Social Workers

Social Work in a Nutshell

Social work professionals help individuals, groups, and communities enhance or restore capacity for social functioning.

What are social work goals?

  1. Enhance individual’s and group’s problem-solving, coping and developmental capacities
  2. Advocate for effective and humane systems that provide people with resources and services
  3. Link people with systems (including dental care!) that provide resources, services, and opportunities

Social workers draw upon their knowledge of human development and behavior, and social, economic, and cultural institutions and systems. They seek to improve situations that affect people’s abilities to accomplish life tasks, realize aspirations and values. They seek to alleviate distress which impacts health and wellbeing. Social workers employ a strengths-based perspective to assess clients' inherent capacities and work with individuals and groups to build upon these qualities.

Sarah Lu, MSW

What roles to social workers play?

  1. Assist people and groups to obtain tangible services
  2. Counsel and conduct psychotherapy with individuals, families, and groups
  3. Help communities or groups provide or improve social and healthcare systems

Social workers interface with the pediatric population in diverse ways:

  • Community health clinics
  • Medical offices
  • Schools
  • Hospitals
  • Mental health clinics
  • Community centers
  • Numerous public and private agencies such as Head Start, daycares, and early intervention programs

How are social workers educated and licensed?

Professional social workers are those who have earned social work degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral levels and have completed a required number of hours in supervised fieldwork. States vary in their licensure requirements for social workers at the masters or doctoral level.

Bachelors Baccalaureate social work degree upon graduation
Masters Master’s degree in social work (MSW) with no post-degree experience
Advanced Generalist MSW degree with two years post-master's supervised experience
Clinical MSW degree with at least two years post-master's supervised direct clinical social work experience – Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Source: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) website