Social workers help protect children, teens, and elders from abuse and neglect. Their job is challenging. They help individuals fight food insecurity, housing costs, homelessness, and support them during challenging times.
March is National Social Work Month. Sacramento County joins the National Association of Social Work (NASW) in recognizing social workers. This year's theme for Social Work Month is “Social Work Breaks Barriers" and Sacramento County's social workers set a great example by breaking barriers in the communities they serve. They break language barriers by using bilingual skills or by helping find services for clients in their native language. Others break barriers by assisting clients with health conditions or disabilities. In many cases, were it not for social workers, these individuals might not receive the assistance they need.
"Social work has a long history of responding to the needs of marginalized populations in a manner that acknowledges the dignity and worth of the individual before us. Social work is a profession that understands the importance of relationships in serving with integrity, competence, and forever leaning toward justice," said Sacramento County Deputy Director of Human Services Melissa Jacobs. "The code of ethics for social workers is such an important guidepost to remind us when we are weary, of our purpose and contribution to the society in which we live. Anyone who chooses this work as part of their life's journey does so with a broader understanding of just how important each part is to the larger whole."
Sacramento County employs hundreds of social workers in different departments including the Department of Child, Family and Adult Services (DCFAS) and the Department of Human Assistance (DHA). Social workers with DCFAS help keep children and families safe. Some help children find their forever homes. Others serve individuals that are disabled. DHA social workers link individuals and families to housing services, employment, and other resources.
"Social workers are a vital part of an integrated DHA, multidisciplinary team that assists our customers in achieving stability and self-sufficiency through our various programs, which include Employment Services, Homeless Services, CalWORKs, Encampment, and Disability Benefits Advocacy Program teams," said Sacramento County Human Services Program Manager Carmen Briscoe.
Sacramento County social workers not only help connect individuals to programs that serve their needs but also break economic barriers by assisting people when they are searching for a job or trying to find housing.
“They (social workers) can provide necessary resources and case management with a broad scope ranging from helping families who are experiencing lack of homelessness, domestic violence, truancy or other family crises such as mental health or substance abuse. While others like the Employment Social Work team assist those needing to brush up or learn new job skills, resume building, and interviewing techniques. Our Homeless Services social workers address housing-related barriers such as supporting in crisis response, housing resources, and retention. Our DBAP team supports customers navigate the disability benefits process," added Briscoe.
According to NASW, there are more than 700,000 social workers nationwide. But, there is a need for more social workers and the county is currently hiring. If you are interested, you can find out more at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sacramento.