What Is Being a Social Worker Like?
If you are considering a career as a social worker, there are many important factors that you should know. Being a social worker can be an incredibly challenging, yet rewarding, career for anyone who likes to help others. A social worker’s job is to help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers, however, also diagnose and treat mental, behavioural, and emotional issues their clients might be experiencing.
A social worker’s duties include the following:
- Identify people and communities in need of help.
- Assess clients’ needs, situations, strengths, and support networks to help determine their goals.
- Help clients adjust to changes and challenges in their lives, such as illness, divorce, or unemployment.
- Research, refer, and advocate for community resources, such as food stamps, childcare, and relevant healthcare to assist and improve a client’s well-being.
- Respond to crisis situations such as child abuse and mental health emergencies.
- Follow up with clients to ensure that their situations have improved.
- Maintain case files and records.
- Develop and evaluate programs and services to ensure that basic client needs are met.
- Provide psychotherapy services.
While that might seem like a lot, these duties ensure that the social worker is able to successfully help their clients and continue to provide them with the support they need. From helping a couple adopt a child, to assisting a client who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, social workers face a wide range of challenges in their careers.
Advocacy
One of the most important aspects of social work is advocacy. Advocating on their client’s behalf, ensures that their client gets the help they need from a professional team of providers. Some social workers will even work with local groups, community organisations, and policymakers to develop new programmes, services, and social conditions designed to improve the lives of the people in their communities.
Clinical social workers (CSW) or licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) are licenced to diagnose and treat mental, behavioural, and emotional disorders. They typically provide therapy for individuals, groups, families, and couples. They might also develop treatment plans with doctors and healthcare professionals.
Contact Tempest Resourcing
To learn more about what it’s like being a social worker in times of COVID-19, contact Tempest Resourcing today and speak with a job recruitment specialist who can answer any questions you might have.
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