The public's perception of social work: is it what we think it is?

This article reports on the public's current perception of the social work profession as examined in a nationally representative, random digit telephone survey of 386 people. The survey asked respondents about their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding the profession and its practitioners and required respondents to make comparisons between social workers and other helping professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, nurses, and clergy. Results of the survey indicated that for the most part, a majority of the public understands the social work profession and in many ways recognizes its value.