Social Worker
By Desiree McIntyre
What is Social Worker
Social workers help people in every stage of life cope with challenges, such as being diagnosed with a terminal illness and mental illness.
Employed as a social worker
650,500 people are employed as social workers
Employment trends related to a social worker
Jobs related to a social worker are child welfare case worker, hospice and palliative care social worker, lastly a school social worker.
Job setting
Health educator, psychologist, rehabilist and etc are all related to a social worker because their group deals with emotional and behavioral problems.
General duties
- Identify people who need help
- Assess clients’ needs, situations, strengths, and support networks to determine their goals
- Develop plans to improve their clients’ well-being
- Help clients adjust to changes and challenges in their lives, such as illness, divorce, or unemployment
- Research and refer clients to community resources, such as food stamps, child care, and healthcare
- Help clients work with government agencies to apply for and receive benefits such as Medicare
- Respond to crisis situations, such as natural disasters or child abuse
- Advocate for and help clients get resources that would improve their well-being
- Follow up with clients to ensure that their situations have improved
- Evaluate services provided to ensure that they are effective
Specific duties
- Diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression
- Provide individual, group, family, and couples therapy
- Assess clients’ histories, backgrounds, and situations to understand their needs, as well as their strengths and weaknesses
- Develop a treatment plan with the client, doctors, and other healthcare professionals
- Encourage clients to discuss their emotions and experiences to develop a better understanding of themselves and their relationships
- Help clients adjust to changes in their life, such as a divorce or being laid-off
- Work with clients to develop strategies to change behavior or cope with difficult situations
- Refer clients to other resources or services, such as support groups or other mental health professionals
- Evaluate their clients’ progress and, if necessary, adjust the treatment plan
Hours of work required
Social workers generally work full time. They may sometimes work evenings and weekends to see clients or attend meetings.
Unusual number of hours
NONE
Qualifications of workers in this field
- Health and Physical: none
- Level of Education: Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or sociology
- 2 schools for a social worker: University of California-Los Angeles & University of Central Florida-Orlando
The Pay
Beginning salary: $26,00-$33,000
Average salary: $46,000-$55,000
Exceptional salary: $60,000
Expense you have to meet
Compassionate
Listening skills
Organizational skills
People skills
Problem-solving skills
Time-management skills
Benefits from this job
You will have a stronger desire to help others
Hazards of this job
Physical and verbal assaults, threats, and Violence
Reflection
I wouldn't be interested in becoming a social worker because they deal with a lot of psychological and behavioral problems. Instead my career choice would be pharmacy because i want a stable job and i want to help people become well. I would also like to be a highly respected member of my community.
Resources
Bureau of labor and statistics Google
Citiation
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Social Workers,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm (visited September 12, 2013).