There are a number of reasons why social worker jobs are becoming more and more popular as time passes. There is a huge need for people who work in this industry in this day and age and it is therefore more desirable for students to study this topic as time progresses. There are a number of different areas you can work in, so make sure that you go through them all thoroughly so that you understand all aspects of the industry and find your true calling.
Different Types Of Social Worker Jobs
Child Social Worker Jobs
If you want social worker employment in the child industry you will come up against quite a lot of competition as this is a favorite among social workers looking for jobs. Social worker positions in the childcare sector require that you come into contact with:
- Children that have been abused
- Children who are in need of foster care
- Parents who want to adopt a child
You need to be prepared to work with these children and adults in a way that is sympathetic, empathetic and compassionate. If you don’t think that you will be able to do that then a social worker job in this area may not be the best choice for you. Dealing with abused children can be very difficult and you need to know well ahead of time whether you can deal with the emotional stress that it will put on you or not.
Family Social Worker Jobs
Social workers can also work with the family unit as a whole if they so choose. This is also a fairly popular form of social worker employment. The things that you may be required to do in a position like this include:
- Counsel family relationships in cases where there are difficulties between different members of the family that are having far-reaching effects.
- Provide information about government and private programs that the family will be able to utilise in order to become more stable.
- Assist families through a grieving process in the case of a loved one having passed away.
All of these tasks are of equal importance and you will need to have the emotional capacity necessary to handle these types of situations fairly easily as well as professionally. You will need to have the skills necessary to relate to all of the members of the family in order to help the family reach its goals.
Case Worker Social Worker Jobs
A case worker is a social worker job that is very general and that comes with a wide range of skills and responsibilities. However all case workers need to be able to:
- Assess the needs of the client and those living with the client.
- Arrange for and coordinate a battery of services to benefit the client (including psychological evaluations and monitoring, home visits, and other forms of assistance).
When you are a case worker you will be able to come into contact with a wide variety of people and you will have the opportunity to work with all of them. You will also not need to choose a specific area in which to specialise in order to get social worker positions as you will be skilled in all areas of social worker employment. This is great for someone who has the personality skills necessary to relate to anyone.
Medical Social Worker Jobs
Social workers can also work in a medical setting. There are a number of things that you may be required to do if you work in the medical field, but the most common tasks that you will need to perform are the following:
- Help individuals and family members cope with illness and injuries that are life-changing events.
- Arrange the care that is needed when a patient leaves the hospital.
Working as a medical social worker is a great way for you to be guaranteed of a stable job. While many other industries suffer under economic pressures the medical industry is one that will always stay strong. Getting social worker employment in this setting will guarantee you of job security and make your life substantially more stable and secure than it would otherwise be. As a result many students are choosing to enter the field of social work with the aim of getting a social worker job in the medical field.
Substance Abuse Social Worker Jobs
There are many places where social workers are needed. One of the places where you can stand a chance of finding social worker positions is in the area of substance abuse. In this job, you will be required to get involved in the following area:
- Group therapy
- Community outreach
- Inpatient monitoring
- Teaching of daily living skills to help patients cope.
If you think that you have what it takes to work in a social worker employment setting where substance abuse is the main issue then you will be glad to hear that there is quite a demand for people wanting to work in this area. The personality you will need is one that is non-judgemental and empathetic and compassionate at the same time. It is essential that you have the right attitude towards this type of job before starting it.
Mental Health Social Worker Jobs
It should not be surprising to you to hear that there are a lot of jobs and positions in the field of mental health. A social worker employer in this area will, among other things, have to:
- Counsel and treat people with substance abuse problems.
- Counsel and treat people with weight disorders.
- Counsel and treat people with depression.
Working with mental health patients can be a very challenging and difficult social worker job to undertake. But this does mean that you will be eligible for a higher social worker salary and that your skills will be more highly coveted making it easier for you to apply for and get the best social worker positions that are out there. Like with all of the different types of jobs, however, you need to examine yourself closely and make sure that you have what it takes to engage in this particular form of social worker employment.
School Social Worker Jobs
School social workers work in schools. They have a variety of tasks to fulfil while working there, including:
- Providing needed information
- Assist parents and students in meeting all the graduation requirements
- Address student behavior problems
Social worker positions in schools are quite popular and many people try to get a social worker job in this setting. This means that there may be a lot of competition. However, if you do not relate well to children then you will struggle to handle this job. There is a special way of speaking and behaving that you will need to be able to do in order to have an impact on the children that you deal with and this does not come naturally to everybody. Consequently you need to think very carefully about taking on a social worker job in a school environment before making your final decision. This comes with a huge degree of responsibility on your shoulders.
Gerontological Social Worker Jobs
Gerontology means working with elderly people. Something that many people don’t realize is that the elderly suffer abuse at the hands of others just as often as children do. Because this one of the more underserved areas of social worker employment you should be able to get a social worker job in gerontology quite easily. In this area of social work you will:
- Provide counselling for the children of aging adults.
- Assist their patients in facing the challenges of aging.
- Explain Medicare benefits and procedures.
- Coordinate and schedule transportation of the infirmed.
A respect and love for elderly people is an essential aspect of this type of social worker job. If you do not have the right attitude then this is a job that you should, for your own sake as well as for the sake of your clients, avoid. If you have the right attitude you should get involved as soon as possible.
The Best Paying Social Worker Jobs
Medical Social Worker
In this job, you can expect to earn anything from about $45,000 to about $52,000. This is quite an impressive salary indeed. This is one of the higher paying social worker positions because there is a lot of demand in this area. As mentioned previously the medical industry is one that is expanding constantly, so it is necessary for more and more people to become employed here. In order to attract more social workers the salaries are made higher so that the job will appear more attractive and will encourage more people to join the profession. If you were hoping for social worker employment in this industry you are in luck in terms of salary. Just remember that there is quite a lot of competition for these social worker positions so make sure that you have a back up area in mind where you can work instead.
Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Worker
Mental health and substance abuse social worker jobs are not really among the most popular for social workers, but they are among the highest paying. If you have the right approach towards life for dealing with mental health and substance abuse cases then this is the area of social worker employment that you should get involved in. People working in these social worker positions can expect to earn around about $37,000 to $62,000 a year. This is not a bad salary at all and it is one that is worth considering. However you need to remember that this is one of the more intense areas to work in so you have to be certain that you have the necessary attitude and skills for dealing with this area of social work. When it comes to fields like social work it is never a good idea to choose a job based to the salary. You need to make sure that you choose social work as a career, because you want to help people.
Child, Family And School Social Worker
These are the most popular social worker jobs. Fortunately these are also the jobs that pay among the highest salaries, making them very good options to consider indeed. In these areas of social work you can expect to earn anything from $39,000 to about $54,000. These are very good rates indeed. You need to make sure that you have a love for children if you want to work in any of these fields, and family social work also requires that you are able to relate to all members of a family. If you are unable to communicate effectively with everyone involved, then you may run into trouble and feel as though you are having very little effect on the people who you are working with. Although this is one of the more popular, as well as one of the better paying areas of social work, you still need to be careful about committing yourself to a line of work in this area of social worker employment as it may not be the best possible choice for you.
Now that you have read this comprehensive account of the different jobs and social worker positions that are available you will be in a better position to make a decision whether or not this is the kind of job that suits you. As you can see there are several different areas in which you can specialize when it comes to social worker employment so you are literally spoiled for choice. However if none of these options appeal to you then you may want to consider an alternative form of employment as this type of job is probably not the best for you.