KINGSTON, Jamaica – Government officials and experts highlighted the critical role of social workers in Jamaica’s development at the International Social Work Conference held on March 18 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Discussions focused on the need for greater investment in the sector and its impact on national progress.

Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, pointed to economic stability as a foundation for strengthening the social sector.

She highlighted government initiatives such as increased disbursements under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), a higher national minimum wage, and a 30 per cent drop in murders last year.

“A stable and resilient economy is important as it sets the context for more support to the social sector,” Johnson Smith said.

She also cited efforts to address domestic violence, expand social intervention programmes like Project Star, and strengthen partnerships with the Diaspora to bolster funding and awareness.

Opposition Spokesperson on Social Transformation and Social Protection, Patricia Duncan Sutherland, argued for reallocating resources from the army (JDF) to social work.

“We don’t need an army of soldiers as much as we need an army of social workers,” she said, emphasising the importance of strengthening family support and fostering a culture of care and love. She also called for teachers to play a more active role in social intervention.

Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr responded to Duncan Sutherland’s remarks, advocating for both a stronger JDF and an expanded social work network.

“I wish I could triple the number of social workers,” Charles said, noting recent improvements in salaries and working conditions for government-employed social workers. He also announced plans to recruit an additional 200 social workers and expand scholarship and job opportunities in the field.

University of the West Indies lecturer Kadamawe Knife, stressed the need to quantify the value of social work in economic terms.

He pointed to agencies like HEART that, through skills training, could increase an individual’s market value by 200 per cent.

Knife also warned that without addressing “digital poverty,” Jamaica would struggle to meet its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The conference also recognised Patricia V Smith, a former ward of the state who is now a successful entrepreneur.

She shared how social workers helped her navigate a difficult upbringing, which included family abuse and being overburdened with domestic responsibilities that affected her education.

“I wouldn’t have been able to overcome those difficulties without the intervention of caring social workers along the way,” she stressed.