2026 Social Work Month Voices: Adana Cranfield, DSW, LCSW, PEL

As the NASW celebrates 70 years of advocacy and advancement, this upcoming Social Work Month we want to continue to collect stories from across the profession. Read Adana’s story and see how this year’s Social Work Month Theme, “Uplift. Defend. Transform.” resonates with them.

Adana Cranfield DSW, LCSW, PEL

(she/her)

Where did you get your degree(s)?

Bachelor of Science: Psychology / University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana Master of Social Work / Aurora University Doctor of Social Work / Aurora University

Current occupation/practice area

Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at DePaul University

In what ways are you involved with NASW-IL?

Former board member, Former Implicit Bias Trainer, Former Awards Committee Chair, Current Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access & Belonging (DEIAB) Committee

How did you choose the social work path? What inspired you?

When I was graduating with my undergraduate degree in psychology, people would often skeptically respond to hearing my major with, “What are you going to do with that?” I was also frequently told that I would need a graduate degree if I ever wanted a career. My mind sought out a program… any program… that didn’t require math. My spirit sought out social work. While I can’t say I felt “inspired” to choose the social work path at the beginning and certainly not during the grueling statistics courses, every day I am inspired to stay the course by the people I get to serve… well, most of them.

What are some of essential skills needed to be an effective social worker?

Whether supporting individuals in unlearning oppressive beliefs or working alongside communities impacted by oppressive systems and policies, effective social work is, at its core, liberatory. Toward that end, I devote a great deal of time to cultivating humility, self-reflection, and critical consciousness in future social workers. These capacities are reinforced through empowerment frameworks that center dignity, agency, and resilience. And then there are the essentials that are not always taught in the classroom, but learned through practice. For me, those have been developing a tough skin, building a solid, sustaining community, and staying organized (because good documentation and follow-through are as much a part of ethical social work as empathy and advocacy).

What changes or innovations do you see coming to the social work profession?

I don’t think the most meaningful changes in social work will come from flashy innovations, but from a deeper shift in how we understand harm and healing. Over the years, we’ve seen national leadership that, to varying degrees, either advanced human rights and equity or reinforced systems of oppression, including white supremacy. Throughout these shifts, I see more social workers stepping into influence, crafting policy, running for office, and serving in leadership roles in the White House, bringing our values of justice, empowerment, and equity to tables that have too often overlooked them and have attempted to invalidate our profession. In fact, someday, I see a social worker as president.

Does the 2026 SW month theme "Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform." resonate to you? Is it already integrated in your work?

The words “Uplift. Defend. Transform.” resonate deeply because they describe actions rooted in humility and strength, actions that persevere and never fail. These aren’t just lofty ideals I admire from afar. They describe how I roll up my sleeves every day, shaping how I serve, teach, and advocate. These words capture the essence of social work as the work of love. That love calls me forward.