2023 -- H 6175
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LC002581
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CELEBRATING MARCH OF 2023, AS “NATIONAL SOCIAL WORK MONTH” IN THE
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Ajello,
Fogarty, Chippendale, Kennedy, Edwards, Cortvriend, and McGaw
Date Introduced: March 21, 2023
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, Social Workers enter the profession because they have a strong desire to 1
help empower individuals, families, communities, and our nation to overcome issues that prevent 2
them from reaching their full potential; and 3
WHEREAS, Social Workers have worked for more than a century to improve the human 4
well-being and enhance the basic needs of all people; and 5
WHEREAS, Social Workers follow a Code of Ethics that call on them to fight social 6
injustice and respect the dignity and worth of all people; and 7
WHEREAS, Social Workers positively touch the lives of the 1.09 million Rhode 8
Islanders each day and in a variety of places, including schools, hospitals, the military, child 9
welfare agencies, community centers, and in federal, state and local government; and 10
WHEREAS, The 2023 Social Work Month theme, “Social Work Breaks Barriers” 11
embodies how social workers help empower individuals, families, communities and our society to 12
overcome hurdles that prevent them from achieving better well-being; and 13
WHEREAS, Social Workers are the largest professional group with mental health 14
licenses in Rhode Island, working daily to help thousands of Americans overcome mental 15
illnesses such as depression and anxiety; and 16
WHEREAS, Social Workers are on the frontlines of the nation’s opioid addiction crisis, 17
helping people get the treatment they need and prevail over substance use disorders; and 18
WHEREAS, Social Workers have helped people cope with death and grief and helped 19
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people directly affected by the housing crisis in Rhode Island; and 1
WHEREAS, Social Workers have helped this nation live up to its values by advocating 2
for equal rights for all, including people of color, people who are Indigenous, people who are 3
LGBTQIA2S+, or people who follow various faiths; and 4
WHEREAS, The Social Work profession is one of the fastest growing careers in the 5
United States, with about 708,000 social workers today, 2,700 of them practicing in Rhode 6
Island, and more than 60,000 more social workers are expected to enter the profession over the 7
next decade; and 8
WHEREAS, Social Workers have continued to push for changes that have made our 9
society a better place to live, including a livable wage, improved workplace safety, and social 10
safety net programs that help ameliorate poverty, hunger, and homelessness; and 11
WHEREAS, Social Workers endeavor to work throughout our society to meet people 12
where they are and help empower people and our society to reach the goals they wish to attain; 13
now, therefore be it 14
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 15
celebrates March of 2023 as “National Social Work Month” and with gratitude and admiration, 16
recognizes the numerous contributions made by Rhode Island’s Social Workers. We moreover 17
call upon all citizens to join the National Association of Social Workers Rhode Island Chapter in 18
celebration and support of the Social Work profession; and be it further 19
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 20
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Meghan Crowley, (Intern) Legislative 21
Education Coordinator, National Association of Social Workers Rhode Island (NASW-RI). 22
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