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Lake County proclaims March 2025 as Social Worker Appreciation Month
Summary
The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation recognizing March 2025 as Social Worker Appreciation Month and heard brief remarks from county social services and behavioral health staff acknowledging the growing demands on social workers.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation declaring March 2025 as Social Worker Appreciation Month at its meeting and called on residents to recognize the contributions of social workers across the county.
The proclamation, read by Vice Chair Rasmussen, cites the social work profession’s role in improving ‘‘the welfare of people, families, communities, and our nation’’ and highlights social workers’ work in schools, social service agencies, veterans centers and government. It lists historical reforms tied to social work advocacy and notes the profession’s focus on vulnerable and oppressed people.
Rachel Dillman Parson, Lake County social services director, thanked social workers from multiple county programs and commended their daily work. “I want to commend them all for the work they do every day. It is not easy,” she said, listing adult protective services, IHSS, child protective services and employment services as parts of the department’s work.
Amy Shmansky, deputy director of the county’s adult services branch, said caseloads and complexity have risen, in part since the pandemic, and praised social workers’ dedication. “The caseloads are growing. The work is more challenging. And yet I still see social workers every day putting their nose down, doing the same thing, and just getting the work done with grace and compassion and integrity,” she said.
Megan Morgan of Lake County Behavioral Health Services read a statement on behalf of Director Elise Jones praising social workers’ service and calling their work “a lifeline” for many clients: “To the ones who stay long after office hours, who bring dignity to the forgotten and hope to the hopeless, who fight battles unseen and hold space for healing, we see you, we honor you, and we thank you,” Morgan said on Jones’s behalf.
The proclamation text also references national trends and needs cited by advocates, including rising demand for mental health care, substance use disorder treatment and efforts to improve interstate licensing for social workers. The board’s adoption was recorded in the meeting as "Passed and adopted this March 2025," and the document was signed by Chair E.J. Crandall.
County staff invited social workers to the front of the room for a group photo after the proclamation and several officials and staff offered brief personal acknowledgments of the work social workers perform in Lake County.
