What is a social worker?

Medical and Public Health Social Workers Provide persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, or AIDS. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making necessary referrals for other social services.

Sample of reported job titles: Social Worker, Medical Social Worker, Clinical Social Worker, Director of Social Services, Social Work Case Manager, Nephrology Social Worker, Oncology Social Worker, Renal Social Worker, Director of Social Work, Psychiatric Social Worker

What they do: Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients’ medical or physical condition and to assess client needs. Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education. Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life. Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy. Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility. Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient. Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients’ status. Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan. Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.

Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master’s degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Wages: $22.26 hourly, $46,300 annual

Child, Family, and School Social Workers Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist single parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers on how to deal with problem children.

Sample of reported job titles: School Social Worker, Family Service Worker, Case Manager, Foster Care Social Worker, Social Worker, Family Protection Specialist, Youth Services Specialist, Case Worker, Caseworker, Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker)

What they do: Counsel individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care. Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems, to determine what services are required to meet their needs. Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts, to help children who face problems such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty. Maintain case history records and prepare reports. Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required. Refer clients to community resources for services such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply. Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions. Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students’ problems and arranging for needed services. Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements. Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients, and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.

Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor’s degree, but some do not.

Wages: $19.21 hourly, $39,960 annual

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other dr*gs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.

Sample of reported job titles: Social Worker, Case Manager, Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Therapist, Clinician, Mental Health Therapist, Psychotherapist, Community Support Worker, Counselor, Probation Agent

Things they do: Counsel clients in individual and group sessions to assist them in dealing with substance abuse, mental and physical illness, poverty, unemployment, or physical abuse. Interview clients, review records, conduct assessments, and confer with other professionals to evaluate the mental or physical condition of client or patient. Collaborate with counselors, physicians, and nurses to plan and coordinate treatment, drawing on social work experience and patient needs. Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress with respect to treatment goals. Educate clients and community members about mental and physical illness, abuse, medication, and available community resources. Assist clients in adhering to treatment plans, such as setting up appointments, arranging for transportation to appointments, and providing support. Refer patient, client, or family to community resources for housing or treatment to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness, following through to ensure service efficacy. Modify treatment plans according to changes in client status. Counsel and aid family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient. Increase social work knowledge by reviewing current literature, conducting social research, and attending seminars, training workshops, or classes.

Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master’s degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Wages: $18.37 hourly, $38,200 annual

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-From Wikipedia.