subject: Social Work Career Options And Ways To Improve The World We Live In [print this page] Social workers have the opportunity to work with individuals, groups and in community settings to help people get out of their situations. Whether it's through individual counseling, group therapy , research, administrative tasks or teaching, a difference can be made in the world. In social work school one's field experience gives one a way to have direct contact with clients and develop one's clinical skill and problem solving abilities. There is supervision and this helps you to bounce off ideas and get guidance from a more experienced clinician. You also will often get to attend staff meetings as part of your internship.
Many chose to go into a clinical counseling setting to work with clients suffering from depression, anxiety, abuse, addiction and other issues. This can involve individual, family and marital counseling. You will be doing psychosocial assessments, follow up sessions and contacting local agencies for referral work. There are also agency administrative jobs and if you are more of a group person you can get involved in community organization as well as advocacy. Some people are very involved in policy planning and other aspects that are at the core of how organizations operate.
There are also social workers in the school systems, criminal justice system, group homes, nursing homes and many settings. It is a diverse field with many opportunities. Working in hospice is another way to help people adjust to life's transitions and this can be a way to reach out to those suffering from a loss or in grief. When you work in a school system, you can work with those who have family issues, behavioral issues at school and possibly teen pregnancy issues. You will learn the proper way to report abuse and how to help someone in this type of situation.
Social workers have been very influential in human rights and bringing about justice intto the world. This field continues to grow and to have many opportunities. Whether you get the bsw, msw or dsw in social work, you can make a difference and find a job that is right for your interests. The money may not be the highest, but the fulfillment is deep inside and you feel good at the end of the day. Social workers can get burn out, so you need to take care of yourself.
