Choices
Careers
in Social Work, Part 1
Substance
Misuse and Addictions
Susan
has been clean from heroin and sober for three years. She now
has the confidence to pursue her degree in higher education,
and moves to a new city to do just that. However, the stress
of the move, the isolation from her support group, and the
struggle to succeed in school are too much. She begins to shoot
heroin again and hang out with other addicts. Her grades and
attendance plummet. She drops out and becomes more desperate
every day to support her habit.
Finally
Susan agrees to go with a clean and sober friend to the Methadone
Maintenance Outpatient clinic for help. A social worker, trained
in substance misuse and addictions, helps her understand her
condition and her current options. With the social worker's
support, Susan decides to go on methadone for several months
to stabilize her situation. The social worker meets with her
regularly to help Susan identify the areas she wants to work
on, such as finding employment and attending mutual-help groups
in the area. Susan begins to pick up the threads of her life.
Social
workers are likely to meet many Susans in a variety of social work
settings. Substance misuse and addiction is a prominent theme in
child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, poverty, oppression
of all kinds, veterans services, elderly services, juvenile delinquency,
mental health, and many other arenas where social workers practice.
In addition, social workers are increasingly found in settings
that were once dominated by addiction specialists certified in
alcohol and drug counseling. Social workers trained in substance
misuse and addictions now practice in methadone maintenance clinics,
inpatient and outpatient treatment settings, residential treatment,
and in government policy-making positions.
Social
workers bring a much needed ecological perspective to the work
in this field. Instead of only focusing on the individual client's
addiction or substance misuse problem, social workers see the client
in relation to the family, the neighborhood, the support system
from the community, the prevailing dominant cultural attitudes
and policies, and the cosmic or spiritual level. Consequently,
social workers trained in addictions can be found doing case management,
group and individual therapy, family counseling, advocacy for jobs
and housing needs, community development of resources, educating,
policymaking, and sometimes doing this all at the same time!
Social
workers trained in substance misuse and addiction often work as
part of a team of other professionals, especially certified alcohol
and drug counselors, physicians, and nurses. Many states require
alcohol and drug certification in order to work in specialized
addiction treatment settings.
Social
workers in this field report the deep satisfaction of watching
clients who have been completely hopeless and beaten down by addiction
(their own, or someone's they love), go on to recover their humanity,
sense of purpose in life, and ability to make positive choices
for themselves.
Related
Areas
- mental health
- individual,
group, family counseling
- victim services
- corrections
- child welfare
- aging
Employers
- inpatient and
outpatient treatment centers
- methadone maintenance
clinics
- residential
treatment
- community development
settings
- child welfare
- community mental
health centers
- family service
agencies
- schools
Aging/Gerontology
For years,
Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez had been regulars at the Hispanic Senior
Center, enthusiastically joining in many center activities.
But since his wife’s death, Mr. Gonzalez has stopped coming.
His neighbors voice their concern to the center’s social
worker. They say he rarely leaves his apartment, refuses their
offers of help, and seems disoriented.
Concerned
that he may be suffering from depression, the social worker
arranges to visit Mr. Gonzalez. She talks with him about his
loss, fear of his own death, and life alone. She finds he feels
that he is unwelcome as a single person. As he recognizes his
feelings, she is able to convince him to come to the center.
Slowly, Mr. Gonzalez begins again to take part in center activities
and find companions.
The U.S. population
is aging. We live in a country where people over 65 outnumber teenagers.
This translates into a tremendous need - and a variety of opportunities
- for social work with older persons and their families.
Working with older
adults can mean involvement with active, healthy clients as well
as those who are ill in settings that range from adult day care
centers and nursing homes to hospitals, public agencies, and private
corporations. Social workers form an important link between seniors
and the services designed to help them.
Often, social workers
will have direct contact with elderly people, providing counseling;
helping them maintain their independence at home; arranging income
assistance, transportation, and medical treatment; organizing recreational
activities and support groups; and generally improving their quality
of life. Social workers may also work with family members caring
for elderly members and may help them obtain services and make
plans for future care.
Many who work with
seniors find that they profit from the depth and breadth of their
experience, one of the more rewarding aspects of this important
career.
Related Areas
- Advocacy and
intervention
- Home health
care
- Geriatric case
management
- Public policy
- Adult day care
- Family services
- Information
and referral
Employers
- Hospitals and
medical centers
- Banks, insurance
companies, and investment firms
- Nursing homes
- Senior centers
- Area agencies
on aging
- Senior volunteer
programs
- Senior housing
facilities
- Mental health
centers
- Family service
agencies
- Employee assistance
programs
Child
Welfare
Narcotics
officers have raided a house, arresting a husband and wife.
A social worker is called to arrange care for their two young
girls. when she arrives, she gently explains to the children
their parent’s situation. "We’ll find you a
good place to stay ‘til mom and dad come home," she
assures them. She helps each find a favorite toy and bundles
them into the car.
Back at the
office, the social worker first tries to locate relatives,
then searches a list of approved foster homes. Most are at
capacity, but one can take both. Again, she gathers up the
sisters and takes them to their foster home. On the way she
talks to them about their fears, explains what the foster family
is like, and tells them when she will come back.
At the court
hearing, the mother is released. But the judge must decide
whether the children may go home or remain in foster care.
The social worker testifies, describing drug paraphernalia
lying about the house within reach, the empty refrigerator,
the children’s dirty clothes. Later, she helps the girls
understand the court’s decision that their mom must complete
a drug treatment program before they can go home to her.
Child welfare social
workers are advocates for America’s most silent minority:
our nation’s youths.
The social worker’s
job is to help ensure the health and well-being of children, primarily
by supporting and strengthening their families. Often, timely services
to a family can forestall a crisis.
When Child Protective
Services receives a report of a neglected or abused child, social
workers investigate, attempting to determine if it is safe for
the child to remain in the home. If so, they may provide support
services to the family in their home and link parents with community
services such as child care, temporary income maintenance, job
training, substance abuse treatment, counseling, or parenting classes.
In cases where
families can’t or won’t protect their children, social
workers may recommend temporary foster care. When longer term arrangements
are needed, the social worker will work with lawyers and the courts
and may give testimony in the child’s behalf. Child welfare
agencies provide services to these children and their families
to reunite them if possible. If a child cannot return to the parents,
the social worker seeks another permanent home, placing the child
with relatives or recommending the child’s release for adoption.
Intervening when
children are abused or neglected, when a family is in trouble,
or when parents have problems is difficult and challenging, requiring
training, skill, and sensitivity. Often a social worker’s
intervention makes a critical difference at a key moment in a child’s
life.
Related fields
- Family preservation
- Child day care
- Child protection
- Family foster
care
- Group care
- Adoption
- Public welfare
- Advocacy and
intervention
Employers
- Adoption agencies
- Child day care
- Foster care
agencies
- Family preservation
agencies
- Public child
welfare organizations
- Private child
welfare organizations
Public
Welfare
A young woman
in her late 20s is suddenly deserted by her husband, leaving
her with three young children. Left without income, she moves
in with her recently widowed father. The move solves her
immediate need for shelter, but her father’s social security check
is not enough to support four more people. Because she doesn’t
know where her husband is, she is unable to file for child
support. A friend suggests that she apply for public assistance.
At the welfare office, she finds she qualifies for Aid to
Families with Dependent Children, food stamps, medical coverage,
and
housing assistance. Her children will get free breakfasts
and lunches at school. She will qualify for education and
job training
so that eventually she will be able to support her family
without help.
For more than four
decades, public welfare has provided income and support services
to society’s most vulnerable people—children, the ill,
the elderly, the disabled. Although some of these people will always
need services, traditional thinking about how to help is changing
as the nation debates welfare reform. How to foster self-sufficiency
and move people into the mainstream is today’s challenge,
complicated by an increase in social problems and a general decrease
in funds.
Social workers
are primarily the administrators, managers, and program evaluators
of the public welfare system. Some supervise intake workers and
case workers who provide direct services. Social work in public
welfare entails planning, administering, and financing programs;
training and supervising staff; and setting and evaluating standards
and criteria for service delivery.
There is no shortage
of challenges in public welfare waiting for creative thinking and
leadership from social workers.
Related Areas
- Income maintenance
- Adult protective
service
- Housing services
- Supervision
- Management
- Administration
- Public Policy
- Research
Employers
- Public welfare
agencies
- Private social
service agencies
School
Social Work
Although
9-year-old Robert has been a good student, his third-grade
teacher notices a marked change in his work—and his attitude.
The teacher contacts the school social worker, who meets with
Robert and his mother. The social worker discovers that Robert’s
father has abandoned the family, leaving his mother depressed
and in financial difficulty.
The social
worker suggests extra help and counseling for Robert and invites
him to join a support group in school for children of divorced
parents. The social worker also refers Robert’s mother
to a mental health clinic, finds a neighborhood mothers’ support
group for her, and helps her apply for child support. With
extra help and support, Robert’s grades and outlook begin
to improve.
Every child needs
to be free from troubles that interfere with learning. Many school
systems employ social workers to help children with emotional,
developmental, or educational needs.
Working with teams
of other school personnel, social workers help children with physical
or learning disabilities or emotional problems or who face child
abuse, neglect, domestic violence, poverty, or other problems.
Often the social
worker’ s job includes interviewing the child and family to
determine what if action is called for. Another
function is to facilitate communication between parents and school
staff. Social workers may also intervene hi problem situations
or mobilize parental support for students’ needs.
Social workers
may assess student needs, assist in discipline hearings, serve
on policymaking committees, or help develop alternative programs.
Other functions include facilitating school–community relations
and providing a variety of services to students in special education
programs.
School social workers
may be the first to spot difficulties a child is confronting at
home or in the community and the first to intervene. They often
provide services or find services in the areas that prevent more
serious problems from developing.
Related Areas
- Clinical social
work
- Pupil personnel
services
Employers
- Elementary and
secondary schools
- Special education
placement offices
- Head start centers
- Counseling centers
- Early intervention
programs
Justice/Corrections
Joan, a woman
in her mid-20s, has a history of drug addiction and writing
bad checks. During a four-year stay in prison, social work
services including therapy and workshops on drug abuse and
depression help her handle her addiction and make significant
progress. But her children are in foster care, and she has
lost touch with her mother and sisters.
As the time
for her release approaches, Joan needs a job, housing, a continuing
addiction recovery program, and reunification with her family.
She meets with a prison social worker who arranges for placement
in a halfway house and helps her find a job and transportation.
After eight months drug-free and holding her job, the halfway
house social worker helps Joan find an apartment, arranges
for the return of her children, locates her family, and helps
her reunite with them.
In courts, rape
crisis centers, police departments, and correctional facilities,
you’ll find social workers.
In correctional
facilities, the focus is on rehabilitation. Social workers may
plan and provide drug and alcohol addiction treatment, life skills
and basic competency training, and therapy to help offenders function
once released into the community.
Social workers
can be probation and parole officers, arranging for services after
an offender is released, as in Joan’s case, finding a group
home residence, remedial classes, job training, addiction treatment,
counseling, child care, and transportation. These activities generally
help raise a client’s independence and self-esteem.
Social workers
may also be involved in restitution programs, or victim assistance
services. They may serve the court as expert witnesses or work
in partnership with attorneys. In police departments, social workers
may help with domestic disputes or provide trauma and critical
incident services to enforcement officers.
Social work activities
in corrections are diverse, as are the clients, affording the chance
to develop and use a broad range of skills. Corrections and justice
is a field where a social worker can focus on rehabilitation and
the constructive use of authority.
Related Areas
- Corrections
- Probation
- Forensics
- Youth services
- Parole
Employers
- Prisons
- Courts
- Police departments
- Victim services
programs
Developmental
Disabilities
At a developmental
disabilities center, the social worker receives a call from
a school assessment office. Tests and evaluation have shown
that a new kindergartner is moderately retarded as well as
hearing impaired. The boy needs special services, and his parents
need help understanding the assessment.
The social
worker meets with the family to help them explore options.
She brings them a list of recommended books that may be helpful.
She arranges for additional developmental testing at the center
to determine the child’s level and help determine what
services the boy may need as he matures. She arranges for them
to join a support group for parents whose children have developmental
disabilities. Once these initial arrangements are made, the
social worker provides supportive therapy to the parents to
help them deal with their feelings.
People with developmental
disabilities, which can include mental retardation, cerebral palsy,
autism, epilepsy, and other conditions, may at some time seek out
social services. The goal of the social worker is to assist such
people in improving their functioning and social adjustment. Usually
this is accomplished through teams that include other professionals.
Social workers
help parents of children with disabilities understand their legal
rights, learn to be advocates for their children, and help them
find special services.
Social workers
may work with individuals or groups as well as provide counseling
for families. The social worker helps find the right services to
enable each individual to be as independent as possible.
For the clients
of social workers who serve people with disabilities those services
can mean the difference between merely surviving and leading a
productive and joyful life.
Related Areas
- Case management
- Planning
- Research
- Policy
- Program evaluation
- Management
Employers
- Community-based
living arrangements
- State and local
agencies
- Medical facilities
- Schools
Employment/Occupational
Social Work
Richard has
been having difficulty concentrating at work and is frequently
absent. His supervisor suggests he visit the employee assistance
program social worker. Richard doesn’t want to go, but
the program is a company benefit and he knows that improving
his productivity will give him a chance at a promotion, so
he agrees.
At the first
appointment, the social worker takes a social history and explores
what seems to be affecting Richard’s performance. He says
that his son is not doing well in school and his wife recently
lost her job. The stress has led to family fights.
The social
worker discusses school services that may help his son and
community services to help his wife find a new job and suggests
counseling for the whole family.
At a follow-up
appointment, Richard reports that his son is getting remedial
help at school and that his wife has enrolled in a job retraining
program. They are beginning to feel more optimistic as they
talk things through in family therapy. And Richard’s supervisor
reports that his productivity has returned.
With the ever-increasing
competitiveness of our economy, the quality of the workforce often
determines an enterprise’s success or failure. Occupational
social workers are a boon to our nation’s businesses, helping
workers with problems that affect their job performance and satisfaction.
Social workers may help corporations reengineer their structure
and methods to improve efficiency, creativity, productivity, and
morale. Or social workers in this field may work for a union and
might be involved in job counseling or organizing.
A growing practice
area for occupational social workers is in employee assistance
programs (EAPs). The social worker may own the EAP or be employed
by a business or a union, working onsite or off. The breadth and
scope of their duties can be enormous - one minute helping an executive
cope with the strain of an impending takeover, the next counseling
an anorexic young trainee. EAP social workers may lead groups on
stress reduction or coping with layoffs. Other situations the social
worker may confront include substance abuse, domestic violence,
single parenting, and vocational rehabilitation. Many employee
assistance programs have extended their role for corporations to
the management of mental health benefits.
In the vibrant
domain of American work life, social workers provide the necessary
human dimension.
Related Areas
- Clinical social
work
- Alcohol and
other drug abuse treatment
- Health and wellness
education
- Grass roots
organizing
Employers
- Corporations
- Businesses
- Employee assistance
programs
- Labor unions
- Organizational
development
Health
Care
Mr. Proctor
has recovered from his heart attack, and his doctor wants to
discharge him from the hospital. But his elderly wife is just
recovering from a broken leg and cannot provide the care he
needs at home. The social worker, in collaboration with the
doctor, nurse, and physical therapist, makes arrangements for
home health care, meals-on-wheels, nursing services, and other
assistance. Establishing Mr. and Mrs. Proctor at home allows
the couple to recover together and more happily than they would
have been in separate, and more expensive, institutions.
Social workers
are needed in hospitals, clinics, and other medical and health
care settings to facilitate medical and emotional treatment. These
social workers assess a patient’s needs, manage the many services
a patient may require for recovery, plan for care after hospitalization,
educate patients and their families, and help them cope with the
personal and emotional problems related to the illness.
Social workers
are vital members of the health care team, working in concert with
doctors, nurses, and other health and mental health professionals.
They sensitize other health care providers to the social and emotional
aspects of illness.
In health settings
social workers also conduct research, develop programs, administer
social work departments, lead support groups, and coordinate community
resources. The health care field offers a variety of employment
opportunities in homes, community health centers, outpatient clinics,
and public health program, as well as in hospitals.
Related Areas
- Hospital social
work
- AIDS counseling/education
- Public health
- Hospice counseling/management
- Home health
care
- Case management
- Discharge planning
- Maternal and
child health
- Physical rehabilitation
- Chemical dependency
- Disease prevention
and health promotion
Employers
- Health maintenance
organizations
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Hospice
- Group homes
Part 2: Mental Health/Clinical
Social Work; Community Organization; International Social Work;
Management/Administration; Policy and Planning; Politics; Research
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