>“The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life. – Jane Addams”
Social workers are present in all our lives. We work in hospitals, schools, health centers, medical offices, senior centers, social services and many other places. The work of a social worker is incredibly varied, but it all comes down to one thing – all social workers want equality and justice for everyone.
As a social worker for many years now, I have worked in a multitude of settings in eastern NC and across the state. My title has not always been “social worker” but the work I did was very much in line with this profession. Typically, a social worker is someone who has a bachelors or masters degree in social work. We are bound by a set standard of ethics and a by a profession of commitment to others.
Today I work as a media and project coordinator for the NC ABC Commission, NC Operation Medicine Cabinet, and Project Lazarus with the Coastal Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention. I am also the current state chapter President for the National Association ofSocial Workers (NASW-NC) and a candidate for the Craven County Board of Education. All of these efforts, initiatives and roles require that I have at the forefront a real desire to educate and support others so we all can be safer and healthier.
The month of March serves as an annual reminder for us to recognize the work of social workers in our communities. We are everywhere and consistently operate with the goal of improving lives, but most assuredly, the lives of those for whom no one else speaks. To me, social work means reaching others as they need to be reached, regardless of their age, race, sex, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or economic status. We all need others in our lives and sometimes these “others” may just be a social worker.
Submitted by: Tanya Roberts, MSW, CoastalCoalition for Substance Abuse Prevention