SOCIAL WORK

How do social workers know what to do when they do social work?”

How do social workers know what to do when they do social work?”

What knowledge is available to help social workers to know what to do?

The day to day role of a social worker will vary depending on place of employment and education level. Most commonly they are tasked with helping individuals deal with addiction, finding jobs, applying for government aid, deal with traumatic events like death or terminal illness, and a wide range of other functions. Common places where social workers can be employed include government agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, and hospitals.

Education

Various certifications and education opportunities exist for social workers. Most have at minimum a bachelor's degree, and many have master's degrees in social work and have gone through additional training to become licensed. After licensing, social workers are called licensed clinical social workers, can command a higher salary, and may work not only in a variety of settings like hospitals, schools, and social welfare organizations, but they are also licensed as therapists, where they may perform one-on-one counseling with a variety of clients.

Opportunities

The plethora of jobs available for the social worker is truly astounding. It is important to understand that this work can be very demanding and emotionally challenging, however. Many social workers complain of caseloads that are impossible to handle appropriately, lack of resources for people in need of them, and fairly low play. This is especially true for those employed by government agencies like Child Protective Services or welfare programs, where need for these valuable helpers often exceeds funding.

Successful social workers should have a true desire to help others. Otherwise, the pressures of the job can be too much to handle. Social work is not an easy career field by any means, but it is rewarding for those who have a genuine longing to do good in their communities, who have a strong work ethic, and who are willing to stay up to date on laws, trends, and research in their fields.

How do social workers make use of / apply this knowledge?

Some social workers are employed to help people navigate the welfare system, not only through giving advice, but also by helping people find resources to improve their lives. The adept worker has access to information about job training programs, daycare opportunities, free job or personal counseling services, drug and alcohol cessation programs, reduced price or low income housing, and programs that may help augment someone's food supply. These workers often have a bachelor's degree in social work, and tend to work as a motivating force to help people become emotionally and financially stable so they can get off welfare quickly.

In other settings a social worker might work for departments that protect children, either through schools or through Child Protective Services departments. They may be required to observe children in their home setting, make recommendations for removal of children from dangerous or abusive homes, find foster care placement for children removed from their homes, ...