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Social Work: Work Possibilities with the MSW or BSW

Have you been thinking of going into the social work field but are unsure of what types of jobs are available? Social work is a professional service that attempts to assist the public in a number of ways. This assistance is given through groups, communities and with individuals. Someone in this profession would deal with the needs of the public through case work, group work, or research. You will need to have certain skills, personal knowledge of the society, and field work experience. This field promotes changes to issues in our society, problem solving abilities, and empowering people to improve their lives. The primary philosophy of social work is basic human rights and justice and care for the person’s welfare.

There are many different areas in this field where you can focus your efforts. These areas range from person-focused psychosocial analysis to being involved with social policies, development and planning. Different types of work can include counseling, group facility monitoring, clinical work, academic research, and family treatment. You can also find positions in agency administration and community organizing. Some have been involved in political activism in order to bring about changes and improvement to policies and economic development. The basic principals of social work are universal; but the methods differ from country to country. Even within different time periods, you can see variations in the practice of public service.

In America, this type of career can be found within most areas of our community. Schools, police departments, group homes, healthcare facilities, are just a few of the places where social services have to monitor day to day activities. If you are in this field, you will need to handle conflicts and relationships between people, organizations and governments. Your goal is to help people gain the ability to develop their full potential, improve their lives, and prevent or reduce dysfunctional behavior. You will also need to overcome obstacles, and fight inequality and the injustice that exist in your community. This includes responding to crises and emergencies and everyday personal and community problems.

This career has a lot of responsibilities and you should never underestimate the power that you possess. Even our new president was an avid community organizer and advocate for social change. So you can take this career to the highest position available.

How To Start A Career In Social Work

Over 600,000 social workers strive every day to make a positive impact on the lives of others. If you’re passionate about helping individuals, families, organizations, and communities, a career in social work might be right for you. Social workers find themselves helping people from all walks of life in a variety of atmospheres from schools to hospitals to prisons to nursing homes and handle casework, policy analysis, research, counseling, and teaching. They deal with issues such as poverty, abuse, addiction, unemployment, death, divorce, and physical illness. If a career switch to social work appeals to you, following is a brief background of social work basics and how to make a smooth transition.

Career Outlook: According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the social work profession is expected to grow by 30% by 2010 and is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

Median Annual Earnings for Social Workers (U.S., 2004)

• Child, Family, And School Social Workers: ,820
• Medical And Public Health Social Workers: ,080
• Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Workers: ,920
• All Other Social Workers: ,440

Education Requirements: All social workers must have a bachelors (BSW), masters (MSW), or doctoral degree (DSW or Ph.D.) and complete a predetermined number of hours in supervised fieldwork. Social workers also have to graduate from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE reports that in 2004 there were 442 BSW programs and 168 MSW programs. While some people work with only a BSW, career options are more limited, so the MSW or DSW is more common.

• BSW: Accredited BSW programs typically take four years to complete and require 400 hours of supervised field experience. With a BSW, a graduate can work in an entry-level position, such as a caseworker.

• MSW: An MSW requires two years of study and has a prerequisite of an undergraduate degree in social work, psychology, or a similar field. An MSW allows a social worker to work in a clinical setting to diagnose and treat psychological problems.

• DSW: A doctoral degree takes anywhere from 4-7 years. A DSW has extensive training in therapy and research and is qualified to teach in a university setting.

If you lack the educational or professional background, an associate’s degree may be a good place to start to see if you’re willing to make the necessary educational commitment.

For information regarding accredited social work programs, visit the Council on Social Work Education’s website: www.cswe.org

Licensing and Exams: Social workers must be licensed. For licensing purposes, each state has its own requirements, but an MSW is usually a minimum. In addition, licensing requires 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience.

After completing school and hour requirements, social work candidates must pass an exam. The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) develops and maintains four categories of social work licensure examinations: Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist, and Clinical. Candidates should check with individual boards to find out which examinations are appropriate for the jurisdiction where they want to be licensed.

According to the ASWB’s website:

“Each examination contains 170 four-option multiple choice questions designed to measure minimum competencies at four categories of practice. Only 150 of the 170 items are scored; the remaining 20 questions are “pretest” items included to measure their effectiveness as items on future examinations. These pretest items are scattered randomly throughout the examination. Candidates have four hours to complete the test, which is administered electronically.”

For information on state licensing requirements, see the Association of Social Work Boards website: http://www.aswb.org/education/boards/

For information on exams, visit http://www.aswb.org/exam_info.shtml

Continuing Education: As part of renewing licenses every two years, almost all states require continuing education (CE) courses. Each state’s CE requirements vary in number of hours and approved courses, so be sure to check with the board over your jurisdiction to make sure you are in compliance with CE requirements. Many courses are available online, at sites such as www.speedyceus.com, which save time and money.

Types of Licenses: There are several different kinds of licenses available:
L.C.S.W. (or A.C.S.W., L.C.S., L.I.C.S.W., C.S.W.)

The licensed clinical social worker has a graduate academic degree, has completed supervised clinical work experience and has passed a national- or state-certified licensing exam. This advanced practitioner holds a license that allows him or her to receive health-care insurance reimbursements. (National Association of Social Workers)

SSW: School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School social workers are instrumental in furthering the purpose of the schools: to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers are hired by school districts to enhance the district’s ability to meet its academic mission, especially where home, school and community collaboration is the key to achieving that mission. (School Social Work Association of America)

Other specialties and certifications, offered by the National Association of Social Workers, include:

• Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)
• Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW)
• Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW)
• Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Social Worker (C-CATODSW)
• Certified Advanced Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW)
• Certified Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
• Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM)
• Certified Social Work Case Manager (C-SWCM)
• Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)
• Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)

Can I Get a Social Work Degree Using the Internet

Taking classes online is a way you can deal with your busy life and still advance yourself. Have you been thinking of enrolling in a classes towards a social work degree but are not sure how to fit this into your work schedule or already tight schedule with your children? One option is to consider taking social work online classes towards your degree.You can learn more about how to become a social worker and see if it’s for you.

Many people have already done volunteer work at a hospital, youth center or community clinic and realize that they like to work with kids, families, individuals and the elderly. A degree in social work will enable you to continue this work in a paid capacity and give you skills as a counselor, administrator or writer of policies.

If you are pressed for time and find attending lectures at the college or university a big challenge, you can now find online courses and programs that cover areas such as behavioral management, building self esteem, child psychology, counseling psychology, caring for the elderly and disabled at home, child abuse recognition, investigation and protection, domestic violence, conflict resolution, psychology, relationship management, stress management, nursing assistant and health care.

Course packages and time frames differ with universities. Check for universities which offer your choice of course and perhaps combines it with another one. Sometimes people will get core requirements out of the way online and then go physically to a local university program. Other times, you can do an online program, but may need to make trips to the university for some meetings as well as classroom experiences. For a graduate program, you will be needing to do an internship.

It’s important to find out if the online programs will be recognized as accredited by your state. There are regional boards that determine which schools qualify. On top of this, if you wish to get licensed in your state, you’ll need to also find out if your program is considered eligible. For instance, many states require accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in order to sit for the licensing exam. Find out if you’ll have an internship and the type of supervision available.

If you are needing continuing education courses in order to fulfill your license, there are many sites that offer classes including the website by the NASW (National Association of Social Work). You can read which state boards approve which ceu classes in the descriptions of each course.

The advantage of online classes is that you can study in your own time and at your own pace. You have access to books and courses which are taught by professionals and written by known authors. Be sure to find out about the credentials of the school, licensing requirements of your state and other factors to see if the online program is a good fit for your goals.