Each March, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) celebrates social workers for their dedication to helping others and making our society a better place to live for all. 

Social workers have served as an integral part of the United States for decades. They played key roles in the civil rights and women’s rights movements, supported marriage and employment protections for LGBTQ people, and fought for social programs that we now take for granted, such as the minimum wage.

NASW chose this year’s theme – “The time is right for social work” – to highlight those contributions.  With our nation still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, economic inequality, global warming, and other crises, the life-affirming services provided by social workers are needed more than ever. 

Last year, there were 700,000 social workers in the United States. Today, there are nearly 720,000. As of January 10, 2022, there were 3,340 licensed social workers in the Aloha State. Mahalo to the social workers of Hale Kipa and the entire country who enrich our society and touch the lives of people every day, helping them cope with problems, providing support and resources, and empowering so many to live life to their fullest potential.