Resolution 140136

..Title Proclaiming March 2014 as "Social Work Month" in the City of Philadelphia and further embracing the 2014 National Association of Social Worker theme that "All People Matter". ..Body WHEREAS, Social work was established as a profession in 1898 in order to help address the needs of our society and to bring social and economic injustices to the public's attention; and WHEREAS, The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance the human well-being and to help meet the basic needs of all individuals, especially by empowering those individuals who are vulnerable, oppressed, or living in poverty; and WHEREAS, Social workers aid individuals, families and groups by restoring their capability for social functioning by helping them overcome difficult challenges such as discrimination, abuse, addiction, loss, disability, and mental illness; and WHEREAS, Social workers provide individual diagnostics of mental illness and substance abuse, individual or group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and addiction intervention and recover; and WHEREAS, Social workers can be found working in various fields of practice, as well as, facets of community life such as schools, hospitals, clinics, prisons and elected office; and WHEREAS, There are currently over 650,000 professional social workers employed in the United States, over 40,000 of which are currently working in the state of Pennsylvania and over 3,450 currently working in the City of Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, Social work is one of the fastest growing careers in the country and is expected to grow by 25% between 2010 and 2020; and WHEREAS, Several elected officials from the state of Pennsylvania have a background in social work such as U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz and Pennsylvania Senator John Blake; and WHEREAS, Social workers have actively sought out advances in civil and human rights on national, state and local levels by advocating that every individual has the right to a productive and healthy life and that all people matter; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the month of March is hereby proclaimed to be "Social Work Month" in the City of Philadelphia and further embracing the 2014 National Association of Social Worker theme that "All People Matter". ..End