What Does a Social Worker Do?

If you ask 10 social workers what they do, you may get 10 different answers. That’s because social work is a profession that offers a diversity of job opportunities.

“Professional social workers are found in every facet of community life — in schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centers, elected office, private practices, prisons, military, corporations, and in numerous public and private agencies that service individuals and needs,” the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) writes on its website.¹

But even though there are all types of social workers, these professionals share a common mission: to improve the lives of others.

“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty,” according to the NASW Code of Ethics.²

If you are thinking about earning a social work degree, or are interested in a career change, here are five examples of what social workers do:

1. Medical Social Work

These social work professionals help patients understand diagnoses and make needed lifestyle or healthcare changes. They work in settings that include hospitals, home healthcare, skilled nursing facilities and outpatient care centers.³

If this is a social work career that interests you, there are Master of Social Work (MSW) programs that include a focus on medical social work. Chamberlain University offers an online MSW degree program with a Medical Social Work track.

2. Mental Health Services

Social workers are the largest category of mental health service providers in the U.S.¹ Mental health and clinical social workers assess, diagnose and treat people who are experiencing mental and emotional health challenges. They provide individual, group and family therapy in public and private settings. Mental health therapists also work in jobs across the social work spectrum, in settings that include disaster relief, case management and advocacy.⁴

Earning an MSW with a trauma focus can help prepare you to provide evidence-based clinical services to children, adolescents and adults who have experienced traumatic events. Chamberlain’s Trauma track is designed to prepare students for advanced social work practice with diverse populations. Trauma social workers work in settings that include mental health clinics, hospitals, schools and the judicial system.

3. Child and Family Welfare

These social workers help protect children from harm and help families build the skills they need to become stronger and more resilient. Social workers link children and families to services, protect and advocate for children, and provide counseling. Studies show that, overall, professionals with social work degrees working in child welfare provide better outcomes for children and families.⁵ 

4. Crisis and Response Interventions

Social workers providing crisis and response interventions can draw on skills they learn in an MSW degree program to create intervention strategies to help meet the immediate and long-term needs of trauma survivors and caregivers. These social work professionals also help clients prepare for future emergencies, create crisis plans and mobilize responses to crises. Chamberlain’s online MSW degree program offers a Crisis and Response Interventions track.

5. Advocacy

Professionals with MSW degrees work for social justice and equity. They are advocates for people of all ages who are underserved and overlooked. “Social workers are my collective heroes,” Gloria Steinem, the feminist organizer, political activist and writer, has said. “They sit at the juncture between those with too much power and those with not enough.”¹ These agents of social change work as community organizers; hold elected office; and lead change in the criminal justice system, public and private businesses, the nonprofit sector, and local, state and national government.

Prepare for Your Social Work Career

What will you do as a social worker? You can help prepare for the social work career you want by earning an MSW degree. For jobs beyond the entry level, you may find a master’s degree is required. For example, program management and leadership positions typically require a master’s in social work, the NASW says. And you’ll need an MSW degree if you want to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).⁶

Once you’ve decided to earn an MSW degree, the next step is to choose the master’s program that meets your needs. If you are interested in a specialist practice, look for a master’s degree program that lets you tailor your studies to your career goals.

Chamberlain’s online MSW degree program can prepare you for generalist practice, or specialist practice through focused learning in one of these tracks: Crisis and Response Interventions, Trauma, and Medical Social Work. There’s also a track that lets you design your own focus by choosing courses that align with your desired social work practice.

Chamberlain’s online MSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE accreditation means an MSW program’s curriculum meets or exceeds standards for social work education. And a social work degree from a CSWE-accredited program academically prepares you to pursue licensure.

If flexibility is one of your MSW program requirements, then you may enjoy the convenience of earning a degree online. Chamberlain MSW coursework is 100% online and available 24/7, allowing you to log in and study when it’s convenient for you. You’ll also find 24/7 technical support.

With the number of social worker jobs expected to grow at a faster-than-average pace through 2032,⁷ now may be the right time to earn an MSW degree. At Chamberlain, you can earn your master’s degree in social work in as few as two years.

Get more information on how to become a social worker as you prepare for a social work career that gives you the opportunity to make a positive impact in your community.

Chamberlain University, an accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 130 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.

Chamberlain University’s Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation, https://www.cswe.org. 

Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (https://www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 

¹Source: www.socialworkers.org/news/facts/social-workers

²Source: www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

³Source: www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211022.htm

⁴Source: www.socialworkers.org/careers/specialty-practice-sections/Mental-Health

⁵Source: www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=_FIu_UDcEac%3d&portalid=0

⁶Source: www.socialworkers.org/Careers/Career-Center/Explore-Social-Work/Types-of-Social-Work-Degrees

⁷Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm

Chamberlain University’s Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation, www.cswe.org. 

Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Certified to Operate by SCHEV.

Unresolved complaints may be reported to the Illinois Board of Higher Education through the online complaint system http://complaints.ibhe.org/ or by mail to 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, IL 62701-13774.

By Chamberlain University