of 
school social workers is expected to grow in order to address rising 
student enrollments. Outcomes-based treatment provided by social 
workers facilitates the cost effectiveness goals of managed care 
organizations, enabling those in private practice to be heavily 
utilized and increase access to services. The increase in employee 
assistance programs (EAP) has also fueled the demand for private 
practitioners, many of whom are contracted with small and large 
corporations, local, State, and Federal agencies. With the September 11 
attacks and its aftermath, EAP social workers have helped survivors to 
deal with the uncertainty and trauma of terrorism and war, and continue 
to support employees and their families.
  Earlier this year, I reintroduced H.R. 844, the National Center for 
Social Work Research Act. This act would establish a center within the 
National Institutes of Health to coordinate ongoing social work 
research, develop new methods to help social workers provide effective 
services to the public, and promote the use of social work research to 
improve public policy.
  Social work research, through the coordinated efforts of the National 
Center, will undeniably advance both the delivery and quality of health 
care and social services in this country. Fiscal responsibility and 
accountability demand that the best practices are determined through, 
and grounded in, empirically-based research. Consumers, practitioners, 
and policymakers must demand service effectiveness and cost efficiency, 
facilitated by the establishment of a National Center for Social Work 
Research. Social workers, as front-line professionals, compile 
information that seeks to understand the dynamics that lead to social 
issues, provide empirical support for best

[[Page 15097]]

practice approaches to improve service delivery, and translate them 
into public policy decisions. With the limited resources available, 
policy makers must depend on these problem solvers to address many 
complex social issues such as poverty, welfare dependence, and drug 
abuse.
  The social work profession is truly multifaceted. As dedicated 
advocates for the rights of children, minorities, the disabled, crime 
victims, workers, patients, women and many others, social workers 
continue to lead efforts that enhance human, and thereby societal, 
well-being. They shape programs and policies that strengthen individual 
lives and improve the society in which we all live.

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