Social Worker

Social Worker

Vanessa Jean Brannon

Point University

HREL 497 Human Relations Practicum

Professor: Dr. Jim Street

October 30, 2012

What does it take to become a social worker? becoming a social worker means, training for a career that makes a real difference in lives of people. However, before I make the jump into training for this rewarding career, I found out how to become a social worker, where trained social workers can be found, and what I can do to become a great social worker.

The idea of social improvement and individual growth drive the social work profession. Trained social workers can be found working with a range of individuals, families, and groups. Here are some major categories of social workers:

Child, Family, and School Social Workers. Work with children and their families to find foster homes, arrange adoptions, and serve as a link between home and school.

Medical and Public Health Social Workers. Provide support to individuals and families dealing with the details of terminal illness, home care, aging parents, or disability.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers. Work with individuals dealing with substance abuse, setting up therapy, outreach, rehabilitation, and more.

Occupational Social Workers. Works with individuals transitioning from welfare to work, helping them to achieve work/family balance, navigate health care, and more.

Social Work Administrators. Take charge of social workers, develop and implement useful programs, and serve the community at the management level.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 54 percent of social workers work for health care and social assistance industries, while 31 percent work for the government. No matter where you work in the industry, you provide a valuable service for people in need.

The people they help as well as their employer’s value social workers. Take a look at the mean annual salaries for social workers in 2009, from the Bureau of Labor...