Honor Colleagues

NASW Chapters host annual awards programs to recognize exemplary members, supportive policymakers, media allies, and inspiring public citizens. If you are an NASW member, please take time to nominate social workers and other community champions you admire. Recipients of the NASW Chapter Awards are then nominated for the NASW National Awards program.

There are other award and grant competitions for which social workers are well-qualified. Websites such as www.Idealist.org, federal agencies, universities, and national foundations often list these programs. Nominating social work colleagues for these honors is a wonderful tribute to their legacies.

Does your organization or employer host constituents for customer appreciation days or employee appreciation days? If so, help the public relations or community relations staff people at your organization plan these events, and also ask to distribute audience appropriate literature about social work services and staff. Some organizations will even consider hanging banners during Social Work Month.

Remember to wear your Professional Social Worker pin at the event. Social workers don’t wear a uniform, so this is an easy way to make sure people know who you are. The pins are also a great way to recognize new social work graduates at university graduation ceremonies.

Another way to honor colleagues is to send notices to the local press about social worker contributions and accomplishments. The NASW News prints some of these public announcements every month.

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