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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The primary mission of the social work profession
3is to enhance the well-being and help meet the basic needs of
4all people, especially the most vulnerable in society; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Social work is one of the fastest growing careers
6in the United States with more than 640,000 members of the
7profession and over 20,000 in Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Social workers serve in all areas of our society
9to improve happiness, health, and prosperity, including in
10government, schools, universities, social service agencies,
11communities, the military, and mental health and health care
12facilities; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Social workers daily embody this year's Social
14Work Month theme, "Forging Solutions Out of Challenges", by
15helping individuals, communities, and the larger society
16tackle and solve issues that confront them; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Social workers have helped this nation live up to
18its ideals by successfully pushing for equal rights for all,
19including women, African Americans, Latinos, people who are
20LGBTQ, and various ethnic, cultural, and religious groups; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Social workers have helped people in this nation
2overcome racial strife and economic and health care uncertainty
3by successfully advocating for initiatives such as Medicaid,
4unemployment insurance, workplace safety, Social Security
5benefits, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the
6Affordable Care Act; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Social workers are the largest group of mental
8health care providers in the United States and daily work to
9help people overcome depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and
10other disorders so they can lead more fulfilling lives; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employs
12more than 12,000 professional social workers; social workers
13help bolster our nation's security by providing support to
14active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Thousands of child, family and school social
17workers across the country provide assistance to protect
18children and improve the social and psychological functioning
19of children and their families; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Social workers help children find loving homes and
21create new families through adoption; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Social workers in schools work with families and
2schools to foster future generations by ensuring students reach
3their full academic and personal potential; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Social workers work with older adults and their
5families to improve their quality of life and ability to live
6independently as long as possible and get access to quality
7mental health and health care; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Social workers have helped the United States and
9other nations overcome earthquakes, floods, wars, and other
10disasters by helping survivors get services such as food,
11shelter, health care, and mental health care to address stress
12and anxiety; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the month
15of March of 2016 as Social Work Month in the State of Illinois;
16and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to the National Association of Social
19Workers-Illinois Chapter with our sincere appreciation for
20their efforts.