What is the job of a Social Worker??

 I was inspired to write this after being made aware that a behavioral science professional was unaware of the role of a social worker. Social Workers have one of the most diverse roles in the behavioral sciences. 

"Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to this goal. Social work practice consists of the professional application of social work values, principles, and techniques to one or more of the following ends.

1. people obtain tangible services

2.providing counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups

3.helping communities or groups provide or improve social and health services

4. participating in relevant legislative processes

Social Workers work in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centers, elected office, private practices, prisons, military, and corporations as well as a variety of other public and private agencies that serve individuals and families in need. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Social Work is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States."

(citation: http://www.uvu.edu/besc/bsw/) 

An individual with a bachelors degree in Social Work is one of the few behavioral science bachelors degrees that has a license, the SSW (Service Social Worker) License.  This means that when getting a BSW degree, you'll have a job waiting for you, which isn't the case with other degrees in the behavioral sciences.  So a student that gets a bachelors degree in psychology has limited job openings in their field, but a Social Worker has a myriad of choices waiting for them when they get their bachelors degree and then is still able to go further and get their masters degree and perform counseling for clients.  

In order to get a SSW license, the individual has to have 2000 supervised hours, a bachelors degree in social work, and pass the licensing exam.  While getting a bachelors degree, students volunteer, work, and intern in many different settings, to assess which area they would like to apply their skills and to gain experience in their chosen field.  I know many of my classmates who are currently working in substance abuse facilities, troubled youth, and facilities that work with individuals that have developmental delays.  

I was lucky enough to volunteer in a setting that has a setting that mirrors what I want to work with.  I hopefully will be lucky enough to work with either children and families involved in foster care, or child victims of abuse.  I have a tough skin. I am able to be compassionate to the plights of children and want to help them, to see the need that is there and do what I can to help things to improve.  I feel empathy for individuals, but I do well at not letting things not eat away at me. 

I have one more year of classes, and then one year of an internship that will cover most of my 2000 hours, that is of course if I get accepted into the BSW program at my school.  The Bachelors of Social Work Program is a program that you have to be accepted into.  There is a resume, which includes professional, educational, and volunteer experience, there is a 2 page personal statement on why you are choosing social work, your strengths and limitations for this field, 2 letters of reference, school transcripts and a smidgen of other criteria.  I just finished my application for the BSW program tonight and get to turn it in tomorrow...so wish me luck <3