Social Work Careers

Social work careers are ideal for people who have a true desire to help others. Social workers help people cope with problems in their lives and to develop better strategies for living. These issues may involve family problems, coping with health issues, inadequate housing, unemployment, or substance abuse. In addition, social workers often help resolve family conflicts such as those involving child or spousal abuse. Many times, social workers are licensed and/or specialize in a certain field. This may include school, child, and family social work, medical and public health social work, or mental health and substance abuse social work.

Description of Potential Jobs in Social Work

School, child, and family social workers specialize in helping children and their families deal with a wide variety of problems. Services provided in these social work careers may include helping find shelter, mental health services, child protection services, adoption placement, daycare for single parents, or help find foster homes for abused children. They may also offer assistance in procuring services for children with disabilities or mental and behavioral issues.

Those who work in medical and public health social work careers will provide psychosocial support to patients and families dealing with chronic, acute, or terminal diseases. They may also choose to serve senior citizens and their families meet needs including meals, healthcare, transportation and other services.

Social workers who work in mental health and substance abuse help individuals and families deal with a variety of mental illnesses and substance abuse problems. These services may include counseling, group therapy, support services, life skills instruction, and help transitioning from a care facility back into their homes.

Social work is one of the top careers for open positions. Social workers often work a standard 40-hour week but may have to work extra hours occasionally. Most of the careers in social work are severely understaffed and have huge caseloads so the jobs are very often extremely high stress. Most of the work time is spent in an office but social workers may have to occasionally visit clients in their homes or other settings.

Education

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum required degree for most social work positions. The career training varies depending on the specialization you choose to enter but many degrees can be obtained through online schools. A distance education is preferable to many people who are looking to start a second career because it allows them the flexibility to complete classes without sacrificing their current work and family time commitments. This convenience is making online classes one of the most preferred ways of getting an education for most people.

Starting your training for social work careers will get you on a path to a satisfying job. A job in which you can make a real difference in the lives of others by helping them get the help they need and by teaching them better life skills. This is the perfect job for anyone who has a deep sense of compassion and empathy or for those who simply want to make the world a better place.