12. SOCIAL WORKER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Overview

Social workers strive to help people function to the best of their capabilities. One of the oldest helping professions, social work originally grew out of late 19th Century efforts to help neglected children and poor families. Modern social workers can be found helping individuals cope with a wide variety of problems, including unemployment, lack of job skills, financial management, physical and mental illnesses, criminal behavior, substance abuse, family and marital problems, developmental and educational problems, and aging.

Typical Job Duties

Job duties depend on a social worker’s area of specialization as well as the setting in which one works. Among the most common concentrations and their associated job responsibilities are:

• Clinical social work (also called mental health services specialization): providing psychotherapy and active problem-solving assistance to individuals, families, and groups

• Child welfare: investigating families suspected of child abuse or neglect; arranging protective services for abused or neglected children; providing home intervention counseling

• Medical social work: helping medically ill patients cope with their illnesses; planning and arranging follow-up health care; providing a link between doctor and patient

• Public welfare: arranging welfare services for unemployed, aged, or disabled persons or families with dependent children; planning and administering welfare programs

• Justice and corrections: developing prevention programs for at-risk youths; working with offenders post-release as probation or parole officers; working in youth correction centers and prisons with inmates and their families

• School social work: working with students who are having behavioral, attendance, or health problems; serving as a liaison between school, home, and community

Job Outlook

Faster-than-average job growth is expected overall due to the increased needs of several diverse populations (e.g., the elderly, disabled persons, persons with HIV/AIDS, families in crisis). Clinical social work positions are expected to expand as health insurance and public-sector contracts continue to increase funding for master’s level clinicians. Medical social work positions are also expected to increase as greater emphasis in hospitals is placed on discharge planning. Finally, employment of school social workers will likely grow due to expanded efforts to intervene in difficult family situations. Openings in government agencies may decline as funding for welfare programs decreases.

Although not among the top 30 fastest-growing occupations as ranked by the BLS, the MSU study placed school social work in the most favorable category (high demand/limited supply). Social work overall was listed in the near balance category.

Potential Earnings

The average starting salary for new graduates with the MSW degree is estimated to range from $25,000 to $35,000. A 1993 survey of social workers in federal government positions revealed an average salary of $41,400. Experienced social workers in supervisory positions tend to average $40,000-$45,000.

TRAINING

Professional Degree Required

Although some colleges and universities offer a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, most specialized social work positions require a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. MSW programs generally require two years of full-time course and field work, although many universities offer part-time programs that take longer (3 or more years) but can be completed while working in the field.

How to Find Programs

MSW programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). You can write to this organization for a directory of program names, addresses, and descriptions (address below), although it is not free. You can also obtain information about programs via the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) home page.

When researching programs, remember that they differ with regard to the concentrations they offer. Some schools offer only generalist programs, whereas others provide students with a choice among 3-5 specific concentrations. Concentrations might include mental health services (or clinical social work), aging (or gerontology), children and families (or children, youth, and families), health care (or medical care), management and planning (or administration and planning), and community organization/social planning. Obviously, you want to be sure a program offers the particular area in which you hope to specialize.

Entrance Requirements/Admissions

MSW programs do not specify particular undergraduate majors required for admission; psychology, especially in the context of a broad liberal arts background, is considered good preparation. A far more important consideration is a candidate’s experience in the human services field. The ideal candidate has both volunteer and paid work experience in diverse settings. Taking time off to gain both experience and maturity would be viewed positively by most MSW admission committees.

Competitiveness of MSW programs varies. Recent data from UNC-Chapel Hill, a program routinely rated among the top 15 in the country, indicate an acceptance rate of just over 10% (65 acceptances for 600 applications). At the University of South Carolina, the acceptance rate in the same year was 18%, and at the University of Kentucky, 30%. Typical minimum requirements for application are a GPA of 3.0 and GREs of 1000, although this, too, varies widely, with some schools not even requiring GRE scores and others willing to accept promising candidates who don’t meet the minimums on a probationary basis. Write to several programs in order to fairly assess your chances.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Print Materials/Organizations

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), 1600 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3421. 703/683-8080. Annual directory of accredited MSW programs.

National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 750 First Street, NE, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20002-4241. 1-800/638-8799. Free packet of introductory materials.

Internet Resources

Clinical Social Work Federation (CSWF) home page (for information on clinical social work): http://www.webcom.com/nfscsw/

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) home page (for list of MSW programs, go to state organizations; you will access not only each state’s programs but also links to the programs’ home pages, if available): http://www.naswdc.org/