March 18-22, 2024 marks the 22nd annual LGBTQ Health Awareness Week! 

This is a very important week in healthcare when it comes to highlighting the disparities that LGBTQ+ people face in their pursuit of equitable care. Historically, LGBTQ+ people have faced systemic issues ranging from outright refusal to provide emergency assistance, resulting in death, all the way to seemingly innocuous microaggressive assumptions that harm the LGBTQ+ persons perceptions of healthcare settings being a place where they (and their lives, families, and concerns) are welcome. 

Pennsylvanians have been fortunate to see their rights protected by legislation in recent years, such as Executive Order 2022-02 Protecting Pennsylvanians from Conversion Therapy and Supporting LGBTQIA+ Pennsylvanians . Despite a historically supportive political climate, disparities and the historic experiences of systemic discrimination, deception and dehumanizing hostility in healthcare cannot be forgotten or denied. In election years, that becomes all the more important. 

It is our responsibility as Social Workers to arm ourselves with knowledge to better advocate for safe and affirming healthcare practices throughout the state. Information on how to better prepare for active allyship can be found here.

March is Social Work Month! 

Our field came in to being with the development of public programs in the mid-19th century and was initially an unpaid labor of love and volunteer occupation for improvement of society. This ultimately changed and social work became a paying profession by the 1920s, having achieved professional status. Perhaps to some extent, these roots in free labor by the advantaged and passionate on behalf of the growing population of people living in poverty in urban settings is part of why our profession continues to experience professional and fiscal devaluation. 

During the month where we are celebrating our field and contributions to interdisciplinary healthcare teams, outreach, social service programs, foster care and an innumerable list of additional service areas where social workers are the cornerstone of programming, it makes sense to also highlight ways we can negotiate higher salaries and engage in lobbying efforts for our field. 

While you are enjoying the well-deserved attention and celebration of your contributions to your team and place of employment this month, keep thinking of how we can continue to make positive change for our constituents, and our colleagues who serve them.