Steve Manos, LCSW, PPSC from Region E
By S. Jolene Hui, LCSW, Membership Coordinator
Social worker and Lifetime Achievement award recipient Steve Manos has been described as “The most dedicated social worker I know.”
Being awarded the California Association of School Social Worker’s (CASSW) Lifetime Achievement Award this year was a well-deserved honor for Manos. A social worker since the 1960s, he has passionately dedicated the majority of his life to improving the lives of others. Manos said, “It’s an honor … there is nothing more profound and moving than to be recognized by your peers.”
Originally from El Centro, California, Manos left his hometown on the border of Mexico and Arizona to become a bruin, earning his BA in psychology from UCLA. He wasn’t always a social worker by education or by trade, however, working at Douglas Aircraft after graduating and honing his mathematics skills.
There were a number of things that led Manos into the social work field and ultimately back to graduate school for social work. A supervisor of his at Douglas Aircraft encouraged him to go into social work — even loaning him money to quit and pursue this new field. Later, Manos learned the supervisor had also left to go into social services — as an eligibility worker in Riverside. In addition, a parole agent with an MSW he’d met while volunteering inspired Manos. That experience made him say to himself, “I like this. I like social work.”
Interestingly, Joseph Conrad’s short story, “The Secret Sharer,” about a ship captain who makes a difficult yet compassionate decision against social norms, was also an inspiration to Manos. Prior to pursuing his MSW, Manos worked for the Welfare Department of Public Assistance. He graduated in 1966 with his MSW from San Diego State University. He chose that particular school because the social work pioneer Ernest Witte started the program there.
After graduating, Manos worked for the State of California in the Department of Mental Hygiene and then ended up going into school social work. He said, “All youth go through schools — what a great place for social work.” He has been involved with school social work since then in a variety of capacities in different school districts and has taught at San Diego State University.
Manos has been a member of NASW since he graduated in 1966. “I’ve always thought of it as something I’ve needed to do. If you’re going to be a professional somebody you need to support the professional organization … I’ve always been proud of it.”
What has he enjoyed most about being a social worker? He says, “It’s a hard one to answer. Just working with people and trying to be involved in social justice and making things better…in general and specific. One on one and policy improvement — I think that’s what I enjoy about social work.”
As expected, his list of personal and professional accomplishments is extensive. Professionally, he has been involved with improving student and learning support services with different organizations. He is proud of helping social workers get into districts as well as helping school districts understand school social work. He continues to be active with CASSW and volunteers (since 1993) for the National Conflict Resolution Center. Personally, he is proud of his relationships with his family, friends, and associates. He enjoys spending time with family in his free time.
His advice for newbies to the field is this: “Try to learn and practice at all levels. Not just direct [practice]. But make sure that you have some tie to indirect practice — advocacy, policy, social justice.”
He adds, “I have been inspired by and marveled at the young-bloods that are coming into school social work. They are so impressive with their energy, intelligence, and ability to practice in very innovative and effective ways. I hope I have and will contribute to their growth and presence in any small way.”
Jolene Hui, LCSW, is NASW-CA’s membership coordinator and can be reached at jhui@naswca.org.
