What does a Social Worker do?
Published 3 min read
Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.
Social Worker job duties include:
- Advocating for clients
- Connecting clients with resources
- Conducting assessments
- Counseling clients
- Developing treatment plans
- Documenting client progress
- Educating clients about social services
- Evaluating program effectiveness
- Providing crisis intervention
- Referring clients to other services
Social Worker Job Requirements
A social worker typically needs a bachelor’s degree in social work, although some jobs may require a master’s degree. Social workers also must have a state-issued license. Some states require social workers to complete a period of supervised work experience before they can be licensed. Many social workers have at least 1 year of post-graduate supervised experience.
Social Worker Skills
- Patience
- Empathy
- Communication
- Listening
- Problem-solving
- Organizational
- Observational
- Interpersonal
- Writing
- Critical thinking
- Research
Related: Top Social Worker Skills: Definition and Examples
How to become a Social Worker
There are many reasons why someone might want to become a social worker. Maybe they have a passion for helping others, or they want to make a difference in their community. Whatever the reason, becoming a social worker is a rewarding and challenging career. Here are a few steps to take if you’re interested in becoming a social worker:
1. Get your bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited university. This is the first step towards becoming a social worker. During your undergraduate studies, you will take classes on topics like human behavior, social welfare policy, and research methods.
2. After you graduate with your BSW, you will need to obtain a master’s degree in social work (MSW) from an accredited university if you want to pursue a clinical career path. During your MSW program, you will take advanced coursework in areas like clinical practice and assessment, human development, and psychopathology.
3. Once you have obtained your MSW, you will need to obtain licensure in the state where you plan to practice social work. Each state has different requirements for licensure, but most states require passing an exam and completing a certain number of hours of supervised clinical experience.
4. After you are licensed, you can begin working as a social worker! There are many different types of jobs available in the field of social work, so you can choose the type of work that interests you the most. You could work in a hospital setting, provide therapy to families or individuals, work with children and families in the child welfare system, or advocate for policy change at the local or state level.
No matter what path you take, becoming a social worker is a rewarding way to help others and make a difference in your community!
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