100 Years of Professional Social Work.
Social workers are real American heroes.
They saw injustices, acted and inspired others. Working on the front lines against poverty and its attendant hardships, social workers were often the first to see social problems, act on them, and inspire others to do the same. The social work centennial dates from the summer of 1898, with the offering of the first classes in social work. Since then, social workers have led the way, developing private and charitable organizations, and fighting for the recognition of public responsibility for the needy. Today social workers are the largest group of mental health services providers.