A social worker is someone whose passion is compassion. This professional will offer positive intervention into crisis situations and, hopefully, will bring about a beneficial resolution. As defined by the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, a social worker is “a helping professional who is distinguished from other human service professionals by a focus on both the individual and his or her environment.” Now that you have a better understanding of what a social worker is, the second question you’re probably asking yourself, is what does a social worker do?
An occupation that had its modern origins in the slums of the Industrial Revolution urban society, a social worker’s activities have grown and been defined by the continuing evolution of modern society. Advocacy for new immigrants and adequate housing was at one time the primary focus of social workers. These are still concerns but other societal problems have arisen that require attention more focused than what can be provided by charitable volunteers alone. Child abuse, job discrimination, alcohol and substance abuse, and the condition of the elderly are a few modern challenges that command the attention of social workers. According to the website Helpstartshere.org, more than six hundred thousand people in the United States hold social work degrees and more than sixty percent of mental health treatment in America is delivered by social workers.
In 2008, there were six hundred and forty two thousand social worker jobs in the United States. Tasks routinely performed depend on the work environment and the branch of social work an individual has chosen for a career path. Child, family and school social workers are child centered and their duties primarily involve coordinating services to better assist a juvenile and his or her family. Substance abuse social workers may be active in individual and/or group therapy, social rehabilitation and employee assistance programs. Those involved with elderly care may deal with issues involving dementia, long term care or support groups for the aged. A medical social worker could be involved with hospice and terminally ill patients. As mentioned earlier, what a social worker does depends on the environment and the professional’s area of expertise.
An interesting link to be found on Helpstartshere.org permits a visitor to view some of the stories professional social workers have about the jobs they do and the insights gained by working with their patients or clients. An excellent feature of these web pages on the site is the opportunity for an employed social worker to not only describe what is done at work, but also to express the satisfaction or frustration that author has experienced while providing service. Social work evolves with the times and what is standard operating procedure now may be radically different in a few years.
When asking yourself what does a social worker do, it is important to keep in mind that social work has as distinct code of ethical behavior, standards of practice, and licensing. States have their own requirements for practicing social work and a professional must keep informed about any changes in the mandated requirements for licensing, because such legal revisions may create new definitions and activities to tasks already being performed. Links to the various state boards can be found on the Association of Social Works Board website. Continuing education as a lifelong pursuit helps a social worker better adjust to any future changes or modifications in routine assignments, and The Council on Social Work Education website has a directory of those colleges and universities where a professional can replenish his or her skill set to better take on any revisions in daily tasks.
