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What Does a Social Worker Do (and How Do I Become One)?
Written by Coursera • Updated on
Learn how you can help improve the lives of others with a role in social work.
A social worker is a trained professional who works with all types of vulnerable people, groups, and communities to help them learn to live better lives. Social workers tend to work work with populations that may be suffering due to poverty, discrimination, or other social injustices.
The goal of professional social workers is to create change and encourage the resilience of individuals, families, and communities. This can be a fulfilling career for those who enjoy giving back to the community and making a difference in society.
Let’s take a closer look at what social workers do, why you should consider a career in social work, and how you can get started.
What is social work?
Social work is “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people,” as defined by The International Federation of Social Workers [1]. As a social worker, you can implement important changes to the social services and well-being within your community.
Social workers are needed in settings such as:
Hospitals
Mental health facilities
(Video) Social Work Careers in 2023 | What To Expect As A Social WorkerChild welfare and human service agencies
Community development organizations
Schools
Halfway houses
Adoption agencies
Private practices
Tasks and responsibilities of a social worker
Social work combines many aspects of counseling and psychology while focusing on client case management. Take a look at what types of responsibilities you'll have if you become a social worker in one of these main settings:
Family and schools: Social workers who work with families in the community may advocate for what’s in the best interest of a child’s upbringing. Social workers in educational settings work with teachers, students, and families to solve problems impacting children, such as bullying and learning challenges.
Health care: Social workers in medical and public health settings support critically ill patients and their families by helping them find resources and health care needs. Geriatric social work is a growing need in health care because of the rapidly aging population, especially in the United States.
Substance use disorder: Social workers in mental health and substance use disorder settings assist patients with therapy and finding financially available rehabilitation. Social workers may also work in the community to participate in outreach and preventative programs related to substance use disorder.
Learn more about the three main categories of social work:
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Social workers work with different populations doing different things, and with people of all ages. When learning about the field of Social Work, you'll often hear about methods of practice falling into three categories.
Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change
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Social worker skills and knowledge
Depending on where you work, you will need specific skills and knowledge relevant to the population you are working with. Building a strong foundational skill set will empower you to help others in the most effective way possible.
Set yourself up for success by building the following interpersonal skills:
Communication skills help you form relationships with people so you can gather information about their challenges. This includes active listening, setting boundaries, and effective communication.
Empathy equips you to understand how another person feels about a situation.
Critical thinking helps you to objectively analyze information about a client’s situation based on observations, interviews, and research.
Organizational and time management skills are necessary to manage and document complex cases and the many needs of multiple clients.
Self-care techniques empower you to maintain a healthy work-life balance in what can be an emotionally demanding field.
As you earn your degree and progress in your career as a social worker, you’ll build more specialized knowledge targeted toward your day-to-day work:
Core frameworks of social work create the foundation to help you understand ecological systems, social justice, cultural humility, and other practices that define populations.
Active and reflective listening skills equip you to engage in meaningful conversation with someone to understand their thoughts and allow for effective problem-solving.
Interviewing and counseling techniques include a range of approaches used with clients to help them understand how they can make desired changes in their lives.
Global assessment of functioning (GAF) is a tool used to assess a client’s ability to function.
Read more: Strategies in Communication: Your Guide to Better Connections
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Why pursue a career in social work?
As a social worker, you can make a real difference in your community by addressing growing problems in mental health, aging, child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, chronic illness, homelessness, and food insecurity. Social work is regarded as one of the five core mental health professions, according to the National Institutes of Health.
How much do social workers make?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for social workers in the United States was $50,390 in 2021. Depending on where you live and other factors, you could earn from $36,520 to $82,840 annually [2].
Social worker job outlook
The overall employment of social workers is set to grow at 9 percent between 2021 and 2031, which is faster than average [2]. The fields of health care, substance abuse, and mental health will see the most significant growth due to a large aging population and a trend toward more mental health treatment programs.
Professionals with master's in social work and interested in mental health can look into becoming a therapist. Within talk therapy, there are many psychological modalities that you'd work with that require specialized training, but this can also be a fulfilling and well-paid career (depending on your location and qualifications).
How to become a social worker
As you pursue a career in social work, you can choose whether to work in a clinical or non-clinical capacity.
As a non-clinical social worker, you can offer services such as job, career, and academic counseling or work on policies that affect welfare and social assistance. Counseling and entry-level administrative roles typically require a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree.
Your responsibilities as a clinical social worker require specific knowledge to handle many difficult situations, including substance abuse counseling and support, family abuse cases, and working with patients with post-traumatic stress disorders.
To be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), you'll need the following:
A Master of Social Work (MSW) degree (a Doctor of Social Work, or DSW, is required for leadership positions)
Two years of post-master degree supervised clinical experience
A license in the state you plan to practice
Read More: Your Guide to Social Work Degrees
Get started with Coursera
If you are passionate about helping people who are in need obtain the social support that they need, then take the next step in your career with the Social Work: Practice, Policy and Research MasterTrack® Certificate from the University of Michigan (the top-rated school of social work in the United States). You can earn a university-issued credential in as little as six months. If you decide to enroll in the University of Michigan Master of Social Work (MSW) program, your coursework will count toward your degree.
Social Work MasterTrack® Certificate
University of Michigan
MasterTrack® Certificate
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Written by Coursera • Updated on
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.
FAQs
What Does a Social Worker Do (and How Do I Become One)? ›
Social workers help individuals, groups, and families prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional problems.
What is a social worker and what do they do? ›Social workers help individuals, groups, and families prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional problems.
What will I be doing as a social worker? ›Day-to-day work involves assessing people's needs, strengths and wishes, working with individuals and families directly to help them make changes and solve problems, organising support, making recommendations or referrals to other services and agencies, and keeping detailed records.
What is the main role of a social worker? ›As a social worker, you'll work with people to find solutions to their problems. This may be helping to protect vulnerable people from harm or abuse or supporting people to live independently. You'll work with clients, their families and others around them and with different client groups including: the elderly.
What is at least one role of a social worker and how will you apply it? ›Social workers stand for another person on an individual level, often in complex situations. For instance, their duties may include providing necessary interventions when a child is in an abusive home and working with the family, police, and DCFS to provide immediate and continued safety for the child.
What makes a good social worker? ›Social workers must be able to objectively evaluate each case by collecting information through observation, interviews and research. Thinking critically and without prejudice enables social workers to make informed decisions, identify the best resources and formulate the best plan to help clients.
Why do you want to be a social worker essay? ›I have always wanted to be able to make a difference in people's lives. With social work I know I can do this in a caring and supportive way. I also see it as an opportunity to improve the lives of society's most vulnerable people by being a voice for them and helping them to build a great life for themselves.
What is the role of a social worker in healthcare? ›Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services.
What is social work in essay? ›Social work helps people to deal with personal and social problems so that people can overcome or adjust to any personal difficulties. Social work is a combination of social stability and social change. Social stability promotes individual and social welfare and social change seek to change negative aspects of society.
What are the three types of social work? ›Another way to look at the profession is to consider it from the three divisions or types of social work: micro, macro, and mezzo social work. These terms help categorize virtually any type of social work that these human services workers perform.
What is an example of a social worker? ›
Examples of micro level social workers include: School social workers who help students to cope with problems they are facing at school and at home. Child and family case workers at a county social services department helping a variety of at-risk populations.
What is the difference between a social worker and a social worker? ›Social workers provide services in a variety of workplace settings, from hospitals and community centres to schools and social service agencies. Social service workers, on the other hand, tend to be employed in a range of settings, from group homes and shelters to income maintenance and youth programs.