Over 600,000 social workers strive every day to make a positive
impact on the lives of others. If you’re passionate about helping
individuals, families, organizations, and communities, a career in
social work might be right for you.
Social workers find themselves helping people from all walks of life
in a variety of atmospheres from schools to hospitals to prisons to
nursing homes and handle casework, policy analysis, research,
counseling, and teaching. They deal with issues such as poverty, abuse,
addiction, unemployment, death, divorce, and physical illness.
If a career switch to social work appeals to you, following is a
brief background of social work basics and how to make a smooth
transition.
Career Outlook:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), the social work profession is expected to grow by 30%
by 2010 and is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations
through 2014.
Median Annual Earnings for Social Workers (U.S., 2004)
- Child, Family, And School Social Workers: $34,820
- Medical And Public Health Social Workers: $40,080
- Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Workers: $33,920
- All Other Social Workers: $39,440
Education Requirements:
All social workers must have a bachelors (BSW), masters (MSW), or
doctoral degree (DSW or Ph.D.) and complete a predetermined number of
hours in supervised fieldwork. Social workers also have to graduate from
a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The
CSWE reports that in 2004 there were 442 BSW programs and 168 MSW
programs. While some people work with only a BSW, career options are
more limited, so the MSW or DSW is more common.
- BSW
Accredited BSW programs typically take four years to complete and
require 400 hours of supervised field experience. With a BSW, a
graduate can work in an entry-level position, such as a caseworker.
- MSW
An MSW requires two years of study and has a prerequisite of an
undergraduate degree in social work, psychology, or a similar field.
An MSW allows a social worker to work in a clinical setting to
diagnose and treat psychological problems.
- DSW
A doctoral degree takes anywhere from 4-7 years. A DSW has extensive
training in therapy and research and is qualified to teach in a
university setting.
If you lack the educational or professional background, an
associate’s degree may be a good place to start to see if you’re willing
to make the necessary educational commitment.
For information regarding accredited social work programs, visit the
Council on Social Work Education’s website: www.cswe.org
Licensing and Exams:
Social workers must be licensed. For licensing purposes, each state has
its own requirements, but an MSW is usually a minimum. In addition,
licensing requires 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical
experience.
After completing school and hour requirements, social work candidates
must pass an exam. The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) develops
and maintains four categories of social work licensure examinations:
Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist, and Clinical. Candidates should
check with individual boards to find out which examinations are
appropriate for the jurisdiction where they want to be licensed.
According to the ASWB’s website:
"Each examination contains 170 four-option multiple choice questions
designed to measure minimum competencies at four categories of practice.
Only 150 of the 170 items are scored; the remaining 20 questions are
"pretest" items included to measure their effectiveness as items on
future examinations. These pretest items are scattered randomly
throughout the examination. Candidates have four hours to complete the
test, which is administered electronically."
For information on state licensing requirements, see the
Association of Social Work Boards website:
For information on exams, visit http://www.aswb.org/exam_info.shtml
Continuing Education:
As part of renewing licenses every two years, almost all states require
continuing education (CE) courses. Each state’s CE requirements vary in
number of hours and approved courses, so be sure to check with the board
over your jurisdiction to make sure you are in compliance with CE
requirements. Many courses are available online, at sites such as
www.speedyceus.com, which save time and money.
Types of Licenses:
There are several different kinds of licenses available:
L.C.S.W. (or A.C.S.W., L.C.S., L.I.C.S.W., C.S.W.)
The licensed clinical social worker has a graduate academic degree, has
completed supervised clinical work experience and has passed a national-
or state-certified licensing exam. This advanced practitioner holds a
license that allows him or her to receive health-care insurance
reimbursements. (National Association of Social Workers)
SSW:
School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad
field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique
knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team.
School social workers are instrumental in furthering the purpose of the
schools: to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the
attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers are hired
by school districts to enhance the district's ability to meet its
academic mission, especially where home, school and community
collaboration is the key to achieving that mission. (School Social Work
Association of America)
Other specialties and certifications, offered by the National
Association of Social Workers, include:
- Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)
- Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW)
- Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW)
- Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Social Worker
(C-CATODSW)
- Certified Advanced Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW)
- Certified Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
- Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM)
- Certified Social Work Case Manager (C-SWCM)
- Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)
- Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)
About The Author
Rob Zawrotny is a copywriter for
MWI web design. He has been assisting
Speedy CEUS - Social Worker CEUS with
developing content for those seeking information about Social Work
careers.
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