This month, please honor social workers for their contributions
By Shelley Lieberman
March 17, 2019To the Editor:
March is the month that the National Association of Social Workers sets aside to celebrate the profound impact that social workers have in the lives of people and communities they serve. The theme this year is Elevate Social Work. Every day, the staff of Athens County Children Services work to elevate the families they serve, empowering them to overcome challenges, and ensuring the best possible futures for the children of Athens County.
The professional casework staff of Athens County Children Services are on the front lines daily, providing a critical safety net to Athens County’s most vulnerable children. The caseworker staff at ACCS help families identify resources and build protective capacities to stabilize their families. They assist families in identifying supportive kin and community networks, help establish economic stability, build parenting skills, and strengthen self-esteem and coping abilities.
Additionally, they deliver prevention services and innovative new programs to meet the challenges experienced by the families they work with. Some of the issues our families face are homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence and parenting challenges – and our dedicated staff work to elevate these families, helping them overcome the challenges they are facing.
This month we celebrate not just the important work that our caseworkers do, but that of all the nearly 700,000 social workers nationwide. Their profession is so critical in improving the quality of life in the communities we call home.
We are fortunate as a community and a nation to have this opportunity to honor the invaluable work performed by the dedicated staff at Athens County Children Services and social workers across our country. Together, we can “elevate” social work and ensure our social service providers have the tools and support they need to continue to protect children, strengthen families, and secure futures.
Shelley Lieberman
Board Member
Athens County Children Services
