What This Bill Does
This is a Senate resolution that supports Social Work Month and World Social Work Day on March 21, 2023. The resolution recognizes the work social workers do to help individuals, families and communities in the United States.
Who It Affects
This resolution directly affects social workers and the organizations that employ them. It also affects individuals and communities who receive social work services in schools, hospitals, the military, child welfare agencies, community centers and government offices.
Key Provisions
• The Senate supports the goals and ideals of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day on March 21, 2023 (Section 1)
• The Senate recognizes the contributions of millions of social workers who have advanced health and well-being of individuals, families and communities since the profession started more than a century ago (Section 2)
• The Senate acknowledges the efforts of individuals and groups who promote the importance of social work and observe Social Work Month and World Social Work Day (Section 3)
• The Senate encourages individuals to engage in ceremonies and activities to promote awareness of the life-changing role social workers play (Section 4)
What Changes
Nothing specified in bill text
Important Definitions
None defined
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
III
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. RES. 125
Supporting the goals and ideals of Social Work Month and World Social
Work Day on March 21, 2023.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 27, 2023
Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Ms. SINEMA) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of Social Work Month and
World Social Work Day on March 21, 2023.
Whereas social workers enter the profession of social work be-
cause they have a strong desire to help empower the indi-
viduals, families, and communities of the United States
to overcome issues that prevent them from reaching their
full potential;
Whereas, for more than a century, social workers have im-
proved human health and well-being and enhanced the
basic needs of all individuals;
Whereas social workers follow a code of ethics that calls on
them to fight social injustice and respect the dignity and
worth of all individuals;
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:18 Mar 28, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\SR125.IS
SR125
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•SRES 125 IS
Whereas, each day, social workers positively touch the lives
of millions of individuals in the United States in an array
of settings, including schools, hospitals, the military,
child welfare agencies, community centers, and Federal,
State, and local governments;
Whereas the 2023 Social Work Month theme, ‘‘Social Work
Breaks Barriers’’, embodies how social workers help em-
power the individuals, families, and communities of the
United States to overcome hurdles that prevent them
from achieving better health and well-being;
Whereas social workers are one of the largest providers of
mental health, behavioral health, and social care services
in the United States, working daily to help thousands of
individuals in the United States overcome mental ill-
nesses, such as depression and anxiety, and meet basic
needs;
Whereas social workers are on the frontlines of the addiction
crisis in the United States, helping individuals get nec-
essary treatment and prevail over substance use dis-
orders;
Whereas social workers help individuals cope with death and
grief;
Whereas social workers help people and communities recover
from natural disasters that are increasingly fueled by a
warming climate, including hurricanes, drought, and
flooding;
Whereas social workers continue to help the United States
live up to its values by advocating for equal rights for all,
including people of color, people who are indigenous, peo-
ple who are LBGTQIA2S+, and people who follow var-
ious faiths;
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:18 Mar 28, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\SR125.IS
SR125
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3
•SRES 125 IS
Whereas the social work profession is one of the fastest grow-
ing professions in the United States, but the workforce
is still not large enough to meet the demand;
Whereas there is a need to make a meaningful investment in
recruitment and retention within the social work profes-
sion;
Whereas social workers serve in all levels of government;
Whereas social workers have continued to push for changes
that have made the United States a better place to live,
including a livable wage, improved workplace safety, and
social safety net programs that help ameliorate poverty,
hunger, and homelessness; and
Whereas social workers endeavor to work throughout society
to meet individuals where they are and help empower
those individuals and society to reach meaningful goals:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
1
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Social
2
Work Month and World Social Work Day on March
3
21, 2023;
4
(2) recognizes with gratitude the contributions
5
of the millions of social workers who have advanced
6
the health and well-being of individuals, families,
7
communities, and the United States since the found-
8
ing of the social work profession more than a cen-
9
tury ago and who continue to do so today;
10
(3) acknowledges the diligent efforts of the indi-
11
viduals and groups who promote the importance of
12
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:18 Mar 28, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\SR125.IS
SR125
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4
•SRES 125 IS
social work and observe Social Work Month and
1
World Social Work Day; and
2
(4) encourages individuals to engage in appro-
3
priate ceremonies and activities to promote further
4
awareness of the life-changing role that social work-
5
ers play.
6
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
01:18 Mar 28, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\SR125.IS
SR125
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS