Social Worker Job Description Information

Men and women who work in the field of social work are usually meant to be there providing support and making sure they are there to counsel those people and families who are going through serious difficulties and crisis’s. These can include difficulties like unemployment, lack of finances and money, substance and drug abuse and also legal.

All social workers are working for either government welfare agencies, they work for social service agencies, they work for different schools, and you can find them employed at hospitals and most definitely rehab centers. A lot of them are in the system for the juveniles in the courts who are dealing with serious issues such as drugs or mental issues.

All social workers are trained to be able to help and support young adults and children who are set to be put in foster care because of the death of their parents, abandonment issues or because of other serious parental issues.

A lot of social workers spend their time counseling children and teenagers who are going through issues and stresses in school and their social life, especially those teens with serious disciplinary issues such as fights and skipping school.

A lot of other social workers work in geriatric centers helping elderly men and women with their daily activities and counseling them so that they can provide reports to their attending medical staff. These elderly men and women deal with many health issues. Social workers will also speak with parents who are dealing with serious stress and people who have just left incarceration.

Social workers also have the responsibility of creating effective treatment plans for their patients and clients making sure that these treatments are helping them create and accomplish goals that help improve their lives.

Social Worker Salary Information

All men and women working as social workers are there to help individuals who are facing burdensome challenges and difficulties in their lives. The salary that a social worker receives is based mainly on their field of specialty and the people they work with on a daily basis.

Now according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is reported that nearly 600,000 Americans in 2006 were working as licensed social workers, and by 2016 it is predicted that the demand for social workers will be increased by 22% in all fields of social work.

Those social workers who work to help children in their family or in school usually earn $26,000 to $70,000 according to Payscale.com 2008. The average salary for these child, family and school social workers is mainly $45,000.

Those social workers who work in hospitals and other health care centers helping patients on a daily basis are earning anywhere between $30,000 to $70,000 according to Payscale.com 2008. The average salary for the social workers working in health care centers and hospitals is mainly $48,000.

There are social workers who help those patients who need treatment for mental problems and drug addiction. These social workers have a yearly salary ranging from $22,000 to $62,000 according to Payscale.com 2008. These social workers in mental health and drug abuse care average a salary of $41,000 a year.

Social workers who work in other areas such as helping individuals who are homeless and who are prone to be violent are earning a salary ranging from $30,000 to $75,000 a year according to Payscale.com 2008. The average for these broad fielded social workers is about $50,000 a year.

How to Become a Social Worker

All social workers work with the intentions of helping men and women deal with the constant difficulties and struggles that they deal with everyday throughout their lives. Even though it is a fact that it takes a lot of education to work as a social worker, it doesn’t mean that this is a phenomenal career to get into that is very rewarding.

The first thing that needs to be done to become a social worker is you have got to volunteer as an aid to a real social worker while you are still enrolled in high school. You need to do this because you need actual hands-on experience so that you know what you can expect when you become one.

You need to keep in mind that getting a bachelor’s degree in social work is most definitely necessary for you to get into a starting position for social work. While you are in high school keep your grade point average high, and develop good habits in concern to studying and accomplishing tasks on time.

To be a social worker it is absolutely mandatory that you either know a second language or that you have knowledge of more than one language. If you have received and studied a language then it is recommended that you continue learning that language in college.

While in high school you need to speak with your guidance counselor and try and get a list of colleges in your preferred area that have great social work programs for you to enter into. You need to make sure that the college you enroll in has social work programs that have received their accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education. Right now in the United States there are over 420 accredited programs for social work, and each one of them is going to require that you have a minimum of at least 400 hours of supervised volunteering.

Right before you enter into your last year of high school you need to write your admission essay and submit your applications into whatever programs you are trying to get into. When you get into your program and in your college years, you need to try and get into social work intern programs that are going to pay you. Doing this is going to greatly help with getting references and opening future doors.

When you have gotten your bachelor’s degree in social work, you need to focus on getting your master’s degree In social work so that you can get a higher level position as a social worker in which you are managing other social workers and their cases. Right now there are over 100 accredited programs in the United States for getting your master’s in social work, and these programs require you to have a minimum of 900 hours of supervised volunteering experience.

While you are completing your master’s degree, learn about the licensing exam you are going to need to take. When you have obtained your master’s degree in social work, you need to work under a licensed social worker for two years before you can finally take your licensing exam and work independently as a social worker.