Most people imagine all social workers as those who remove children from their homes in the middle of the night or hand out welfare checks. While some social workers do have those jobs, which provide lifelines to those in need, there is a wide array of other opportunities that exist in the social-working field.
Social workers work in private practices, counseling centers, nursing homes, schools, prisons, child welfare agencies, corporations, hospitals and agencies. With the diverse career options available, you are sure to find your niche. Here is a sampling of the many areas of opportunity in the social-work field.
Mental-health therapy Mental-health therapists work with individuals, groups and families who have adjustment problems or severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or personality disorders. You may work in in-patient, out-patient or home-based settings. Some programs are set up solely for crisis intervention or life-skills training.
Substance-abuse therapy Here you will have the opportunity to work with people who are either ordered by a court or who voluntarily seek treatment for substance abuse. Some programs are educational in nature, some are therapy-based, others aim at abuse prevention. There are special programs set up to help young chemically dependent people, pregnant women with chemical dependencies, prescription-drug addicts and others. Some programs target specific addictions, such as cocaine, heroin and alcohol.
School social work In this setting, you get the opportunity to work with students in elementary through high school and a wide range of difficulties. On any given day, you could help children with behavioral and emotional problems, learning disabilities, grief and loss issues, abuse and neglect, children of alcoholics or children with social difficulties. You might also deal with bullies, transitions to new schools, drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders, relationship problems, anger-management problems, domestic abuse and suicidal teens or children.
Medical and hospice social work In medical social work, you might offer support and therapy to people with heart, lung or circulation diseases, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, to name a few. You may also provide assistance to family caregivers. Hospice workers help people come to terms with a terminal illness and work as part of a team that provides comfort and dignity to people who are dying and their families. In hospice care, you also have the opportunity to assist others dealing with grief and loss issues, including spouses, parents and children.
Supervision/administration As a supervisor or administrator of a social-work program, you will provide clinical direction and training to other therapists, oversee program operations, prepare budgets, write grants and develop new programming. Planning and policy-making As a policy maker, you will develop programs that address major issues, such as child abuse, homelessness, poverty and violence. You will also have a hand in groundbreaking research and analysis of policies, programs and regulations. In this field, you will suggest legislation and other solutions. You will also write grants to get funding to support programs.
Criminal justice social work As a social worker employed in the field of criminal justice, you will make recommendations to courts, prepare pre-sentence assessments and provide services to inmates, parolees, people on probation and their families.
Occupational social work In occupational social work, you work in the personnel department of a corporation to help employees cope with personal problems that affect the quality of their work. (Think substance abuse, emotional and family problems.) You also will develop educational programming for employees on issues such as stress and coping with life’s challenges.
How long do I have to go to school? A four-year bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) is the minimum requirement to qualify for a job in the field. You won’t be considered a therapist until you have obtained at least a master’s degree in social work (MSW), which requires an additional two years of education, training and field placement. Field placement is when you actually work with a licensed, certified social worker in the field. Certain jobs require additional credits, such as the job of a school social worker. Doctorate degrees, which prepare you for intense research and teaching at the college and university level, require even more training and study.
