Department of Social Work

Social Workers help people overcome problems and make their lives better. They might work with people who are homeless, sick, or having family problems. Or they might help students who are having trouble in school.

One of the ways social workers help is by finding resources for people. For someone with family difficulties, social workers might find a parenting class or support group. For a homeless person, they might find a place to live and a career training program. For a student, they might find a mentor or a learning disability expert.

Some social workers set up resources like these. They research what kinds of help people need. Then, they set up programs to provide that help. They might focus on child abuse, poverty, violence, and other problems.

Many social workers give counseling. They talk to people about their lives and help them to understand and solve their problems and to make plans.

Social workers must go to a 4-year college. Many social workers also need additional schooling to get the jobs they want. Some people stay in school longer to earn a doctorate degree.

BSW programs prepare graduates for direct service position, such as caseworker, and include courses in social work values and ethics, dealing with a culturally diverse clientele, at-risk populations, promotion of social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, social research methods, and field education. Accredited BSW programs require a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field experience. The Shepherd University Program requires 600 hours.

Before they can get a job, social workers need a license, certification, or registration. The rules for getting these things depend on the State where you live. Workers can also get a certification from the National Association of Social Workers. This certification makes it easier to get some jobs.

The majority of social workers are child, family, and school social workers. In May 2008, these workers had average yearly wages of $43,120.

Median annual wages of child, family, and school social workers were $39,530 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,040 and $52,080. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,870, and the top 10 percent earned more than $66,430. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of child, family, and school social workers in May 2008 were:

Elementary and secondary schools	$53,860
Local government	$46,650
State government	$39,600
Individual and family services	$34,450
Other residential care facilities	$34,270

Between 2008 and 2018, jobs for social workers are expected to grow faster than the average (16%), which is faster than the average for all occupations. Jobs working with older people will grow especially fast because there will be more people who are old and need help. Jobs helping people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol will also grow quickly. Jobs in schools will grow because there will be more students with special needs.

In cities, competition for jobs might be strong. It might be easier to find jobs in rural places. Job prospects are expected to be favorable, particularly for social workers who specialize in the aging population or work in rural areas. The growing elderly population and the aging baby boom generation will create greater demand for health and social services, resulting in rapid job growth among gerontological social workers. Employment of social workers in private social service agencies also will increase. Employment of child, family, and school social workers is expected to grow by about 12 percent, which is as fast as the average for all occupations.

Mental health and substance abuse social workers will grow by almost 20 percent over the 2008-18 decade, which is much faster than the average.

Growth of medical and public health social workers are expected to be about 22 percent, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.