by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, and Justin “Jay” Miller, PhD, MSW, CSW
It’s time to take self-care severely.
March is Nationwide Social Work Month—time for our “State of Self-Care in Social Work” replace. For a number of years, we’ve carried out an annual evaluation of how the career is doing with self-care.
NASW’s 2022 theme is “The time is right for social work.” This theme’s rationale is encapsulated within the NASW’s red-lettered: “The necessity for social staff is nice.” Certainly, calls for for social work are rising. On the identical time, stress and burnout are escalating. On condition that confluence, we suggest a well timed corollary consideration: What do nice social staff want?
It’s Time to Get it Proper
To fulfill the wants of the instances, our career should prioritize the well-being of these charged with that mission. In any other case, we’ll fall brief within the biggest time of want. We received’t do it proper and it received’t be proper. It’s time to get it proper—successfully and ethically.
Now could be the time to take self-care severely. Listed below are 5 sides that want well timed consideration.
- Skilled membership organizations, corresponding to NASW, have to make self-care knowledgeable customary. NASW has made progress in selling self-care. Most lately, the Code of Ethics (COE) updates embody language encouraging self-care. Nevertheless, as we emphasised in a response to these updates, no modifications had been made to the Requirements, which is the case for different vital modifications. Importantly, NASW Requirements are framed as directives—e.g., “ought to” and “should.” NASW must make self-care Commonplace—not merely aspirational.
- Skilled credentialing boards have to establish self-care as a central element {of professional} follow. Credentialing boards play a pivotal position in our career. As a lot credence as it’s given, social staff will not be required to comply with NASW’s COE. Nevertheless, licensure has a extra direct perform. These entities promulgate fundamental necessities for working towards as knowledgeable and have authority to use these necessities. Credentialing boards have to make self-care a required side of social work follow.
- Social work schooling must make self-care a core follow competency, thus, built-in into curricula. Packages have to transcend superficial admonishments to college students: “Maintain your self.” It’s an moral and pragmatic obligation to show self-care, like another essential follow competency. CSWE needs to ensure that social work curricula/programs treat self-care as a professional competency. This dedication requires substantive, critical consideration all through curricula/applications.
- The career of social work wants to say our management position and accountability in organizational wellness. We should not watch for different, amorphous “leaders” to supply the talents and dedication to create simply, wholesome organizational buildings and cultures. Social work competencies are uniquely compatible with the leadership needed in this area of practice. Social work must prepared the ground in organizational wellness that helps self-care and total practitioner well-being.
- Particular person practitioners have to prioritize self-care as a critical skilled dedication and important human proper. A latest social media publish exemplified a typical dilemma. A brand new social employee tweeted that she’s severely unwell with long-COVID signs. She requested: “How do you care for your self while caring on your purchasers? I’m feeling responsible.” Self-care isn’t simple, easy, nor commonplace. Like any professional skill, it requires development, intentionality, and attention.
The Want is Nice
Consideration to practitioner well-being is multi-faceted and complex. But, as a career, we’re uniquely educated to attend to those complexities. The programs perspective reminds {that a} change in any a part of the system impacts different elements of the system.
Emphatically, giant programs modifications are wanted. Skilled entities have to advocate for the career, in ideas, priorities, and practicalities. Membership organizations, corresponding to NASW, have to advocate for the general dignity and value of the career—which incorporates simply compensation and wholesome workplaces. CSWE wants to advertise competencies for creating environments that guarantee human/practitioner well-being—which incorporates instructional environments (implicit curricula) that mannequin these. Social staff have to step as much as lead organizations in selling practitioner well-being. And, particular person practitioners’ most vital locus of impression is our particular person energy to prioritize our personal self-care.
So, begin there. And, then, promote self-care wherever…and in every single place. Now.
The time is correct for social work. The necessity for social staff is nice. Nice social staff want critical consideration to self-care. Let’s get it proper. It’s time.
Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, is a Associate in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC supplies analysis, coaching, and session for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Employees and Different Serving to Professionals. As a former college member and graduate program director, she and a small (however mighty!) group of colleagues carried out an initiative to advertise self-care as a part of the social work schooling curriculum. Beforehand, she served in scientific and administrative roles.
Dr. J. Jay Miller, PhD, MSW, CSW, is the Dean, Dorothy A. Miller Analysis Professor in Social Work Schooling, and Director of the Self-Care Lab within the School of Social Work on the College of Kentucky. You may comply with his work by way of Twitter @DrJayMiller1.
