SR0059 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0059 LRB101 07910 MST 52965 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The social work profession is dedicated to enhancing well-being and helping meet the basic needs of all people, especially those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty; and

WHEREAS, This year's Social Work Month theme, "Elevate Social Work", embodies the need to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the profession to our society; and

WHEREAS, The social work profession is expected to grow faster than average over the next seven years, with more than 682,000 people nationwide expected to be employed as social workers by 2026; and

WHEREAS, Social workers elevate and empower people, giving them the ability to solve problems, cope with personal roadblocks, and get the resources they need to succeed; and

WHEREAS, Over 20,000 licensed social workers are present throughout our State, deeply woven into our society; social workers are active in state government, schools, universities, social service agencies, and communities; they own and operate numerous private practice small businesses and work in corporations, the military, and healthcare and mental health settings; and

WHEREAS, Social workers are the largest group of providers of mental health services in the United States as well as in Illinois, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest employers of social workers holding advanced degrees; and

WHEREAS, Social workers travel across the State and the nation to aide people in crisis, helping them overcome issues such as death and grief, gun violence, epidemics, environmental pollution, and natural disasters such as wildfires, tornados, and floods; and

WHEREAS, Social workers have been in the forefront on social justice for decades, pushing for equal rights for women, African Americans, Latinos, people who are disabled, people who are LGBTQ, and various ethnic, cultural, and religious groups; and

WHEREAS, The social work profession has been on the cutting edge of helping create changes to make our society a better place to live for more than a century, including voting rights, improved workplace safety, a minimum wage, and social safety net programs that ameliorate poverty and hunger; and

WHEREAS, Social workers stand ready to help our State overcome current pressing issues, including equal rights for all, the need for improved availability of health care and mental health services, a reformed criminal justice system, a fairer tax code, an educational system that achieves true equity, and a cleaner environment; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the month of March 2019 as Social Work Month in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the National Association of Social Workers-Illinois Chapter with our sincere appreciation for their efforts.