March is Social Work Month! If you have a great social worker and would like to celebrate Social Work Month with them, here are some tips on appropriate ways to say “Thank You!”.

Social workers can work in many different areas of the field, with many different roles and responsibilities. You can see social workers employed in areas such as: schools; hospitals and other medical facilities; home care; outpatient mental health clinics; nursing homes; chemical dependency and detox; managed care organizations; universities; political organizations; and state and county agencies.

I know that social workers get a bad rap. However, there may be a social worker in your life that you’re very grateful for and you want to say “Thank You for your hard work and for helping me!” There are specific things you should know before doing so:

Gift giving	Social workers have a very solid Code of Ethics to abide by. As a general rule, social workers are not allowed to accept large gifts or money. Don’t take this personally. If you really feel compelled to give a gift to show your gratitude, it is best to ask your social worker or the agency directly on their policy for accepting gifts before you go out and purchase or make anything.
Just say “Thanks!”	Nothing warms a social worker’s heart more than knowing the work their doing is appreciated and helpful. By simply saying “Thank you for all that you do. I appreciate it!”, you have just given a gift of thanks that your social worker will appreciate.
Donate or volunteer	This act of gratitude can even be done anonymously. Donations of money by charities are always appreciated. However, you can also show your gratitude by “paying it forward” and volunteering. You can even participate by engaging in a simple act of random kindness for someone else.

Pain Camp is a safe place to share your thoughts, experience, strength and hope. How do you say “Thank You” to your service providers?

Photo credits: Joyce’slittlesquare, FoodsOftheWeb, woodleywonderworks, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center via flickr.com