Social Work Career Guide

At my undergraduate school, the social work and psychology departments worked closely together. I therefore took many social work classes and if a minor would have existed, I had all the requirements filled. Social work was in full alignment of my values. The closer I got to the end of my degree, I had to decide what to do next. I was considering going to medical school but my other option was a master’s in social work. I opted for social work because I decided I did not want to be on call 24/7. That didn’t work out so well. I knew I was meant to be an advocate and a counselor. I found my passion and the flexibility of social work has been really valuable to me.

I began working with children and families. I found it was really hard to leave the faces of the children at work, so I switched to the other spectrum and worked with geriatrics. I loved that. I worked in a nursing home as the director of social services for many years. I was able to build clinical programs as well as advocate for the families and patients. I worked into a higher management role and could have become an administrator, but I wanted to maintain clinical practice.

I did hospital, home health, and hospice social work for a time. There, I provided quick interventions and case management, and then moved on to the next patient. Discharge planning was really challenging. I had to coordinate with community providers and vendors to make sure all the patient’s needs were met the moment they arrived home. It took building strong relationships with the doctors, nurses, and community services. I liked the quick pace but missed the strong trust relationships.

I also worked as the mental health provider on a specialty medical team for the Veteran’s Health Administration. Our team provided outpatient services in the veterans’ homes. Most of our patients stayed with us until their death, so it was years of service to the same individuals and their caregivers. I was able to do some deep trauma work because the trust relationship was so strong. As part of the medical team, I was able to share my expertise and learn a lot from the other team members. We practiced, in real time, treating a patient as a whole: mind, body, and spirit.

Throughout my career, I have always done clinical as well as the other social work duties. I finally decided to focus on that aspect completely and now run a private practice. My focus is on the clinical needs of each individual as they come in. We get deep into psychotherapy with the great social work fun flare. Every week my clients leave with a technique to practice as they work toward their goal of becoming their own therapist. I am proud to say I have graduated several who continue to maintain their mental health utilizing the skills they learned in therapy.

Another social work role I have played is teaching. I was able to teach undergraduate and master’s-level social work students, specifically in geriatrics and long-term care. It was an honor to pass on my experiences and encourage more students to serve this high-need group.

Social work is a very flexible career, and I have been fortunate enough to receive a variety of experiences. They all hold the underlying premise that individuals, couples, and families are affected by their whole environment and real change comes from addressing all aspects.

While working in the hospital or nursing home, I had a set 40-hour workweek but could flex my hours a little. I was able to therefore change my workday to fit the schedule of my children’s school schedule as they grew. I also carried a beeper or cell phone to answer on-call questions at all times.

While working on the medical team for the VHA, they set my eight-hour-a-day schedule. There was no on-call work. When I needed to change my schedule, I had to submit how it would benefit the veterans I served and was able to get the changes approved. During my last year there, I worked four 10-hour days.

Besides the hour changes, the days were fairly similar when working in the medical world. Upon arriving at work, I checked for any needs that occurred since I was last there. I prioritized needs and created the day’s plan. Rarely did that plan happen. Most of the time, something with a higher need would come up during the day. I’d deal with that, then go back to my plan. Documentation was often squeezed in between the needs and issues as they arrived. There was a lot of overtime simply to complete paperwork. But I actually enjoyed it.

In private practice, I set my schedule. I am currently working three and a half days a week. I see 4-6 clients each day. The difference in purely clinical work, either in private practice or for an agency, is your day is scheduled. You address the client in front of you, document the encounter, and then go to the next scheduled appointment.

The most rewarding aspect of working in social work is when a patient or client says to me, “No one has ever taken the time to just listen before.” I know I’m good at that. I also know I have made a difference in so many lives. These differences build out from the individual or couple I am working with to their families and friends.

I have also had some amazing experiences being an advocate for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. I helped a woman get the hip surgeries she needed to spend her last 15 years walking instead of in a wheelchair and in pain. I saved one individual from having an amputation he did not want and was able to use that foot again. I have assisted to save the relationship between an adult daughter and her mother after they had not spoken for two years. I have listened to a war veteran tell his traumatic story and cry for the first time in his life, then gain the strength to face it and move on. The stories of rewarding aspects are endless.

The most challenging aspect was standing up for my profession and expertise. I entered medical social work when it was really new. We had not gained our respect yet. I had to fight and earn my way there.

Another challenge has been helping others see the value in differences. The differences may be race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. No matter the difference, all individuals always have something to share because of their differences.

The other big challenge has been holding my bosses accountable to our code of ethics. Other professionals I have worked with have similar codes of ethics, but social workers tend to be the conscience wherever we go. Sometimes that has not made me very popular, but it has always brought me respect.

My initial interest was psychology. I chose psychology to have the ability to understand the human psyche and provide counseling services, eventually. My initial plan was to go to medical school.

My master’s is social work. I chose this because insurances recognize an MSW (master of social work) for independent practice, whereas a master’s-level psychology [degree] is required to work under someone. Social work had more options available than continuing in psychology.

My doctoral degree is a DSW (doctor of social work). I didn’t need another degree to allow licensing, I already had that, but I wanted to expand my career options. The DSW allowed me to dive deeper into social work from a different perspective.

Psychology was my bachelor’s. I am very glad I did so, because I had a background many social workers did not in the master’s program. My psychology background has continued to serve me throughout my career.

My MSW is the degree that awarded me the ability to get a license in independent social work. With an MSW and LICSW (licensed independent clinical social worker) license, I have been able to practice independently and bill insurances. I feel the combination of psychology and social work has awarded me the ability to approach clinical practice with a well-rounded understanding of individuals.

I am super glad I went the direction of a DSW. My program was clinical with a focus on social innovation. I learned so much about building programs that really work for the social issues we face. I also was able to change my mindset as far as macro social work is concerned and have used this knowledge to build a new program for women who have been in controlling relationships.

The one thing that helped me the most on my journey to becoming a social worker was amazing people, advocates, and mentors. It has been the relationships with highly professional people that has allowed me to have the confidence and ability to get where I am.

Don’t consider it, do it! Social work has so much to offer. You can work in so many different areas with the one degree. If you need to pivot in your career, you don’t have to go back to school to do it. Social workers have changed so many lives for the better. We need more social workers as we work to solve the intense issues of our day. We need those who understand the value of a human, the whole human. Social workers are the experts in this area.

Find a social worker you can shadow. Often what we do cannot be explained but needs to be seen. If you have an interest in an area, from children and families to computer work, policy to management, forensics to clinical, find a social worker in that area and spend a day with them. See if it grabs your passion. Social work starts from the passions within.

Social workers provide information and services to people of all ages across various settings, including schools, homes, clinics, and hospitals. Some job titles include case worker, case manager, child and family social worker, and mental health and substance abuse social worker.

Some of the highest-paid social workers work in the federal executive branch and general medical and surgical hospitals. These professionals earn median salaries of $82,490 and $75,270, respectively. Having at least an MSW degree can qualify you for higher-paying careers in social work.

Yes, for the right candidates. According to the BLS, social workers enjoy strong job prospects, especially for those with master’s degrees and state social worker licensure. Individuals with a passion for helping others and a high degree of emotional intelligence often have rewarding careers as social workers. However, this role can be stressful and professionals may need to work evening and weekend hours.

The first step is to get your bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field like psychology and sociology. You can then obtain your MSW and apply for licensure in your state. While you can have a social worker career with just a bachelor’s degree, most professionals have a master’s degree in the field.