By: Matt Maura
Professional social workers and their support staff and colleagues from the Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, are commemorating March as Professional Social Workers Month.
The month was launched Sunday (March 2) with a Church Service at Bahamas Faith Ministries International, and continued Wednesday (March 4) with appearances on The Morning Show and the Wake Up Bahamas Show on the ZNS Radio Network.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, who was accompanied on both shows by Andrea Newbold, Chief Welfare Officer, Department of Social Services, applauded social workers and their support staff across The Bahamas “for standing up to the challenge”.
“Our Ministry spreads across the archipelago from the northern to the southern-most islands of The Bahamas and I want all of our social workers and support staff to know that we appreciate them. They are standing up to the challenge. We are aware of some of the issues they are facing and we want to assure them that we are doing all that we can to ensure that they are sufficiently comfortable so that their productivity can be top-notch,” Minister Campbell added.
Minister Campbell has completed site visits to Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Grand Bahama in a little over a year since assuming the post to ascertain, first-hand, staffing concerns and to meet with, and receive, feedback from, residents in those areas who are clients of the Ministry, the Department of Social Services, and the Urban Renewal Commission, all with a view to bringing greater efficiency and effectiveness of service to clients. Similar visits have been undertaken in New Providence.
“I want to let those persons in Long Island, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Bimini, Exuma, Andros and San Salvador to know that I am en route, as we are not just New Providence-centric” Minister Campbell added.
The Month is being commemorated under the theme: “Social Workers: Generations Strong”. Minister Campbell said he was: “Proud to be part of this Generations Strong Team and theme”.
“I celebrate social workers every single day because being privileged to be a member of this team, I am aware of the contributions and the impact they are having on our society. I get people who stop me in the supermarket, who stop me in Church to express their gratitude for something good that happened to them, for them or to a family member as a result of visiting one of our centres.”
Activities for the 2020 celebrations have been reduced as a result of the circumstances surrounding the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian and the huge demand that was placed on social workers, their support staff and other staff in the large humanitarian effort that was required in its aftermath.
“The activities may not be many, but they will be sufficiently significant,” Minister Campbell said. “What will be emphasized is our appreciation for each other. We believe that charity begins at home and so we are going to engage in exercises to show appreciation for each other, to see how best we can uplift and maintain each other, and then know that will overflow into the public sphere, resulting in the productivity that people expect.”
Chief Welfare Officer Newbold is one of the many officers who have given yeoman’s service in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. She said professional social workers are compassionate, caring people who make the best out of any situation in order to get the job done.
“Social Workers have to be multi-faceted because anything that goes on in our country, we are the ones to be called upon. We are asked to deal with the fall-out from disastrous events - natural or otherwise - and emergencies no matter what they are or where they are, in addition to all of the others services and duties we regularly perform for our many clients throughout The Bahamas and we do it with a smile on our faces and passion in our hearts.
“As a matter of fact, you cannot be a professional social worker if you are not passionate. Professional social workers do not perform the various tasks required of us for the love of anything other than the love of people, love of community and for wanting to make a difference. People often ask what we get paid, but we don’t do it for the money. We enjoy ensuring that we empower the persons who are seeking our services. When they meet me or any other professional social worker, their lives should be better.”
CWO Newbold admitted that there are times when social workers feel unappreciated by their clientele and some members of the general public.
“And we understand why, and that is because we do not go about blowing our own horns. Instead, we are in the background working, getting things done. We work under circumstances sometimes that are not the best. Just look at our team members in Grand Bahama and Abaco and the conditions they were asked to work under in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and they were still in the forefront serving the public, ensuring that our clients’ needs were being addressed while neglecting their own needs.
“I want to applaud Social Workers across the length of the Bahamas. We love all of you and I just want to say thank you and let us continue to do that great work and doing it unto God,” CWO Newbold added.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, after appearing on the ZNS Radio Wake Up Bahamas Show with (from second left): ZNS Radio Personality and Host, Hope Shelly-Anne, Andrea Newbold, Chief Welfare Officer, Department of Social Services and Deon Morris, Director of Radio, ZNS.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, following an appearance on ZNS Radio’s The Morning Show with (from second left): ZNS Radio Personality and Host, Kaseghen Adderley, Andrea Newbold, Chief Welfare Officer, Department of Social Services and Deon Morris, Director of Radio, ZNS.
(BIS Photo/Matt Maura)
