US Social Workers Are Fighting to Be Paid - It’s Time Social Workers Advocated for Themselves!
Social Work News • By Taylor Gilbert • August 7, 2023
“There are currently efforts by Payment 4 Placements, a movement of social work students who believe all students should be paid for their field placements.
Social workers should be paid for their labor? What a concept!
It’s quite frustrating that we learn so much in school about advocating for our clients and fighting against oppressive systems and yet, when we try to do those things for ourselves and fellow social workers, there is resistance.
Individuals who need to work full-time have to decide between taking on a massive amount of debt or not pursuing the career at all. That should not be a dilemma they are faced with when considering going into a helping profession, or any profession for that matter (but that’s a conversation for another day). This issue is leading to a lack of diversity in the social work field which to me, falls under social injustice, something we vowed to challenge.”
