Social Workers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.

What do Social Workers do?

Social workers typically do the following:

• Identify people and communities in need of help
• Assess clients needs, situations, strengths, and support networks to 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 healthcare to assist and improve a clients 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

Social workers help people cope with challenges in their lives. They help with a wide range of situations, such as adopting a child or being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Advocacy is an important aspect of social work. Social workers advocate or raise awareness with and on behalf of their clients and the social work profession on local, state, and national levels.