Shusterman attends virtual event marking Legislative Education and Advocacy Day

PAOLI, March 22 – State Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester/Montgomery, attended a virtual meeting today with the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, Pennsylvania Chapter and more than 200 people studying or working in the social work field.

“Social workers tend to be women, and women-run industries tend to not get the funding that other industries receive,” said Shusterman. “We must find a way to value the important work of women, caretakers and social workers. We need to get to the root of the issues that affect the lives of those that support our society, so they can go to work without concerns.”

Today’s meeting was to mark Legislative Education and Advocacy Day. Shusterman was invited because of her commitment to improve the quality of life for social workers.

“Social workers are critical to our society,” said Shusterman. “They come in when things are at their worst. It’s not enough for women to just work, we need to make things more equitable, so they have what they need to be able to thrive in jobs at every level.”

According to the National Association of Social Workers, social workers have done extraordinary work during the pandemic, but usually go unrecognized. They work in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, health care settings, and other places where they’ve been directly at the front lines of COVID care. Additionally, as the largest provider of mental health services in Pennsylvania, it is social workers who have been responsible for dealing with the severe mental health impacts of these last few years.

In October 2021, Shusterman was honored as National Association of Social Workers’ Legislator of Year.