How to Start a Career in Social Work
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:
http://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: http://www.aswb.org/education/boards/
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
http://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)
* * *
Eric Morgan has been assisting
companies with internet marketing for over 7 years. He currently
works for MWI web design in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information
on this topic please visit Speedy
CEUS - Social Worker Education.
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