March 1, 2022
The RPC is helping celebrate this year’s Social Work Month in March with the theme “The Time is Right for Social Work” to highlight how social workers have enriched our society for more than a century and how their services continue be needed today.
The annual Social Work Month campaign is a time to inform public, policymakers, and legislators about the services social workers provide in an array of sectors, including social service agencies like the RPC.
People become social workers because they have a strong desire to help others and make our society a better place to live for all. Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are almost 720,000 professional social workers in our nation, but that number is expected to rise to more than 800,000 by 2030.
Social workers have helped drive significant, positive changes in our nation. Social workers such as social reformer Jane Addams, former Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, and civil rights leaders Dorothy Height, Whitney Young, and Ida B. Wells have pushed for voting rights, equal rights, Social Security, unemployment insurance, and other programs.
Social workers touch millions of lives each day and it is likely a social worker at some time will assist you, a family member, or a friend.
Social workers have continued to work on the frontlines throughout the pandemic, helping clients get the health care they need and helping loved ones overcome grief and loss. Social workers will continue to play a key role in helping people as this nation grapples with issues such as racism, economic uncertainty, deep political and cultural differences, and natural disasters fueled by global warming.
“Each day, social workers empower millions of Americans so they can live life to their fullest potential,” says Community Services Director Lisa Benson. “Social workers also work in communities to improve living conditions for all. During Social Work Month we urge you to learn more about our amazing profession, thank the social workers in your lives and here at the RPC, and help support the profession.”
Social Workers at the RPC
Early Childhood Education
- Amber Barnes
- Amber Bueno
- Angela Purviance
- Arica Moss
- Brenda Todd
- Claudia Sparrow
- Darcy Sager
- Donna Blumer
- Heather Pacheco
- Irene Weathersby
- Jacki Buckingham
- Jasmine Ash
- Kaley Spencer
- Katherine Haskins
- Lashaundra Lockett
- Margaret Potter
- Michelle Styan
- Shamika Jackson
- Sheila Ellis
- Toronda McFarland
Community Services
- Angela Yost, MSW
- Annie Bruno, LCSW
- Katie Harmon, LCSW
- Lisa Benson, LCSW
- Michelle DuWaldt, MSW
- Michelle Kiisyo, BSW
- Sara Wilham, BSW
- Thomas Bates, BSW
How do I become a Social Worker?
Many colleges, including the University of Illinois, have terrific social work programs.