Social Workers provide support, counseling and advice to people who face a variety of problems, such as disability, depression, alcoholism or homelessness. They provide help with a focus on enabling people to live and cope with their environments, providing them with support and practical tools to help meet their needs. Social Workers often specialize in particular areas such as:

• Clinical
• Medical work
• Working with families
• Children
• The elderly

Social Workers should have a very strong commitment to promoting the welfare of the people they work with. They should be patient, tactful, compassionate and highly sensitive to the needs of their clients. Good communication, interpersonal, and listening skills are important qualities for all Social Workers .

The minimum requirement for all Social Workers is a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. However, people with majors in related fields such as Sociology and Psychology may also quality for entry-level Social Work jobs.

Clinical and Health-related jobs require a Masters in Social Work degree, and any supervisory, administrative or training positions will also require an advanced degree. Any Social Worker planning to specialize in a particular area will find a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) degree is both useful and necessary.

All states have additional licensing requirements for Social Workers that may include supervised work experience, examinations or other procedures. Social Work Policy Makers are typically people who have spent many years working as a Social Worker before becoming involved in policy development.

Social Workers can expect salaries of between $25,000 and $60,000 depending on their level of education and experience, their geographical location, and the type of facility in which they work. If you have attained a masters in social work (MSW)) then you can expect to earn at the higher end of the spectrum than those who have earned lower level social service degrees.

Social Work jobs are expected to grow faster than average through to the year 2014, according to the US Department of Labor. There will be a particular demand for Social Workers who specialize in working with the elderly or with substance abusers. Entrants to this field may find fierce competition in urban and suburban locations, with much less competition for social services jobs in rural areas.

Clinical Social Workers work in hospitals, private practices, mental health facilities, community organizations and child welfare agencies, providing support and care to patients and their families. Their focus is on providing social services such as diagnostics, counseling and psychotherapy, rather than on providing their clients with access to advocate and support agencies as with other types of Social Work.

Clinical Social Workers often specialize in a particular area of Social Work, such as child or adult therapy, crisis intervention, family therapy, relationship counseling, or group therapy. Clinical Social Workers are more likely than any other type of Social Worker to go into private practice, rather than work for a larger facility or public agency.

Clinical Social Workers must have excellent interpersonal, listening and communication skills, and must be able to work with and help their clients to understand their problems and find solutions. They should have good analytical and problem-solving skills, and be comfortable working with people who may be in crisis.

Medical Social Workers provide support to people and their families who are dealing with acute, chronic or terminal illnesses such as cancer, AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease. They provide advice and support to help people cope with the emotional and physical problems they face, and help patients plan for their current and future needs in relation to their medical problems.

This type of social worker will often work with other support agencies to help patients make arrangements for at-home care such as meals-on-wheels, home nurse visits and other support services. Medical Social Workers may work within hospitals, personal care facilities, nursing homes and similar facilities, either in private or public institutions.

Medical Social Workers must have a well-developed understanding of how medical conditions affect the emotional and mental well-being of patients and their families. They should have good problem-solving skills as well as communication and interpersonal skills.

Substance Abuse Social Workers help people cope with substance abuse problems, whether alcohol, or legal or illegal drugs. This can be a particularly challenging but highly rewarding Social Work specialty.

A Substance Abuse Social Worker provides a range of services to people struggling with substance addiction. They will provide support, advice and counseling, help people deal with the life problems that cause them to turn to substance abuse, and encourage substance abusers to seek help from support service. They may also work with families of substance abusers to help them understand the issues and challenges that the abuser faces.

Substance Abuse Social Workers should be very patient and compassionate people, able to cope with the challenge of working with clients who may often be resistant to obtaining support and treatment. They should have excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to handle large case-loads effectively.

The role of the Social Work Policy Maker is unique in Social Work careers in that rather than working with people who require the services of a Social Worker, they are involved in developing the policies that regulate how Social Workers provide assistance to and interact with their clients.

Social Work Policy Makers must have a very broad and thorough knowledge of all aspects of social work. They may specialize in developing policy in particular areas, such as Child or Family Social Work, or may be involved in development of policy in more general areas. The policies they create must protect and support the clients of Social Workers, while providing the Social Workers themselves with the tools they need to help clients to the best of their ability.

Social Work Policy Makers should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as very strong organizational, time-management and prioritization skills. They must have the ability to understand how policy development will affect individuals and groups of people, and therefore require very extensive knowledge of Social Work, and understanding of the types of issues that Social Work clients face, and the best ways in which to help people solve their problems. This type of work requires a high level of social work knowledge and social services workers in this position generally have attained at least an MSW (Masters in Social Work).

Family Social Workers are most concerned with keeping families together, and providing advice and support to help families function effectively. They may help parents:

• Cope with raising children
• Provide parenting advice or access to support services
• Provide support and advice to people coping with crisis situations
• Help people make decisions and choices in dealing with personal and social problems

For Family Social Workers, the focus is on providing support to all members of the family, rather than concentrating on the adults or children within the family.

Family Social Workers should be adept at dealing with people of all ages, with excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills. They should be comfortable advising people who are facing crisis situations, and have the ability to make decisions quickly when necessary.

School Social Workers are employed within schools, providing students with support and advice when they are faced with personal or social problems that have a negative impact on their learning ability. They work closely with students and their families, and also with school staff and community agencies to help students overcome the problems they face.

School Social Workers meet not only with students, but also with their families and teachers, to assess the needs of the student, determine what problems they are facing, and then to determine how best to help them solve those problems. They often help develop school policies in areas such as truancy and bullying, provide advice to teachers who are dealing with problem students, and may also be involved in running classes and workshops for students that focus on social development.

School Social Workers should be compassionate and patient, and highly sensitive to the particular needs and concerns of students and their families. They should have excellent listening and interpersonal skills, as well as strong communication skills. They may often work with students who have behavioral problems and should have a certain amount of determination and persistence when working with challenging students.

The focus of the Child Social Worker lies in protecting children who might be at risk. They may be involve in adoption placements, custody arrangements, helping find temporary or permanent homes for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned, or may provide advice and assistance to parents with a focus on protecting and advocating the rights and needs of their children.

Child Social Workers should have excellent communication, listening and interpersonal skills, and must be particularly adept at focusing on the needs of children. They must often make difficult decisions, such as deciding whether or not a child is at risk in the home, and whether they should be placed in temporary foster care. In such cases they will be involved in arranging temporary care for children, helping them understand what has happened, and assessing the child’s needs and their situation over time.

Child Social Workers often provide support to children and families in crisis, and must be comfortable making decisions that will affect the lives of children and their families. They should have good judgment and the confidence to make difficult decisions.