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Becoming a social worker means you will be training for a career that makes a real difference. Before you make the jump into training for this rewarding career, find out how to become a social worker, where trained social workers can be found, and what you can do to become a great social worker.
What Do Social Workers Do?
The idea of social improvement and individual growth drive the social work profession. Trained social workers can be found working with a range of individuals, families, and groups. Take a look at the major categories of social workers:
Child, Family, and School Social Workers. Work with children and their families to find foster homes, arrange adoptions, and serve as a link between home and school.
Medical and Public Health Social Workers. Provide support to individuals and families dealing with the details of terminal illness, home care, aging parents, or disability.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers. Work with individuals dealing with substance abuse, setting up therapy, outreach, rehabilitation, and more.
Occupational Social Workers. Work with individuals transitioning from welfare to work, helping them to achieve work/family balance, navigate health care, and more.
Social Work Administrators. Take charge of social workers, develop and implement useful programs, and serve the community at the management level.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 54 percent of social workers work for health care and social assistance industries, while 31 percent work for the government. No matter where you work in the industry, you provide a valuable service for people in need.
Social workers are valued by the people they help as well as their employers. Take a look at the mean annual salaries for social workers in 2009, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
In general, social workers operating out of schools or hospitals earn more money than those working for government or family services organizations. Education and experience play a large role in how social workers are compensated.
What Are the Steps to Becoming a Social Worker?
Education is a required step on the path to becoming a social worker. A bachelor's degree in social work is the most common requirement, though majors in psychology or sociology might qualify for entry-level jobs in smaller communities.
Coursework within a bachelor's degree is designed to help you approach culturally diverse, at-risk populations with professionalism and knowledge. Courses that train you how to become a social worker typically focus on the following areas:
Beyond in-class learning, accredited social work programs require a minimum 400 hours of field experience. To become a licensed clinical social worker, most states require two years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical work. All states have licensing, certification, and registration requirements, and you should be aware of your state's rules before committing to a degree program.
Advancing to a supervisory position typically means earning an additional degree and racking up more years of work experience. Going into private practice requires earning a master's degree and undergoing a period of supervised work.
How to Become a Great Social Worker
Education is only the beginning; it can train you how to become a social worker, but becoming a great social worker doesn't happen overnight. The career can be stressful at times and excelling requires time, patience, and commitment to work with a range of challenging cases. Your potential for success is boosted if you meet the psychological profile of a social worker:
While you're still in school, there are a few things you can do to help enrich your studies and enhance your own ability before you even start your first job. Consider the following paths towards becoming a great social worker:
Becoming a great social worker starts with getting the right training. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for social workers are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2018. Employment is projected to increase 16 percent between 2008 and 2018, with over 103,000 new jobs expected to enter the industry.
Once you've found a career in social work, it's up to you to stay informed and educated on emerging policies and techniques. Continuing education, both formal and informal, helps social workers keep up with the changing face of the industry. As your skills and experience grow, you can actively work towards being a great social worker and a resource to the community you support.
Resources for Social Workers
These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).
Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.
| School | Locations | Degrees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argosy University | AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, IL, MN, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA | Bachelor, Doctorate, Master | |
| Argosy University Online | Online | Bachelor, Doctorate | |
| Baker College Online | Online | Bachelor | |
| Everest College | ON | Diploma | |
| Grand Canyon University | Online | Bachelor, Master | |
| Hesser College | NH | Associate, Bachelor | |
| Kaplan University KHE | IA, MD, NE | Associate, Bachelor | |
| Kaplan University Online | Online | Associate, Bachelor, Master | |
| South University | Online | Bachelor | |
| South University Campus | AL, FL, GA, SC | Bachelor, Master | |
| Stratford Career Institute | Online | Diploma | |
| University of Phoenix | AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY | Associate, Bachelor, Master | |
| University of Phoenix Online | Online | Associate, Bachelor, Master | |
| Vatterott College | IA, IL, KS, MO, NE, OH, OK, TN | Certificate | |
| Walden University | Online | Bachelor, Doctorate, Master |
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