Sponsors - Social Work Reinvestment Act

We, the undersigned organizations, join with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in showing our full support for the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R. 795/ S.686). Professional social workers provide essential services to individuals across the lifespan and have long been the workforce to guide people to critical resources, counsel them on important life decisions, and help them to reach their full potential. Social workers are society’s safety net, and with our current economic challenges, this safety net has grown to include and protect a diverse group of people from all walks of life. However, serious safety concerns, significant educational debt, and comparatively insufficient salaries are threatening the ability of our nation’s social workers to provide these indispensible services.

The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act is designed to address these challenges to the profession, thereby helping to ensure that millions of individuals and families throughout the nation can continue to receive competent care. This legislation will create the foundation for a professional workforce to meet the ever-increasing demand for the essential services that social workers provide. Professional social workers have the unique expertise and experience that will enable them to help solve the social and economic challenges that our nation is facing.

We thank social workers Congressman Towns and Senator Mikulski for introducing this legislation and for their consistent dedication and leadership of the social work profession. We are also privileged to name this bill after social work and civil rights pioneers Dr. Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr., who dedicated their lives to serving others and challenging inequitable conditions. This bill is a testament to their lifetimes of service.

We urge every member of the House and Senate to show their support for professional social workers, but more importantly, to ensure that individuals, families, and communities will have access to the vital services that social workers provide. The future of the profession depends on the measures that are taken to reinvest today, and we urge members of Congress to sign on as cosponsors, and actively work to ensure passage of this legislation.