The South Carolina Department of Social Services recognizes and celebrates March as Social Work Month in South Carolina. The national theme for this year’s observance, selected by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), is Empowering Social Workers.
Throughout the month of March, the Department of Social Services will be highlighting social workers who work to positively impact the well-being of children, vulnerable adults, and families across South Carolina. Social workers help people overcome personal crises like food insecurity, lack of affordable housing, or limited access to preventable and acute healthcare services.
“Social workers help hundreds and thousands of people every day across the nation, helping them overcome life’s hurdles, connecting the dots to supports and services while ensuring safety and stability for the children and families we serve,” said DSS State Director Michael Leach. “These professionals help to support individuals who may be struggling, all while sacrificing time and energy away from their own family and loved ones. That’s why this year’s national theme is Empowering Social Workers because these public servants need support to fulfill the agency’s mission by ensuring the well-being of our clients.”
DSS case managers provide social work services and support to the community in a variety of ways including foster care services, child protective services, employment and training services, public adoption, and adult protective services. DSS also employs staff who provide professional development, training, and administrative support to professionals directly in the field serving one in six South Carolinians.
The agency is doing our part to help recruit, educate, train, and retain the next generation of social workers in South Carolina through DSS’ recently launched Child Welfare BSW Scholars Program, which will assist college students looking to obtain their Bachelor’s in Social Work from one of three participating institutions of higher education. In exchange for tuition assistance and successful completion of the program, the participating scholar will in turn commit to work for DSS for two years after graduation. For existing agency professionals looking to obtain a Master’s in Social Work, the agency has created an MSW Scholars Program for child welfare employees looking to continue their education, training, and employment with DSS in exchange for tuition assistance. For more information on the Child Welfare BSW Scholars Program, and to learn about the Child Welfare Employee MSW Scholars Program, please visit dss.sc.gov.
Throughout the month of March, DSS will post videos and stories about the impact of its work in service to South Carolina’s citizens on social media throughout the entire month. Please visit us on Facebook and Twitter.
