What Do I Need To Do To Be A Social Worker

Social workers serve community members in need in a variety of agencies and in private practice. While many people associate social work with counseling, social workers can serve in a variety of different roles.

Education

Degrees in social work are available at the associates, bachelor's, master's and doctorate level. In many nonprofit agencies one must have a master's level degree or higher to be a therapist and to move up in management.

Licensing

You can earn a professional license in social work upon completion of a bachelor's or master's program. There is a basic liscensure test is taken upon graduation. There is also the option of earning a clinical license that involves doing a certain amount of hours of supervised work and taking an additional test. Then, social workers are required to complete a certain number of training hours per year to maintain their license.

Clinical Social Work

Clinical work involves case management and providing therapy to clients. Case workers usually have a bachelor's degree or higher. Therapy is often provided by a licensed master's level social worker or higher. Therapists may not be required to have a clinical license to practice therapy but will be supervised by someone who does.

Macro-Level Social Work

Macro-level social workers are people who work to help people on a larger scale. This type of work includes leading community events, researching social issues, creating programs, providing education and managing nonprofit programs and agencies.

Additional Requirements

When looking for social workers, agencies want individuals who are open-minded and are able to work with a diverse group of people. Additionally, social workers are encouraged to stay up to date on political and social issues. Computer skills and the ability to speak other languages are required for many positions.

Challenges

Social work is a very rewarding yet tiring job. Many social workers find themselves experiencing burnout and may change job areas frequently. Occasionally, social workers find themselves "triggered" by their clients challenges. Therapy is helpful with this. Social workers may receive lower pay since many social work jobs do not pay a high salary.

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