About Social Work and Social Work Education
What Is This Job Like?
Social workers help people overcome problems and make their lives better. They might work with people who are homeless, sick, or having family problems. Or they might help students who are having trouble in school.
One of the ways social workers help is by finding resources for people. For someone with family difficulties, social workers might find a parenting class or support group. For a homeless person, they might find a place to live and a career training program. For a student, they might find a mentor or a learning disability expert.
Some social workers set up resources like these. They research what kinds of help people need. Then, they set up programs to provide that help. They might focus on child abuse, poverty, violence, and other problems.
Many social workers give counseling. They talk to people about their lives and help them to understand and solve their problems and to make plans.
How Do You Get Ready?
Social workers must go to a 4-year college. Many social workers also need additional schooling to get the jobs they want. Some people stay in school longer to earn a doctorate degree.
BSW programs prepare graduates for direct service positions, such as caseworker, and include courses in social work values and ethics, dealing with a culturally diverse clientele, at-risk populations, promotion of social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, social research methods, and field education. Accredited BSW programs require a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field experience. The Shepherd University Program requires 600 hours.
Before they can get a job, social workers need a license, certification, or registration. The rules for getting these things depend on the State where you live. Workers can also get a certification from the National Association of Social Workers. This certification makes it easier to get some jobs.
How Much Does This Job Pay?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social workers had a median annual salary of $50,390 in 2021.
What About the Future?
Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.
Jobs working with older people will grow especially fast because there will be more people who are old and need help. Jobs helping people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol will also grow quickly. Jobs in schools will grow because there will be more students with special needs.
In cities, competition for jobs might be strong. It might be easier to find jobs in rural places. Job prospects are expected to be favorable, particularly for social workers who specialize in the aging population or work in rural areas. The growing elderly population and the aging baby boom generation will create greater demand for health and social services, resulting in rapid job growth among gerontological social workers. Employment of social workers in private social service agencies also will increase.
Employment of child, family, and school social workers is expected to grow by 8% from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.
Employment of healthcare social workers is expected to grow by 11% from 2021-2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers is expected to grow by 11%, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook (September 2019 Edition) U.S. Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics
Social Work Education
A Baccalaureate Social Worker (BSW) is a graduate of a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, holding either a bachelor’s degree in social work or a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree with a major in social work.
The undergraduate social work program is much like a nursing degree in that it offers a specialized degree that prepares its graduates for immediate entry into direct human service professional positions. In short, baccalaureate social work is the only undergraduate major that educates students to be professional social workers.
To ensure professional standards, BSW programs must meet rigorous academic standards to gain and maintain accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). For admission to a BSW program, the competition is rigorous and students must meet formal admissions standards.
The following CSWE-mandated social work content areas are basic to the BSW curriculum:
- Values and Ethics
- Populations at Risk and Social and Economic Justice
- Human Behavioral and the Social Environment
- Social Welfare Policies and Services
- Social Work Practice
- Field Education
- Diversity
- Research
Field practicums — the placement of students in agency settings — are an integral component of the BSW curriculum. Field practicums engage the student in supervised social work practice and provide opportunities to apply classroom learning in the field. BSW students must have a minimum of 400 supervised hours of field experience. Other undergraduate majors who have a field experience usually don’t have formal, professional supervision.
Taken from Baccalaureate Social Workers (BSWs): The Best Trained Baccalaureate Professionals for Social Services Positions. For more information, visit Council on Social Work Education