President’s Message

President’s Message: Social Work Month

It seems that every generation has lamented the changes in the world that have left them feeling adrift in a relentless and rocky sea with no safe harbour in sight. Social workers have always been called to navigate these murky waters, to somehow fix or solve or do. But our history is also filled with stories of deeply flawed attempts to navigate society's challenges, times when we failed to critically examine the political, social and cultural expectations placed on us. We have made decisions from a place of social control, upholding rigid legal standards rather than questioning their limitations from a context of historical reality, cultural understanding and knowledge.

It's sometimes said that holding the past to the standards of the present is unfair. This may be true. But it is also true that once you know better, you must do better. Social workers now have access to knowledge that spans all aspects of the human condition. Expertise from an array of disciplines, cultural leaders and knowledge keepers is readily available to help us learn - and to unlearn. To examine our beliefs, delve into our own unconscious biases, and let go of attitudes that no longer serve us or our clients. 

In recognition of Social Work Month, social workers should reflect on the privilege of being called to a profession grounded in ethics and evidence-based standards of practice. It is both a responsibility and great honour to uphold the ethical imperatives of our profession: to protect human rights, promote social justice and pursue truth and reconciliation. In this Social Work Month, social workers can consider these ideals and see them for what they are: a lighthouse on the shore of a relentless and rocky sea, illuminating our way to a safe harbour.

Happy Social Work Month!

Joan Farkas, President, Social Workers Association of Alberta