Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax; 713/743-8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2004

Contact: Leticia Konigsberg
713/743-8152 (office)
713/617-7143 (pager)
lkonigsberg@uh.edu

March marks National Social Work Month and the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work will kick it off with the 4th Annual Greater Houston Area Social Work Awards Breakfast: “Let’s Get Political,” and finish with its “Fish and Glitz – We’re Hooked on Social Work” gala.

Sylvia R. Garcia, Harris County Commissioner of Precinct 2, will be the guest speaker during the 8:30 a.m. breakfast Friday, March 5 at the UH – Hilton Hotel. At the month’s end, philanthropist Nancy Frees Fountain will be honored during the gala, which begins at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 30. The gala, which will be held at the Downtown Aquarium restaurant, benefits the UH Graduate School of Social Work scholarship students and the school’s division of American Humanics.

Though social work has been around for more than a hundred years, the profession is considered one of the most vital –and misunderstood – careers in the world today. That is why social workers and others set March aside to celebrate and reflect on the efforts made by social workers.

“Social Work Month provides an opportunity to consider and recognize the many unsung heroes who day in and day out do incredible work touching the lives of so many people,” said Ira Colby, dean of the UH Graduate School of Social Work. “Abused and neglected children, homeless families who live in shelters, seniors who are confronting end of life issues, individuals who because of discrimination, prejudice and hate are set aside in our community – these are some of the many people who social workers are involved with on a daily basis as they work to make a difference in their lives.”

There are 600,000 social workers across the U.S. today, but the need for social work services is expected to increase 30 percent, making it one of the fastest growing career fields in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Becoming a professional social worker is not easy, nor should it be,” said Colby. “Professional education, followed by supervised practice and ongoing continuing education are mandated by state licensing laws and the profession’s code of ethics. While understanding those terms one must also remember a social worker’s success is measured by helping people achieve their goals on their own terms,” said Colby.

The annual breakfast is sponsored by UH GSSW, National Association of Black Social Workers - Houston, Inc., National Association of Social Workers - Gulf Coast Branch & Houston Branch, Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care - Texas Chapter, Texas Southern University - Social Work Program, UH - Graduate School of Social Work - Alumni Association. To register by phone or pay by credit card, call 713-743-1060. Open to the public.

For more information about the “Fish and Glitz” gala, call 713-743-8114.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following UH faculty resources are available to the media to comment directly on various aspects of social work and/or to provide background information. If you are unable to contact them directly or have a request for a topic not listed below, please contact the External Communications office at 713-743-8152.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.