Social Worker

Career Overview

Social workers help people, families, and communities deal with challenges, find support, and improve their quality of life. They may work with children, families, older adults, people experiencing mental health or housing challenges, or people involved with healthcare or the justice system. Social workers also use digital records, online services, and other technology to connect clients with resources.

Education

A college diploma in Social Service Work or Social Work can prepare you for many roles helping individuals, families, and communities. A bachelor's or master's degree in Social Work is required for some specialized roles, including certain clinical and professional social work positions. Education and registration requirements vary by location.

Work Environment

Social workers work in schools, hospitals, community organizations, government agencies, child and family services, correctional facilities, and private practice. They may meet clients in person or online, and the work can involve challenging situations that require strong communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills.

Future Outlook

Demand for social workers is expected to remain strong as communities need more support for mental health, aging populations, family services, and other social challenges.

Recommended High School Courses

Biology
Psychology
Math
Communication
Sociology
English
Cultural diversity
Computer Studies

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients.
Refer clients to community or social service programs.
Refer individuals to educational or work programs.
Investigate legal issues.
Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
Maintain client records.
Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress.
Modify treatment plans to accommodate client needs.
Collect information about clients.
Evaluate potential problems in home or work environments of clients.
Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
Counsel family members of clients or patients.
Develop treatment plans for patients or clients.
Plan programs to address community health issues.
Supervise workers providing client or patient services.
Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
Advise others on social or educational issues.
Conduct research on social issues.

Schools

Abilene Christian Univers...

Adelphi University

Alabama State University

Alvernia University

Angelo State University

Anna Maria College

Appalachian State Univers...

Asbury University

Auburn University

Azusa Pacific University

Ball State University

Barry University

Baylor University

Belmont University

Bemidji State University

Berea College

Bethel University

Biola University

Bismarck State College

Boise State University

Boston University

Bowling Green State Unive...

Bradley University

Brescia University

Bryn Mawr College

California Baptist Univer...

California State Universi...

Campellsville University

Capella University

Carlow University

Cleveland State Universit...

Colby Community College

College Of Saint Scholast...

Columbus State Community...

Community College Of Alle...

Concordia College- New Yo...

Delaware State University

Delta State University

Dominican University

East Stroudsburg Universi...

East Tennessee State Univ...

Eastern Kentucky Universi...

Eastern New Mexico Univer...

Eastern Washington Univer...

Edinboro University

Elizabethtown College

Evangel University

Fairfield University

Fayetteville State Univer...

Ferris State University

Florida Agricultural And...

Florida Atlantic Universi...

Florida Gulf Coast Univer...

Florida International Uni...

Florida State University

Fontbonne University

Fordham University

Fresno Pacific University...

Hartwick College

Humboldt State University

Indiana University- North...

Indiana University- South...

Jackson State University

Judson College

Lewis University

Loma Linda University

Loyola University - Chica...

Lubbock Christian Univers...

Madonna University

Mansfield University Of P...

Metropolitan State Univer...

Middle Tennessee State Un...

Misericordia University

Missouri Baptist Universi...

Mount Vernon Nazarene Uni...

New York University

Newman University

North Carolina Central Un...

Northeastern State Univer...

Northern Kentucky Univers...

Northwest Nazarene Univer...

Northwestern State Univer...

Nyack College

Oglethorpe University

Ohio State University- Li...

Ohio State University- Ma...

Ohio University

Our Lady Of The Lake Univ...

Providence College

Quinnipiac University

Roberts Wesleyan College

Rochester University

Saint Anselm College

Saint Cloud State Univers...

Saint Olaf College

Salisbury University

Sarah Lawrence College

Seton Hall University

Simmons University

Skidmore College

Smith College

Southeastern University

Southern University And A...

Southern Utah University

Southwestern Assemblies O...

Spring Arbor University

St. Catherine University

Suny At Binghamton

Suny At Brockport

Suny At Buffalo

Suny Plattsburgh

Texas A & M University- K...

Tuskegee University

University Of Alabama - B...

University Of Alabama- Tu...

University Of Alaska Sout...

University Of Arkansas- L...

University Of California-...

University Of Denver

University Of Houston- Do...

University Of Louisiana-...

University Of Maine- Oron...

University Of Maryland -...

University Of Maryland- H...

University Of Maryland- S...

University Of Minnesota-...

University Of Mississippi

University Of New England

University Of New Hampshi...

University Of North Carol...

University Of North Flori...

University Of Northern Io...

University Of South Flori...

University Of Southern In...

University Of Southern Ma...

University Of St. Francis

University Of West Florid...

University Of Wisconsin-...

Ursuline College

Virginia Commonwealth Uni...

Virginia Wesleyan Univers...

Viterbo University

Walden University

Walla Walla University

Warner University

Whittier College

Winston-salem State Unive...

Yeshiva University

Youngstown State Universi...

Algoma University- Sau...

Algoma University- Tim...

Assiniboine Community...

Booth University Colle...

Bow Valley College- Do...

Cdi College- Burnaby C...

Cdi College- Surrey Ca...

Cdi College- Vancouver...

Coast Mountain College...

Collège Boréal

College Of New Caledon...

Durham College- Oshawa...

Fanshawe College- Lond...

First Nations Universi...

Georgian College- Oran...

Georgian College- Oril...

Georgian College- Sout...

Humber College- Orange...

Keyano College- Clearw...

King's University Coll...

Lakehead University- O...

Macewan University- Ci...

Medicine Hat College

Nicola Valley Institut...

Norquest College

Northlands College- Cr...

Nova Scotia Community...

Providence College And...

Redeemer University Co...

Renison University Col...

St. Thomas University

Trent University- Durh...

Tyndale University

Universite De Montreal...

Université De Saint-bo...

Université Sainte-anne

University Of Moncton

University Of Northern...

University Of Quebec-...

University Of Windsor-...

Wilfred Laurier Univer...

Yukon University

USA

Canada

Potential Scholarships

Cad - Kin Canada Bursarie...

Cad - Canadian Hard Of He...

Cad - Indspire Building B...

Cad - Horatio Alger Canad...

Cad - Terry Fox Humanitar...

Usd - Human Service -davi...

Usd - Human Service - Car...

Usd - Human Service -seni...

Usd - Human Service -nohs...

Usd - Human Services - Le...

Approx Salary Expectation

Low End:

$42,000.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$61,000.00 /yr

High End:

$100,000.00 /yr

Related Careers

Marriage and Family Therapist

Clergy

Funeral Director

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.