The world is a much more different place now than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. As humanity and society recover from the traumatic year of 2020, now more than ever, the importance of social workers is becoming visible. The goal of social work is to provide support and compassion to people from all walks of life, regardless of their race, caste, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. Social workers bridge the gap between the higher authorities of a state and its local population. The collaborative association helps strengthen communities by ensuring that human rights and social justice prevail for all. Through their power, social workers speak for those whose voices cannot be heard. They help nations foster equity and justice by tackling the major social issues and reaching their underlying cause. It is safe to say that social work is a profession of extreme dignity as the prosperity and progress of any nation are largely dependent on it.
How to Become a Social Worker?
If you envision yourself as someone who would want to utilize their talents to make an actual difference in the world and help humanity heal, then social work is the right career choice for you.
- The first step to pursuing your goal is to obtain a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. You’ll acquire the basic knowledge and skills essential to comprehensively communicate with people from diverse populations through this degree. It will provide you with a unique insight into the human psyche and emotion and strengthen your grip on the concept of social welfare.
- Graduates are then required to secure a master’s degree in social work. This step is crucial to securing your license and becoming a practicing social worker. Many institutes now offer online social work degree masters for students with incredibly hectic schedules. These programs allow students to create personalized plans and take classes from the comfort of their own homes. Graduates require to pursue higher education to further their knowledge and become well-acquainted with the essentials of social welfare and development. Just make sure that the CSWE accredits the program you choose for both BSW and MSW.
- After obtaining the essential education, individuals need to perform work under the supervision of social workers currently in the field. In addition, all graduates must volunteer for internships and serve a certain number of clinical hours to put their social work skills to practice.
- Once you’ve served your time in practice, you must obtain your license to practice social work independently. Licensure is one more way to advance your learning, strengthen your talents and demonstrate your credibility in this field. In addition, it opens the doors for numerous career opportunities.
- Finally, the last step is to decide which career path in the field of social work speaks to your interest in skills. There are numerous options you can choose from. For your ease, we have briefly gone over a few of these options below to give you a better understanding of what you’re up for.
Career Paths in the Field of Social Work:
- Child and Family Social Services:
As a family social worker, you’ll likely deal with struggling parents who cannot cope up with the needs of their families and require support. You’ll help connect them to services that can provide food, shelter, housing, and education. You will also be asked to assist in abuse and neglect investigations and help at-risk children find homes that are better suited for their mental well-being. Family service providers also assist families and foster homes in managing adoption processes to help streamline the transition.
- School Social Work:
Social workers at schools work alongside teachers to help struggling students grow academically and emotionally. They help draft strategies based on student strengths and weaknesses to create a learning environment equally beneficial for all. Simultaneously, they also address the emotional and psychological needs of students. Part of their duty is to recognize that the mental well-being of a child affects their academic performance. If there is a sudden setback in a student’s progress, they are likely in emotional distress, whether from personal issues, problems at home, bullying, or toxic behaviors at school.
- Mental Health Social Work:
As a mental health service provider, you’ll be tasked with assessing the emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues amongst individuals and society as a whole. Mental health is still a taboo topic, which is why people often choose to swallow their emotions and suffer in silence. This has drastic consequences on their everyday life. Mental health social workers interact with these individuals and direct them towards the right professional services. They help patients to promote them to “be strong be healthy” and find healthy coping strategies and encourage them to get their life back on track.
- Substance Abuse Social Work:
Social workers in this career path are needed in rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and detention centers. Their role is to help individuals struggling with addictions find healthier coping mechanisms and gradually leave behind old toxic patterns. They help patients recover from addictions like alcohol and gambling, eating disorders, harmful sexual tendencies, and so on. They do so by conducting necessary interventions, scheduling support group meetings, and providing behavioral counseling.
- Healthcare Social Work:
Navigating the world of healthcare is by no means easy. Often patients struggle to understand how they should proceed in the face of a particular illness. This is where medical social workers come into play. They are the bridge between patients and relevant doctors or physicians. They help clients navigate healthcare services and approach the right specialists by providing the needed knowledge. They also communicate any clients’ special emotional or physical needs to their designated doctor to help streamline patient treatment.
- Community Service Work:
As a community social worker, you’ll work hand-in-hand with community leaders to assess the needs of the locals on a larger scale. They work alongside various non-profit organizations conduct fundraisers, seminars, and conferences to raise awareness about societal issues. They also help leaders evaluate problems within the current infrastructures and establish plans on how to properly allocate resources to all groups within the community. They speak for all diverse populations and stand up for those who don’t have a voice of their own. Their role is crucial to nurturing a community that thrives on equity for all.
Takeaway:
Social work is a profession that demands tons of compassion, empathy, and patience. While working as a social service provider, you will bring a direct change in the lives of those around you. Not only can you encourage and motivate individuals to do better in life, but you can direct your entire nation on the path towards growth.
