There’s a new stamp available. “Help Starts Here” promotes the social work profession. My profession. A sheet of 20 self-adhesive stamps costs $12. Yep, there’s some extra tacked on there. Some for our public education campaign and about $3 for shipping. The third National Social Work Public Education Campaign ad appears in the November issue of Oprah's Magazine, O. As of now, these stamps are only available through the NASW website.
social work stamp

I think many people think they know what social workers do. We’re always pictured as the CPS worker who takes children away from parents. Well, I’ve only personally known one CPS caseworker who fit that definition. (would you be surprised to know that in most cases the parents walk away when the social worker approaches saying “just take ‘em?” ~ there really is a reason the children are being removed) Lynn was young, attractive, pregnant with her first child, and a fierce advocate for children. She was not old, ugly and rule-defined. That old stereotype just doesn’t work.

My colleagues work in hospitals, veterans centers, domestic and international adoption agencies, domestic violence safe houses, dialysis treatment centers, interfaith community agencies, public schools, faith-based centers, physician offices, universities, prisons, AIDS clinics, and halfway houses to name just a few places. They develop programs to help and educate single parents, divorcing parents, those who batter and those who are battered, those in prison, those newly released from prison and those families left behind. They care for families of active duty personnel and veterans alike. They organize communities to activism and build coalitions. A number of them are now members of Congress. They work with the elderly in geriatric care centers and nursing homes. They work as hospice caregivers, Red Cross personnel and as private practice therapists. They work with the DOT, FBI and with court systems all over the country. Those with Doctoral degrees teach at the graduate level and in varied fields of medical and academic research. So next time you think about it, ask someone what a social worker does. You might be surprised.