Posted Thursday, March 7, 2024 by Team Northwoods

Celebrating Social Workers: A Roundup of Resources You Need to Succeed

Social Work Month is one of our favorite months of the year. We love shouting from the rooftops about the superhero work you do to support and empower vulnerable kids, adults, and families. You are a shining light, a beacon of hope for those who need it, and we thank you for all that you do.

Since social workers are devoted to helping people get the resources they need to succeed, we thought we’d do the same for you. Consider this post your one-stop shop for inspiration, stories, and success strategies, including: divider-footer

Memes Only Social Workers Will Appreciate

We know it's frustrating when you want nothing more than to spend time with clients, but you're buried under a huge pile of paperwork that needs finished. Sometimes you just have to laugh it off! We think these memes will do the trick.

Social work case notes, ugh.
Source: 18 Amusing Social Work Memes to Get You Through the Day 

 

The busy mind of a social workerSource: 10 Memes That Every Social Worker Can Relate To

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Created by Northwoods

 

Messy desks are (not) the bestCreated by Northwoods

 

Hey girl, I heard you like paperwork.Created by Northwoods

 

Tired of being a social worker?Source: The Social Work Hub

 

Social workers show up and make a differenceSource: The Social Work Hub

 

Pooh-meme-for-blog-500x500
Created by Northwoods

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Inspirational Quotes for When the Going Gets Tough

Inspiration can be hard to come by after a long/difficult day, so we created these inspirational wallpapers for your iPad, tablet, or desktop so you can always carry some with you. Save your favorite (or all of them, if you'd like!) for the next time you need a boost.

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rise-by-lifting-others-400x225 be-the-fruit-loop-400x225
make-a-living-400x225 make-a-difference-400x225

 

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Social Workers Share What Motivates Them

We've talked to hundreds of social workers over the years. Here are some of the best quotes we've heard about what motivates them to help kids and families overcome some of life's toughest challenges. A good reminder of why you got into social work in the first place!

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Terrific Tunes for Traveling

The right playlist can help you relax, recharge, or get motivated. Here are a few of our favorites for social workers on the go.

Great-Day-Playlist Feel-Good-Playlist Car-Songs-Playlist

 

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Creating a Supportive and Empowering Work Environment

While much of this post is geared toward individual workers, it's important to call out that all of us—from agency leadership to industry partners and advocatesplay a critical role in supporting workers' well-being. Here are some strategies for creating a culture of psychological safety and minimizing burnout and turnover.

Checkmark Emphasize supervisor and peer support. Prioritize mentorship, coaching, and helping agency leadership to carve out intentional time for quality supervision. Ask: What’s working? What’s not? Where are they getting stuck? What other tools or resources do they need?
Checkmark Create community. Set time each week to check in on how workers are doing separate from supervision, coaching, or case reviews, especially during times when it feels difficult to stay connected. Find times to encourage positive workplace climate too. Even when you’re busy, it’s essential to prioritize this time to connect and re-charge.
Checkmark Embrace flexibility. Embrace the way workers want to work and know it is possible with current technology. Agencies that don’t make policy changes around this shift in how people work may soon see their staff leave for other organizations that do (or leave the field altogether).
Checkmark Provide the right tools. Invest in software and services that allow workers to do the job they signed up to do—assisting clients in being healthy, safe, and successful. This goes a long way in making workers feel more fulfilled, and giving them space to grow as people and professionals.
Checkmark Offer benefits that promote wellness. Rethink benefits from a wellness perspective. For example, mandate worker mental health and well-being PTO or offer wellness stipends that employees can use on things they need to support their mental and emotional health.
Checkmark Offer promotional pathways. Opportunities for education, training, and professional development are critical in keeping your workers fulfilled. Examples here can include mentorship programs that pair trainees with more experienced workers to help them navigate field work or offering tuition stipends for staff who want to get advanced degrees.
Checkmark Compensate workers for their vital contributions. The 2024 Social Work Month theme, "Empowering Social Workers: Inspiring Action, Leading Change," asks everyone to support legislation and initiatives that empower social workers to improve their bottom line. Pay raisesrecruitment and retention bonuses, and financial benefits are all more valuable than ever.

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Self-Care Tips for Social Workers

If you can squeeze in a few minutes for self-care, this blog post and infographic highlights simple ideas for managing stress and boosting your own well-being.

Social Work Self-Care Infographic

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