Jobs for Graduates with a Bachelor’s in Social Work
- Clinical Social Worker
- Family Social Worker
- Psychiatric Social Worker
- Social Services Specialist
- Healthcare Social Workers
Jobs available to graduates with a bachelor’s degree in social work may seem well-defined in scope, but possible placements cover a wide range of settings. Social workers are trained to provide clinical and case management services to families, individuals and groups. They are expected to help clients with issues related to physical, behavioral and mental health concerns, including nutrition, substance abuse and poverty. Some of the expertise required of social workers include verbal and written communication skills, counseling, research and connecting with target communities.
Clinical Social Worker
Clinical social workers are trained to diagnose and provide therapy for a range of mental health issues, including depression, addiction, anxiety and other behavioral issues. These social workers work with other health care providers such as doctors, community health nurses and other therapists to provide the necessary interventions for clients who need support to overcome physical, mental and economic challenges. They are crucial links to community resources, support groups and other health care professionals. These social workers may be attached to hospitals, specialty clinics and community health centers as full-time or contract employees. A master’s degree and advance credentials, including state licensing, may be required for clinical social workers who wish to work with minimum supervision and with full autonomy as a counselor.
Family Social Worker
Family social workers are directly involved in providing services for children, families and youth groups. These social workers may function as child advocates, serving as liaison between the child’s family and school with mental health and legal professionals. They facilitate adoptions, supervise foster care services and residential placement for patients under treatment for substance abuse. Youth counselors may help with job placement and links to training programs to help clients develop life skills and lead independent lives. Family social workers are typically employed by government and nonprofit agencies, schools and community centers.
Psychiatric Social Worker
Mental health social workers have a unique set of competencies that focus on providing mental health services in hospitals, residential units and psychiatric treatment facilities. They are trained to assess patients based on social, emotional, economic and environmental stresses with the goal of developing a workable treatment plan given the patient’s age and physical health. These social workers may provide counseling services to individuals and in family and group settings to ensure that each patient can look forward to discharge and a seamless transition to a mainstream lifestyle. They may also provide support and reassessment services in the post-discharge period. A bachelor’s degree in social work is the minimum requirement to work as a psychiatric social worker.
Social Services Specialist
The social services specialist ensures that individuals and families have access to the resources they need to live with conditions related to poverty, nutritional deficiency, prenatal and postnatal needs and other economic and social limitations. These social workers are typically employed by government agencies, charitable organizations and community organizations. They may also be tasked with conducting field research to determine how and what social services a particular demographic needs the most.
Health Care Social Workers
Health care social workers are typically based in hospitals and other health institutions where they take charge of administrative tasks related to intake and discharge as well as insurance and other patient financial services. These specialists ensure that patients with inadequate or no insurance will receive the medical care they need through government programs and other private entity-financed options.
Related Resource: Top 10 Affordable Master of Social Work Online (MSW) Degrees
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a better-than-average outlook for social workers with a bachelor’s degree. Jobs in this field may grow up to 16 percent in the 10-year period from 2016 to 2026. Jobs for bachelor’s degree holders in social work will continue to expand as the population ages while economic conditions affect existing social structures.