Social workers: we see you
Joint Statement of Solidarity
March 2020
In this unsettling time, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) want to close this solemn National Social Work Month with a commitment of solidarity.
As Presidents of our respective national associations, we recognize and acknowledge that our members are risking their lives each day, but often without the full recognition offered to the more visible health and social care professionals.
We see you. We appreciate your commitment to service. And we salute you.
There are children being protected, isolated seniors receiving care, families experiencing trauma being supported, health teams advantaged by your expertise, people in corrections receiving support, and so many other individuals and communities, all benefiting from services from social workers who are often not equipped with the proper physical protections provided to other professions.
We see you. We appreciate your commitment to service. And we salute you.
All the while, you are dealing with your own grave sense of anxiety and fear over the impact of this pandemic on yourself, your family, clients, colleagues, and friends. At times, it is overwhelming – daunting – to grasp the gravity of this new world.
We see you. We appreciate your commitment to service. And we salute you.
As professionals, we know that the people at greatest risk will be the people who are hardest hit by this pandemic. Many of us will experience personal and professional tragedies, but we will maintain our resolve, and we will see this crisis through to its end.
NASW and CASW stand in solidarity with you, and commit to continuing to find ways to pull our social work communities together. We will continue to fight for the funding needed to support each other and our clients through this crisis.
Even in isolation – we are all in this together.
In solidarity,
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Kathryn Wehrmann NASW President
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Jan Christianson-Wood CASW President |