Public Welfare

• Administration and Planning
• Case Management
• Program Evaluation
• Policy Setting
• Research

Employers

• Public welfare agencies
• Private social service agencies

Strategies

• Public welfare is designed to provide services and support for poor, disabled, ill, elderly, or juvenile clients.
• Volunteer at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, battered women homes, literacy programs, or other social service agencies to get experience.

Criminal Justice/Corrections

• Counseling/Therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Probation
• Parole
• Youth Services
• Victim Assistance

Employers

• Prisons and correctional facilities
• Courts
• Police departments
• Probation offices
• Victim services organizations

Strategies

• Social workers in corrections focus on rehabilitation of clients.
• Obtain experience by volunteering at a corrections facility or victims program such as a rape crisis center.

School Social Work

• Clinical Social Work
• Pupil Personnel Services
• Student Advocacy
• Instruction

Employers

• Elementary and secondary schools
• School districts
• Head start centers
• Early intervention programs

Strategies

• School systems may employ social workers to help students cope with and resolve emotional, developmental, or educational difficulties.
• Gain experience with children at daycare centers, camps, or Scouts.

Child Welfare

• Case Management
• Advocacy
• Intervention

Employers

• Public and private child welfare agencies
• Adoption agencies
• Foster care organizations
• Child daycare

Strategies

• Child welfare social workers strive to ensure the safety and well-being of children through treatment of the whole family.
• Volunteer at daycares, child shelters, camps, YMCA, Scouts, or other agencies that aid youth.

Gerontology

• Advocacy/Intervention
• Counseling
• Case Management
• Programming
• Public Policy

Employers

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Senior centers
• Assisted living
• Hospice

Strategies

• Gerontology involves working with older adults, healthy or ill, and their families.
• Get involved with programs or organizations designed for senior citizens.

Clinical

• Counseling
• Therapy

Employers

• Community mental health centers
• Psychiatric hospitals
• Residential and day treatment hospitals
• Employment assistance programs
• Schools
• Family service agencies
• Private practice

Strategies

• Clinical social workers are found in a variety of settings that provide therapeutic counseling to clients.
• Master of Social Work (MSW) is required.

Administration

• Management
• Policy Development
• Planning

Employers

• Family service agencies
• Child welfare departments
• Social service agencies
• State mental health departments
• Employee assistance programs
• Probation departments
• Public welfare agencies
• Public interest groups
• Local, state, and federal government

Strategies

• Administrators are involved with planning, budgeting, public relations, marketing, supervising, operations management, fund raising, and other crucial responsibilities that keep an organization functioning.
• Obtain an MSW and gain management experience.

 

 

Research and Education

• Research
• Teaching

Employers

• Colleges and universities
• Research institutes
• Local, state and federal government
• Advocacy organizations

Strategies

• Research provides data and statistics important in program implementation and policy development.
• Doctor of Social Work (DSW) or Ph.D. usually required.

Occupational

• Counseling
• Education
• Wellness Promotion
• Employee Assistance
• Organizational Development
• Human Resources

Employers

• Businesses
• Corporations
• Employee assistance programs
• Labor unions

Strategies

Occupational social workers help employees to be more productive and satisfied.

Developmental Disabilities

Case Management
Program Planning and Evaluation
Research
Policy Development

Employers

Community residential homes
State and local agencies
Medical facilities
Schools

Strategies

• Social workers in this area help people with disabilities to adjust and to lead productive lives.
• Volunteer at special needs camps, daycares, schools, or hospitals to gain experience.

Health Care

• Case Management
• Counseling
• Program Development
• Administration
• Research

Employers

Hospitals
Community health centers
Outpatient clinics
Public health programs
Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
Nursing homes
Group homes
Hospice
Veterans Administration hospitals

Strategies

• Social workers in health care facilitate medical and emotional treatment of patients.
• Choose volunteer settings such as hospitals, the American Red Cross, or AIDS agencies to get experience.

Community Organization

• Program and Community Development
• Advocacy
• Politics
• Education
• Planning

Employers

• Advocacy organizations
• Development corporations
• Community centers
• Local, state, and federal government
• Associations

Strategies

• Social workers in this area work with existing organizations to improve conditions for specific groups, enhance quality of living, and involve community members in the political process.
• Get involved with grassroots causes and community agencies.

Other Professions

• Admissions Counselor
• Adult Protective Services
• Advocate
• Case Worker
• Child Care Worker
• Children’s Services Worker
• Clergy
• Clinical Social Worker
• Congressional Aide
• Consumer Advocate
• Cottage Parent
• Crisis Intervention
• Demographer
• Domestic Violence Social Worker
• Drug Rehabilitation Counselor
• Family Services Social Worker
• Foster Care Caseworker
• Fund-Raiser
  
• Geriatric Case Worker
• Geriatric Social Worker
• Grassroots Organizer
• Group Home Director
• Hospice Coordinator
• Hospital Social Worker
• Human Services Worker
• Intake Counselor
• Juvenile Court Caseworker
• Mental Health Case Manager
• Nursing Home Social Worker
• Peace Corps Volunteer
• Prison Social Worker
• Probation/Parole Officer
• Public Health Social Worker
• Recreation Supervisor
• Rehabilitation Counselor
• School Social Worker
• Social Researcher
• Social Welfare Director