Social work professionals are urging the public not to wait until they are in crisis before seeking help.
Speaking on Observer AM to mark Social Workers Awareness Month, Dr Anthony Estreet, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in the United States, said one of the most damaging misconceptions about social work is that it is reserved for people who have already hit rock bottom.
“We don’t always have to wait until we’re in an immediate crisis — where we may have thoughts of self-harm or suicide,” Dr Estreet said. “We can actually reach out before then.”
He encouraged people to begin by simply checking in on one another, particularly during periods when life feels especially heavy, and to treat those conversations as genuine rather than acting. Dr Estreet said social workers want to be present not only during the darkest moments but also when things are going well — helping clients maintain the progress they have worked hard to achieve.
“We also want to see you when things are going good,” he said, “because sometimes it is around keeping that momentum going.”
He described social work’s approach as a continuum — beginning with psychoeducation and early prevention, moving through active intervention when symptoms worsen, and continuing into recovery with the goal of ensuring that the coping skills and treatment plans developed alongside a client remain effective over time.
Deon Grannum, a social worker and certified sexologist at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center, echoed those sentiments and spoke directly to the Antiguan context, saying the country is gradually dismantling long-held taboos that have historically made it difficult for people to ask for help.
“There are lots of taboo topics in Antigua. Mental health is one of those taboo topics, sex is still a taboo topic,” Grannum said. “And so, we’re changing the way we discuss these things in our society, in schools, so that rather than our young people being left wandering and curious without information, they’re able to ask questions more openly and get the answers that they need.”
She noted that conversations around mental health in Antigua are becoming less stigmatized, pointing to the increasing willingness of parents and young people to engage with issues such as substance-induced psychosis — matters that were once explained away in purely cultural or spiritual terms.
Both professionals identified schools as the most critical point of early intervention, arguing that engaging children around emotional wellness at an early age is the single most effective way to reduce stigma and prevent crises from developing later in life.