Social workers are often the first bài đọc
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Social workers work with a number of people at any one time. This is often referred to as a caseload. 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. Show
The problems social workers deal with are often rooted in social or emotional disadvantage, discrimination, poverty or trauma. Social workers recognise the bigger picture affecting people’s lives and work for a more equal and just society where human rights are respected and protected. Social workers recognise the bigger picture affecting people’s lives and work for a more equal and just society where human rights are respected and protected. In all roles, you will be trained and skilled to bring about change. You will also be skilled in using relevant legal powers to protect people’s rights (and sometime balance the rights of everyone involved). This combination of skills is unique to the social work profession. Children’s and adult servicesSocial workers work with adults, children and families and often specialise in a specific field of work – such as support for children and families, or working with adults with physical disability or mental health related needs. We help people make changes and access their rights as people and citizens. We often work with social networks, families or communities, as well as individuals, and help develop supportive relationships. If you are working in children and family services, you may work with children in care (also known as ‘looked-after children’), young offenders, children who have experienced or are at risk of abuse, children with health and mental health needs - and with their families. This may include helping families experiencing difficulties to resolve their problems. You may work specifically to assess and intervene where there are child protection concerns within a family or from elsewhere. You may also manage the adoption and fostering processes, and support children with a disability. If you are working in adults’ services you may work with older people, people with learning or physical disabilities. If you work with people with mental health problems, you’ll focus on promoting independence, wellbeing and having control over their lives, including accessing their entitlements to welfare support and/or to be in employment. You may also support adults who have substance abuse problems, have offended, are living with HIV or Aids, or are involved with the criminal justice system. Salary expectationsSocial work salaries vary according to location, experience and area of work. Newly-qualified social workers can expect to earn around £25,000 a year, rising to over £40,000 a year as you gain experience and responsibility. Social workers work for local authorities, health organisations including the NHS, voluntary organisations and charities, and for private businesses. Some social workers work independently, setting up their own companies to contract for work, often using considerable experience and specialised expertise. (When applying for jobs, it’s worth checking with the employer for the range of benefits included in your salary, such as pensions and annual leave pay.) Many employers across different industries are keen to employ social workers because of their expertise and training. A social work qualification can lead to diverse work opportunities working with people and also in policy, education, research, management and leadership. Social work is a profession in which trained professionals are devoted to helping vulnerable people and communities work through challenges they face in everyday life. Social workers practice in a wide variety of settings, united in their commitment to advocating for and improving the lives of individuals, families, groups and societies. What is the role of social workers?While there is a diverse array of settings in which social workers practice, together social workers share the commitment to:
Who do social workers help?
Social workers work directly with, and on behalf of, a wide variety of populations. Some examples are:
Social workers are uniquely positioned to help our fellow members of society who are vulnerable, oppressed, or marginalized. Not sure where to start? Ask yourself: WHO are you most passionate about helping? Scope of social work practiceSocial workers create change in many ways- from high, systems-level change (macro practice) to the individual level (micro practice). Social Workers make an impact at all levels of practice. MicroWhen most people think of social workers, they think of micro level social workers. These are the individuals who are working with people one-on-one to help them create change in their individual lives. Examples of micro level social workers include:
MezzoSocial workers at the mezzo (or middle) level, tend to work with larger groups or institutions as opposed to individuals, or they may have a more administrative role overseeing a program or service delivery. Some examples of mezzo social work roles include:
MacroSocial workers at the macro level are working to create high-level change. While they don't necessarily work with populations directly, the changes they are making in programs, policy, research, and other areas, trickle down to affect many. Some examples of macro level social work include:
Macro level social workers less frequently have the words "social worker" in their official job title as compared to micro-level social workers, but they are still able to step into a myriad of roles as a result of their comprehensive graduate education. Where are social workers employed?There are a diverse range of agencies that employ social workers, and the job descriptions for social workers vary greatly depending on where they work. Some examples of places that employ social workers are:
Some social workers are also self-employed in private practice as licensed clinical social workers (LCSW). What are the education and license requirements for social work?EducationThe Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national accrediting body for all bachelor's and master's level social work programs. Some entry-level social work positions only require a bachelor's degree in social work (BSW) or another related field. Many individuals find, however, that in order to expand their job opportunities and earning potential, they need a master of social work degree (MSW), as individuals with MSW degrees have more in-depth training which leads to different and higher-level job responsibilities. Many jobs may also require a social work license. Depending on the state, individuals may need to have their master's in social work (MSW) in order qualify for licensure. Individuals do not need to have a bachelor's degree in social work (BSW) in order to obtain their master's in social work (MSW). Many MSW programs (including ours!) admit students from all kinds of undergraduate programs. Psychology, sociology, criminal justice, English, and other liberal art majors are often found in MSW programs, but any bachelor's degree can prepare students well to become social workers. Read more about our MSW admissions prerequisites here. LicensureSocial work licensure varies from state to state. Each state licensing board determines the different kinds of licenses social workers can earn, what level of degree is required, and the scope of practice (what they are allowed to do). View the licensure requirements and types of credentials for your state or province on the ASWB page. In New York State, social workers are only licensed at the master's level, which means they first need to earn their MSW degree. The New York State Office of the Professions is the official licensing body for a variety of licensed professions, including social work. There are a few different kinds of licenses individuals with an MSW degree can earn. NY Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)Not all states have the equivalent of New York's LMSW, which is the initial general practice social work license individuals can earn once they complete their MSW degree from an accredited program and pass a licensure exam. Many, but not all, social work positions in New York State require an LMSW. NY Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)All states require a license to practice clinical social work. Clinical social workers offer therapeutic counseling to clients struggling with health, mental health, addiction, and other issues. Social workers holding clinical licensure are qualified to make diagnoses and provide clinical treatment. In New York State, this license is the LCSW, which stands for "Licensed Clinical Social Worker." The LCSW is an advanced license for those interested in clinical practice. Not all social workers need to get their LCSW, as it is just for individuals who want to practice this specific subset of social work. LCSWs in New York need to have an MSW degree that includes clinical coursework and post-graduate supervised work experience in a clinical setting before they can take the licensing exam. Social workers with their LCSW can then work towards obtaining the additional supervised practice hours to add their "R" (which would update their license to LCSW-R). The "R" indicates that the social worker has psychotherapy privileges. Learn More: Reliable Resources for Information about the ProfessionThe Occupational Outlook Handbook is compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and includes information about all kinds of careers, including social work. In addition to information about the profession, it also has data regarding average salary and future job outlook. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is a professional organization whose membership is made up of social workers from across the country. They have educational information about choosing the profession of social work on their website, in addition to helpful information for social work practitioners. The Grand Challenges for Social Work are championed by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). They call for scientific and interdisciplinary solutions to large societal issues. The Grand Challenges include some great examples of issues social workers care about and are working to mitigate. The inSocialWork Podcast has been produced here in the School of Social Work at UB for the past ten years, and new episodes are released bi-weekly. We bring in experts from across the country to discuss different social work topics and issues. Listening is a great way to explore the different populations and issues relevant to social work, as well as to learn about the variety of roles they fill in our society. If you aren't sure where to start, here are our top five episode recommendations in no particular order (but feel free to look for other topics you are interested in!)
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