Patient Education
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Alix Greenblatt
Celebrating Social Workers
by Alix Greenblatt
March is National Social Work Month. Social workers across the country, and the world, work endlessly to help people who struggle with mental health disorders/illnesses and traumatic events. Social workers help children, teens, young adults, adults, and the elderly on a daily basis. They help people look at and treat their trauma, help them with depression, anxiety, and mood shifts. They counsel couples who may be struggling, help families who are grieving, and often save lives.
With all this said and March only beginning, it’s the perfect time to emphasize the importance of social work; why we need social workers and why seeking out their help is a beneficial thing and not something to be wary about.
Social workers can fall into multiple areas of profession: Case Manager, Mental Health Therapist, Psychotherapist, Care Coordinator, Care Manager, Service Coordinator, Clinical Therapist or Mental Health Clinician. Some social workers may follow down the path of Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW). Some will possibly go down the path of being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) instead. Their job titles are fairly similar, although someone with an LMSW requires supervision while someone with an LCSW can work independently.
Social work is one of the most important fields within the world of public health, yet it’s one of the most underappreciated ones. Most of the career positions in social work are underpaid and lack good benefits. The average healthcare social worker salary is around $57,630 a year. For Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers the salary is averaged at $48,720 a year and a Child, Family, and School Social Worker is $48,430 annually. Given that a lot of these individuals put their lives on the line, their salary should be higher.
To put it plainly, social workers improve lives.
If you know a social worker, take the time to thank them. They do a lot for people, and they may not hear gratitude enough. And if you are a social worker, thank you.
Alix Greenblatt is currently working for the CDC Foundation/NYSDOH as a facility surveyor in long-term care. She is also working on finishing her MPH program at the University at Albany with a certificate in Global Health. Her goals are to one day work toward improving health rights for women and to work toward ending the stigma behind mental illness. She enjoys baking and music.
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