Social work covers a diverse range of settings and populations, providing support to people who are facing emotional or behavioral challenges, addiction, or mental health disorders. They provide support to people who are trying to adopt children, couples going through a divorce, and people who are suffering from a terminal illness. The role can involve helping people access the support services they need, providing counseling, or identifying treatment choices.
There are many different roles available in the social work sector, all seeking to have a positive impact on people’s lives and improve outcomes for people. The work of a social worker can be very demanding, but the challenges and finding ways to overcome them are part of what makes this type of work so rewarding.
Addiction social work
Addiction social workers aim to help clients overcome dependence on a substance or an activity. Substance abuse social workers specialize in helping clients tackle addiction to substances, which include both illegal drugs and prescription medication. An addiction social worker has a broader remit and may also help with addiction to activities such as gambling or shopping. Support includes drawing up a treatment plan, arranging access to resources, and providing counseling. For example, as part of a treatment plan, an addiction social worker could arrange for a client with a gambling addiction to attend sessions with Gambler’s Anonymous.
Adult elderly social work
Social workers provide support to elderly adults who need help to maintain or improve their quality of life. This type of social work is also referred to as geriatric social work. The aim is to enable older people to live a healthy and independent lifestyle for as long as possible. To achieve this, adult elderly social workers identify the services and resources that can help older people live independently and put their clients in touch with the relevant service providers.
For example, a social worker may arrange live-in care for a client who is no longer able to look after themselves fully. They may also provide mental health support for clients facing particular challenges. Social workers help their clients apply for any benefits and services they are eligible for. Loneliness is a common problem among elderly people so social workers help their clients find suitable local social activities to connect them with other people.
Adult elderly social workers work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, local authorities, and charities, and often visit clients in their homes.
Children’s services
Social workers in this area deal with children and young people under the age of 18 who are struggling at school or exhibiting challenging behaviors at home or in the community. Child social workers provide support for vulnerable children, such as children with disabilities, and the parents or carers of the children. They are also involved in helping couples or families who wish to adopt a child through roles in adoption agencies and government agencies.
Child welfare social workers are responsible for protecting children and youths who are not being looked after adequately by parents or carers and suffer abuse or neglect. If the whole family is facing challenges, the child social worker may also provide services to the parents and siblings. Child welfare social workers work with the family to develop parenting skills and help the parents/carers to create a safer and more nurturing environment for their children. In some cases, more extreme intervention may be necessary, and the social worker may need to arrange for children to be removed from the home and taken to live in a safer place.
Clinical social work
Clinical social workers work with clients who have emotional or behavioral issues or disorders and other forms of mental illness. A clinical social worker will assess a client, formulate a diagnosis, and prepare a treatment plan. Treatment often includes the social worker providing therapy or counseling. This can be provided at the individual, family, or group level. Part of the role of a clinical social worker is to prevent mental illness. The approach to achieving this is often ecological, taking a person-in-environment perspective and exploring how the individual is impacted by institutions, such as school or the workplace, and by the wider community. Clinical social workers support a range of populations, from children with special needs to refugees. They are required to have a Master of Social Work degree and need to be licensed to practice at the clinical level in the state they work in.
Criminal justice social work
Working as a criminal justice social worker or forensic social worker entails assisting people involved in the legal system, such as prison inmates, people on probation, and former prisoners, in areas such as conflict mediation and rehabilitation services. They provide support to inmates during their incarceration and prepare inmates who are due to be released for life in society. Criminal justice social workers are based in courts, correctional facilities, and police departments. They may be required to provide expert witness testimony in court. The role may also include educating people, such as legal professionals and law enforcement officers, who do not have expertise in the psychological factors that impact those in the legal system.
Disability social work
Adults and children with disabilities often need support from disability social workers to help them live safely and as independently as possible. Social workers carry out needs assessments and make sure that clients have the resources and services they need. This may include educating the parents of children with disabilities on their legal rights so they can advocate for their children and help them to become as independent as possible. Settings, where there are roles for disability social workers, include hospitals, healthcare centers, and non-profit organizations.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence social workers support the victims of abuse by a spouse, partner, other family members, or acquaintances. Support includes finding places at refugees and shelters, individual counseling, and court advocacy. These social workers have specialist training to help them recognize the signs of domestic violence, as well as training in how to support the victims of violence.
According to a survey by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in four women, and one in nine men, has experienced violence from an intimate partner. This could take the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or both. In some cases, domestic violence social workers will also be involved in supporting children in the household who have suffered violence from the perpetrator. Around 70% of people who are abusive to a spouse or partner are also child abusers. Children who have not experienced violence directly but who have witnessed it will also need to be referred for support, as witnessing violence will have harmful but less obvious effects.
Social workers in this area also work to prevent domestic violence from occurring. They may get involved in advocating for legislation to address factors relating to domestic violence as well as programs for domestic violence prevention.
Family social worker
The role of the family social worker is similar to that of a child social worker but focuses on the whole family unit. Counseling may be provided to an individual within the family, to couples, or to the family as a whole.
For example, when couples are going through a divorce, a wide range of issues impact the whole family. A family social worker will provide access to resources for practical support as well as providing counseling to help the clients navigate their way through the divorce process.
Government
There is a variety of roles for social workers in government departments. For example, they may get involved in casework and providing therapy or be involved in policy development. Policy and planning entail analyzing policies and regulations to assess what is most effective. Social workers identify social problems, conduct research into them, recommend suitable legislation, and suggest programs to address the problems.
Hospitals
Hospital social workers work in conjunction with doctors, nurses, and other professionals to provide support to patients in terms of emotional, social, and financial needs. They oversee the discharge process for patients and make sure that post-hospital care is arranged. Hospital social workers are knowledgeable about health insurance and help patients get all the financial support to which they are entitled. They work with families to help them adjust to lifestyle changes after the diagnosis of or treatment for a major illness or condition.
International social work
International social workers tend to work in disadvantaged or developing countries where there is a shortage of social work expertise and resources. They may report to government agencies and intergovernmental organizations, or they may work for non-profit organizations. Their role may involve promoting better education, social change and equality, and advocating for marginalized groups of people. International social workers are based in settings such as hospitals, refugee camps, and orphanages.
Mental health
Mental health or psychiatric social workers are responsible for providing services to clients who are suffering from complex mental issues and disorders and emotional distress. They develop care plans for their clients, outlining the treatment methods, counseling requirements, and support services needed. They may also provide therapy to individuals who need psychiatric help to address their mental health issues.
Military social work
Military social workers support active-duty personnel and their families and veterans. They may need to help veterans or active-duty personnel deal with issues such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Military personnel may also need support when they leave the armed forces and must adjust to civilian life. Settings include military bases and hospitals and related agencies.
Nursing home
In a nursing home setting, social workers support elderly patients and their families with the challenging decisions they may face – medical, emotional, and financial. They work to protect clients from abuse or neglect and advocate for the well-being of their clients, promoting as high a quality of life as possible.
Occupational social work
Occupational social workers offer support in the workplace to people experiencing challenges. These could be difficulties at home that affect the employee in the workplace or difficulties in the workplace that also impact the employee when at home.
Roles in occupational social work and employee assistance programs may also include re-engineering the processes used in an organization to improve conditions for employees as well as productivity and efficiency.
Schools
Social workers in schools help children with their emotional and developmental needs as well as support their educational needs. They consider the wider picture of the school, home, and community to understand the causes behind a child’s issues and where problems are being manifested. They have had specialist training in how to support children with special needs. School social workers are mainly employed by schools, both private and public, but some specialist school social roles are found in social services agencies. They may also work in residential treatment centers or work on projects such as setting up preschool programs.
Social services director
Social services directors oversee outreach and educational programs designed to provide members of the community with the resources they need to live healthy lives. They are based in a variety of settings, such as government agencies and non-profit organizations. For example, at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a social services director could manage an outreach program to help homeless veterans.
Substance abuse
Social workers in this field help individuals recover from substance abuse by providing crisis intervention support to tackle addictions. They arrange referrals to rehabilitation centers and work alongside counselors, physicians, and nurses to provide a network of support. The role may also include individual therapy for clients and providing support to the families, who can be impacted in various ways by living with someone suffering from an addiction. They may provide information on and coaching in refusal skills and healthy living. Social workers will often consider the wider context of substance abuse – cultural attitudes, the neighborhood, and community support systems, and how these impact the individual or family. To address substance abuse at a broader level, social workers may advocate for improved housing and employment, the development of community resources, and improvements to education. Some substance abuse social workers will get involved in shaping policy that can tackle the root causes.
Trauma social worker
These specialist social workers are trained in how to support people who have experienced trauma, whether physical, mental, or emotional or a combination. They conduct mental health assessments and provide counseling to clients as well as connect them with resources that can offer support and help rebuild their confidence and foster a sense of personal safety. Specialist trauma social workers may be sent to the region where a natural disaster has occurred so that they can provide urgent support to victims in the area.
Universities
Universities and colleges have social workers on site to provide therapy and emotional counseling, and in some cases develop college-wide programs to promote physical and mental well-being. Social workers may also get involved in career counseling. Another role for social workers at universities is in teaching social work principles to students.
Steps to becoming a social worker
If you are looking for a career where you can make a positive difference in people’s lives, and where there is a vast range of roles and settings, social work could be the right choice for you. It is hard to overstate the impact of social work on society. Social workers are there to connect with people and provide them with support at the most challenging and vulnerable points in their lives. The areas you work depend on your qualifications, and licensure requirements can vary by state. Most social worker roles require a bachelor’s degree in social work as a minimum, and for many roles, you will be expected to have a Master of Social Work (MSW) or other postgraduate qualification in social work. At Keuka College, you can study for your MSW online, with a choice of two programs.
The Traditional Track MSW program takes three years to complete and is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree in another subject and wish to make a career move into social work. The Advanced Track MSW degree is a two-year program for students who have a Bachelor of Social Work degree and are continuing their studies in the subject. Both programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and all faculty educators are licensed social workers, with some actively involved in social work research.
While you study for your postgraduate qualification in social work, you will take part in field placements to gain real-world experience and have a chance to put your new skills and knowledge to practical use. Work placements give you the ideal opportunity to explore different areas of specialization and help you to decide on the social work area you would like to work in.
Anyone looking for a rewarding, people-centered career with plenty of variety should consider a career in social work. With demand for social workers growing faster than the national average, there is good job security in the profession and plenty of opportunity for progression.
