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Public Health Social Workers Article
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Social Worker Careers
from: Kyle BesserSocial work is a profession for those with a strong desire to help people improve their lives. Social workers help people by helping them cope with issues in their everyday lives, deal with their relationships and solve personal and family problems. Some social workers help clients who face a disability or a life-altering disease or a social problem, such as inadequate housing, unemployment or substance abuse.
Social workers also assist families that have serious domestic conflicts, sometimes involving child or spousal abuse. Some social workers conduct research, advocate for improved services, engage in systems design or are involved in planning or policy development. Many social workers specialize in serving a particular population or working in a specific setting.
Child, family and school social workers provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families. They may assist single parents, arrange adoptions, or help find foster homes for neglected, abandoned or abused children. Some specialize in services for senior citizens. Social workers may help people cope with job-related pressures or personal problems that affect the quality of their work through employee assistance programs.
In schools social workers often serve as the link between students' families and the school, working with parents, guardians, teachers and other school officials to ensure students reach their academic and personal potential. They address problems such as misbehavior, truancy and teenage pregnancy. They advise teachers on how to cope with difficult students.
Child, family, and school social workers may also be known as child welfare social workers, family services social workers, child protective services social workers, occupational social workers, or gerontology social workers. They often work for individual and family services agencies, schools, or state or local governments.
Medical and public health social workers provide psychosocial support to people so they can cope with chronic, acute or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer's, cancer or AIDS. They also advise family caregivers, counsel patients and help plan for patients' needs after discharge from hospitals. Medical and public health social workers may arrange for at-home services, such as meals-on-wheels or home care. Some work on interdisciplinary teams that evaluate certain kinds of patients, geriatric or organ transplant patients, for example. Medical and public health social workers may work for hospitals, nursing and personal care facilities, individual and family services agencies or local governments.
Mental health and substance abuse social workers assess and treat individuals with mental illness or substance abuse problems, including alcohol, tobacco or drugs abuse. Services include individual and group therapy, outreach, crisis intervention, social rehabilitation and teaching skills needed for everyday living. Mental health and substance abuse social workers also may help plan for supportive services to ease clients’ return to the community. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are likely to work in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, individual and family services agencies or local governments. These social workers may also be known as clinical social workers.
Social workers usually spend most of their time in an office or residential facility, but they also may travel locally to visit clients, meet with service providers or attend meetings. Some may meet with clients in one of several offices within a local area.
All states and the District of Columbia have some licensure, certification or registration requirements, but the regulations vary. A bachelor's degree in social work (BSW) is the most common minimum requirement to qualify for a job as a social worker. Majors in psychology, sociology and related fields may qualify for some entry-level jobs, especially in small community agencies.
Although a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for entry into the field, an advanced degree has become the standard for many positions. A master’s degree in social work (MSW) is typically required for positions in health settings and is required for clinical work as well. Some jobs in public and private agencies also may require an advanced degree, such as a master's degree in social services policy or administration. Supervisory, administrative, and staff training positions usually require an advanced degree. College and university teaching positions and most research appointments normally require a doctorate in social work (DSW or Ph.D.).
Social workers should be emotionally mature, objective and sensitive to people and their problems. Social work can be very challenging. Social workers must be able to handle responsibility, work independently and maintain good working relationships with clients and co-workers. A volunteer or paid job as a social work aide can help people test their interest in the field before committing the years of education and field experience necessary to enter the field.
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