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286
Social Workers

(D.O.T.  045.107-058; 189.267-010; 195.107, .137, .164, .167-010 and
-014, .267-018 and -022, and .367-026)

Nature of the Work

Social workers help people.  They help individuals cope with
problems such as inadequate housing, unemployment, lack of job
skills, financial mismanagement, serious illness, disability,
substance abuse, unwanted pregnancy, or antisocial behavior.  They
also work with families that have serious conflicts, including those
involving child or spousal abuse.

   Through direct counseling, social workers help clients identify
their real concerns and help them to consider solutions and find
resources.  Often, social workers provide concrete information such
as: Where to go for debt counseling; how to find child care or elder
care; how to apply for public assistance or other benefits; or how
to get an alcoholic or drug addict admitted to a rehabilitation
program.  Social workers may also arrange for services in
consultation with clients and then follow through to assure the
services are actually helpful.  They may review eligibility
requirements, fill out forms and applications, arrange for services,
visit clients on a regular basis, and step in during emergencies.

   Most social workers specialize in a clinical field such as child
welfare and family services, mental health, medical social work,
school social work.  Clinical social workers offer psychotherapy or
counseling and a range of services in public agencies, clinics, as
well as in private practice.  Other social workers are employed in
community organization, administration, or research.

   Social workers in child welfare or family services may counsel
children and youths who have difficulty adjusting socially, advise
parents on how to care for disabled children, or arrange for
homemaker services during a parent's illness.  If children have
serious problems in school, child welfare workers may consult with
parents, teachers, and counselors to identify underlying causes and
develop plans for treatment.  Some social workers assist single
parents, arrange adoptions, and help find foster homes for neglected
or abandoned children.  Child welfare workers also work in
residential institutions for children and adolescents.

   Social workers in child or adult protective services investigate
reports of abuse and neglect and intervene if necessary.  They may
institute legal action to remove children from homes and place them
temporarily in an emergency shelter or with a foster family.

   Mental health social workers provide services for persons with
mental or emotional problems, such as individual and group therapy,
outreach, crisis intervention, social rehabilitation, and training
in skills of everyday living.  They may also help plan for
supportive services to ease patients' return to the community.
(Also see the statements on counselors and psychologists elsewhere
in the Handbook.)

   Medical social workers help patients and their families cope with
chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses and handle problems that may
stand in the way of recovery or rehabilitation.  They may organize
support groups for families of patients suffering from cancer, AIDS,
Alzheimer's disease, or other illnesses.  They also advise family
caregivers, and counsel patients and help plan for their needs after
discharge by arranging for at-home services from meals-on-wheels to
oxygen equipment.  Some work on interdisciplinary teams that
evaluate certain kinds of patients geriatric or transplant patients,
for example.

   School social workers diagnose students' problems and arrange needed
services, counsel children in trouble, and help integrate disabled
students into the general school population.  School social workers
deal with problems such as student pregnancy, misbehavior in class,
and excessive absences.  They also advise teachers on how to deal
with problem students.

   Social workers in criminal justice make recommendations to courts,
do pre-sentencing assessments, and provide services for prison
inmates and their families.  Probation and parole officers provide
similar services to individuals on parole or sentenced by a court to
probation.

   Industrial or occupational social workers generally work in an
employer's personnel department or health unit.  Through employee
assistance programs, they help workers cope with job-related
pressures or personal problems that affect the quality of their
work.  They offer direct counseling to employees, often those whose
performance is hindered by emotional or family problems or substance
abuse.  They also develop education programs and refer workers to
specialized community programs.

   Some social workers specialize in gerontological services.  They run
support groups for family caregivers or for the adult children of
aging parents; advise elderly people or family members about the
choices in such areas as housing, transportation, and long-term
care; and coordinate and monitor services.

   Social workers should be emotionally mature, objective, and
sensitive to people and their problems.

Working Conditions

Most social workers have a standard 40-hour week.  However, they may
work some evenings and weekends to meet with clients, attend
community meetings, and handle emergencies.  Some, particularly in
voluntary nonprofit agencies, work part time.  They may spend most
of their time in an office or residential facility, but may also
travel locally to visit clients or meet with service providers.

   The work, while satisfying, can be emotionally draining.
Understaffing and large caseloads add to the pressure in some
agencies.

Employment

Social workers held about 484,000 jobs in 1992.  Nearly 40 percent
of the jobs were in State, county, or municipal government agencies,
primarily in departments of human resources, social services, child
welfare, mental health, health, housing, education, and corrections.
Most in the private sector were in voluntary social service
agencies, community and religious organizations, hospitals, nursing
homes, or home health agencies.

   Although most social workers are employed in cities or suburbs, some
work in rural areas.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for most positions.
Besides the bachelor's in social work (BSW), undergraduate majors in
psychology, sociology, and related fields satisfy hiring
requirements in some agencies, especially small community agencies.
A master's degree in social work (MSW) is generally necessary for
positions in health and mental health settings.  Jobs in public
agencies may also require an MSW.  Supervisory, administrative, and
staff training positions usually require at least an MSW.  College
and University teaching positions and most research appointments
normally require a doctorate in social work.

   In 1991, the Council on Social Work Education accredited 297 BSW
programs and 103 MSW programs.  There were 49 doctoral programs for
Ph.D.  in Social Work and for DSW (Doctor of Social Work).  BSW
programs prepare graduates for direct service positions such as
caseworker or group worker.  They include courses in social work
practice, social welfare policies, human behavior and the social
environment, and social research methods.  Accredited BSW programs
require at least 400 hours of supervised field experience.

   An MSW degree prepares graduates to perform assessments, to manage
cases, and to supervise other workers.  Master's programs usually
last 2 years and include 900 hours of supervised field instruction,
or internship.  Entry into an MSW program does not require a
bachelor's in social work, but courses in psychology, biology,
sociology, economics, political science, history, social
anthropology, urban studies, and social work are recommended.  Some
schools offer an accelerated MSW program for those with a BSW.

   Social workers may advance to supervisor, program manager, assistant
director, and finally to executive director of an agency or
department.  Advancement generally requires an MSW, as well as
experience.  Other career options for social workers are teaching,
research, and consulting.  Some help formulate government policies
by analyzing and advocating policy positions in government agencies,
in research institutions, and on legislators' staffs.

   Some social workers go into private practice.  Most private
practitioners are clinical social workers who provide
psychotherapeutic counseling, usually paid through health insurance.
Private practitioners must have completed an MSW and a period of
supervised work experience.  A network of contacts for referrals is
also essential.

   In 1993, all States and the District of Columbia had licensing,
certification, or registration laws regarding social work practice
and the use of professional titles.  In addition, voluntary
certification is offered by the National Association of Social
Workers (NASW), which grants the titled ACSW (Academy of Certified
Social Workers) or ACBSW (Academy of Certified Baccalaureate Social
Workers) to those who qualify.  For clinical social workers,
professional credentials include listing in the NASW Register of
Clinical Social Workers or in the Directory of American Board of
Examiners in Clinical Social Work.  These credentials are
particularly important for those in private practice; some health
insurance providers require them for reimbursement.

   Social workers should be emotionally mature, objective, and
sensitive to people and their problems.  They must be able to handle
responsibility, work independently, and maintain good working
relationships with clients and coworkers.  Volunteer or paid jobs as
a social work aide offer ways of testing one's interest in this
field.

Job Outlook

Employment of social workers is expected to increase faster than the
average for all occupations through the year 2005.  The number of
older people, who are more likely to need social services, is
growing rapidly.  In addition, requirements for social workers will
grow with increases in the need for and concern about services to
the mentally ill, the mentally retarded, and individuals and
families in crisis.  Many job openings will also arise due to the
need to replace social workers who leave the occupation.

   Employment of social workers in hospitals is projected to grow much
faster than the average for the economy as a whole due to greater
emphasis on discharge planning, which facilitates early discharge of
patients by assuring that the necessary medical services and social
supports are in place when individuals leave the hospital.

   Employment of social workers in private social service agencies is
projected to grow about as fast as the average.  Although demand for
their services is expected to increase rapidly, agencies will
increasingly restructure services and hire more lower paid human
services workers instead of social workers.  Employment in
government should also grow about as fast as the average in response
to increasing needs for public welfare and family services.

   Social worker employment in home health care services is growing,
not only because hospitals are moving to release patients more
quickly, but because a large and growing number of people have
impairments or disabilities that make it difficult to live at home
without some form of assistance.

   Opportunities for social workers in private practice will expand
because of the anticipated availability of funding from health
insurance and from public sector contracts.  Also, with increasing
affluence, people will be more willing to pay for professional help
to deal with personal problems.  The growing popularity of employee
assistance programs is also expected to spur demand for private
practitioners, some of whom provide social work services to
corporations on a contract basis.

   Employment of school social workers is expected to grow, due to
expanded efforts to respond to the adjustment problems of
immigrants, children from single-parent families, and others in
difficult situations.  Moreover, continued emphasis on integrating
disabled children into the general school population a requirement
under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act will probably
lead to more jobs.  The availability of State and local funding will
dictate the actual increase in jobs in this setting, however.

   Competition for social worker jobs is stronger in cities where
training programs for social workers abound; rural areas often find
it difficult to attract and retain qualified staff.

Earnings

The median earnings of social workers with MSW degrees were $30,000
in 1992, according to a membership survey of the National
Association of Social Workers.  For those with BSW degrees, median
earnings were $20,000 according to the same survey.

   In hospitals, social workers who worked full-time averaged about
$30,850 in 1993, according to a survey performed by the University
of Texas Medical Branch.  Salaries ranged from a minimum of about
$25,600 to a maximum of nearly $38,700.

   Social workers employed by the Federal Government averaged $41,400
in 1993.

Related Occupations

Through direct counseling or referral to other services, social
workers help people solve a range of personal problems.  Workers in
occupations with similar duties include the clergy, counselors,
counseling psychologists, and vocational rehabilitation counselors.

Sources of Additional Information

   For information about career opportunities in social work, contact:

   National Association of Social Workers, 750 First St.  NE., Suite
700, Washington, DC 20002-4241.

   National Network For Social Work Managers, Inc., 6501 North Federal
Highway, Suite 5, Boca Raton, FL 33487.

   An annual Directory of Accredited BSW and MSW Programs is available
for $10.00 from:

   Council on Social Work Education, 1600 Duke St., Alexandria, VA
22314-3421.


Religious Workers