Montclair Will Add Salaried Social Worker Position To Its Payroll

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A salaried “social worker” position will soon be on the payroll of Montclair Township.

During their public meeting on Tuesday, the town council unanimously voted to approve a resolution that creates a paid social worker position within the Department of Health and Human Services (watch the video below).

The job will entail working with the residents of Montclair, including seniors, people with disabilities and people in crisis.

When the position is filled, Montclair won’t be the only municipality in Essex County that has a social worker on its payroll. Nearby in Newark, the city has been swearing in a fresh wave of social workers to operate alongside its police officers in the past few years, providing services such as crisis intervention, mediation and referrals to crime victims and others affected by violence. Read More: Newark Police Recruits, Social Workers Graduate Side-By-Side

Montclair’s resolution reads:

RESOLUTION TO CREATE A SALARIED POSITION OF SOCIAL WORKER WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

WHEREAS, social workers are essential to helping relieve suffering in a community, fighting for social justice, and improving lives; and

WHEREAS, there are over 600,000 social workers in the United States doing critical work each day; and

WHEREAS, social workers guide people to vital resources and counsel them on life-changing decisions, advocate for change to laws and policies to improve social conditions, and work to strengthen the social net; and

WHEREAS, social workers are trained to work with individuals on a myriad of issues and, importantly, track an individual’s progress through a challenging situation; and

WHEREAS, social workers can help communities acquire and leverage critical data and information to help shape resource allocation decisions in the future; and

WHEREAS, Montclair prides itself on ensuring quality of life for all of its residents, especially the ones who most need our help; and

WHEREAS, the Township Council feels it is important to fund a position that serves human needs directly, augmenting and facilitating access to the array of services the Township already offers.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Mayor and the Township Council of Montclair that it supports the creation of a salaried social worker position within the Department of Health and Human Services to work with the residents of Montclair, including seniors, people with disabilities, and people in crisis.

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