Supporting the goals and ideals of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day on March 18, 2025.
This is a House Resolution (H. Res. 275) introduced in the 119th Congress that expresses official support for Social Work Month and World Social Work Day on March 18, 2025. It acknowledges social workers as a large, essential workforce whose efforts promote health and well-being across communities and settings. The resolution emphasizes the profession’s focus on social justice, the social determinants of health (such as housing, employment, education, and transportation), and the broad roles social workers play—from healthcare and schools to disaster response and veterans’ services. It also notes the need to recruit and retain social workers to meet growing demand, and it encourages ceremonies and activities to raise awareness of the profession’s contributions. The measure is ceremonial and non-binding, with no new funding or mandates.
Key Points
- 1Recognizes social workers as an essential workforce contributing to health, well-being, and community stability nationwide.
- 2Highlights the profession’s role in addressing social determinants of health and promoting social justice, rights, and equitable access to services.
- 3Describes the wide range of settings where social workers operate (hospitals, clinics, schools, veteran facilities, disaster relief, law enforcement support, nursing homes, and more).
- 4Emphasizes social workers’ leadership in mental health, behavioral health, addiction treatment, elder care, and support for veterans and family caregivers; notes their involvement in recovery and resilience after disasters and during public health emergencies.
- 5Addresses the need to invest in recruitment and retention of the social work workforce to meet future demand, given projected growth and existing personnel gaps.
- 6Encourages observance of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day through ceremonies and activities, aligning with the year’s theme “Social Work: Compassion + Action.”