The Role of a Social Worker

Have you ever wanted to become a social worker? If so, you are not alone. As the great American nation deals with complex societal issues, diverse population needs and policy reform, social workers are in the spotlight more than ever as they seek to help vulnerable groups and marginalized communities.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that demand for social workers will experience an increase of 9% by 2031. Thanks to their unbridled determination, excellent problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence, social workers can empower individuals and communities to thrive amid inequality, instability and imperfect social systems. However, there is more to social work than that. In this article, we’ll outline the roles and responsibilities of a social worker, why you should become one and how you can get started.

Roles and responsibilities of a social worker

Social workers are committed to promoting social welfare and economic and social justice. Before examining their roles and responsibilities, let’s discuss the scope of social work practice. Social workers typically create change through micro, mezzo and macro levels.

At a micro-level, social workers help individuals and communities access resources, find employment, secure housing and connect with essential social services. This includes performing case management and behavioral services, direct interventions and one-on-one support of individuals to ensure their needs are met.

On the mezzo level, social workers promote cohesion and social development within larger communities, groups and organizations. This means cultivating supportive relationships among individuals and their communities. Depending on the individuals’ and communities’ needs and requirements, a social worker may organize community groups and offer counseling to those dealing with mental health and chronic illnesses, substance abuse and grief.

While micro and mezzo-level social work is client-facing and provides support and intervention to individuals, groups, families and small communities, macro-level social work embodies the widest breadth of the profession. At this level, you will resolve systemic problems, advocate for policies and create a comprehensive understanding of social issues to identify effective interventions.

Although social work is divided into three distinct areas, most social workers interact with and implement practices from each level in their daily work and responsibilities. While the exact job responsibilities will vary, here are the general roles and responsibilities that come with being a social worker:

Perform a comprehensive client assessment

Conducting a comprehensive client evaluation is one of the most common responsibilities of a social worker. This involves getting to know your client on multiple levels to identify the most effective way to work towards positive change. In this phase, you will collect information about the client’s situation within their individual, societal and organizational systems. This allows you to learn the details of their medical and family histories, jobs, schools, friendships and challenges with the system.

Through this assessment, you will begin to understand how your client views their situation, which areas they want to resolve and their strengths. This will help you to empower your client to harness these strengths and use them to confront their problems. When the assessment is done, you’ll have a solid idea of how to develop a strong and effective plan with your client to address those issues and meet goals.

However, you must be self-aware and consider the diversity of each individual when performing these assessments. This way, you can value and celebrate the differences both in people and their social circumstances. By striving to understand cultural differences, you can better help individuals overcome cultural issues and connect them with the right resources.

Connect individuals and communities with resources

Social workers are also responsible for connecting clients to appropriate resources to address life challenges. Often, individuals going through challenges do not have access to these resources. This is especially true in mental health, where a recent study revealed nearly half of adults and children suffering from cognitive issues go without treatment.

While working in mental health, social workers coordinate with internal and external resources to meet client needs. This means giving voice to the underserved to ensure they are not forgotten, monitoring and evaluating care plan effectiveness and supporting client access to cost-effective and appropriate quality care. As a side-effect, they can also empower individuals with mental health issues to confront challenges they may struggle to overcome alone.

It is worth noting that the social worker’s role extends far beyond influencing healthcare policy and mental health. They can also help geriatric patients by assisting with admissions, completing client assessments, coordinating discharges and transfers, and helping the client and their family transition to a new retirement facility. They can also offer scientific and behavior-based counseling and therapies to guide clients toward their goals and enhance their quality of life.

Eradicate poverty

Living in poverty is a constant theme throughout many of the nation’s issues. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 30 million Americans, or 11.6% of the total population, live in poverty because of income inequality, inflation, unemployment, debt traps and poor education. While poverty is a systemic issue with no single cause, social workers are responsible for acting on behalf of clients by tending to their broader social needs.

Although this does not eradicate poverty outright, it does empower social workers to decrease its effects over time. Depending on their community roles, social workers implement specific principles such as participation, self-reliance, sustainability and empowerment to understand and alleviate poverty. As social workers are well-versed in resources within communities, they can fill delivery gaps and ensure basic needs are met consistently. This creates a pathway for clients to stop living in survival mode and start planning for their future.

As part of their role in eradicating poverty, social workers also take steps to gain awareness about their community by staying informed about the resources available and processes to access critical services. This means joining coalitions formed around targeted issues, opportunities for collaboration and funding streams. This allows social workers to make groundbreaking progress towards economic justice development and suggest particular changes to policies affecting communities, which is important as poverty is not a character flaw but a denial of resources and opportunities to others.

Promote social justice

Social injustice is more common than you think in the United States. According to Pew Research, social injustice is widespread in rural, suburban and urban American areas. One of the primary responsibilities of social workers is to advance social justice by establishing fairness and equity across several aspects of their respective communities. This empowers them to find more effective solutions and combat the problem appropriately to ensure success.

They are also responsible for educating their communities about social justice issues by explaining policies and frameworks that advance economic and social equity. Although there are several possible methods, most social workers do this through civic engagement and establishing relationships with diverse stakeholders and individuals with common interests. Through civic engagement, social workers can perform various advocacy activities and inform everyone about their rights and obligations as American citizens.

In addition, advancing social justice enables social workers to fight for greater power and policy influence. As they work directly with clients and affected communities, they can lay the groundwork by helping policymakers and politicians understand the challenges of individuals and specific communities. In this way, they give those in office the insight to better plan and address the issues so individuals are able to obtain the assistance they need and find suitable alternative approaches.

Why become a social worker?

Social workers do several things at once. They tackle poverty, support mental health and advocate for the vulnerable. In short, they change the world. Some of the ways they do this include:

Making a positive impact

Improving the quality of life for individuals, families and communities is the primary goal of social workers. They help people meet their basic needs through employment counseling, crisis intervention and mental healthcare. They also confront racism at the individual and institutional levels by establishing programs that examine its impact and address the internalized messages of oppression that hold back affected individuals and communities.

Every day is different

Social work is a dynamic field. Some days, you spend time in community outreach and building connections. In contrast, others are spent meeting families and individuals to discuss subsidized housing choices, upcoming court hearings or financial strategies. This allows you to meet individuals from different walks of life and form perspectives that would otherwise be non-existent had you been in another profession.

You can specialize

If you want to become a social worker, there is a good chance you are motivated by a particular cause you care about. One of the advantages of becoming a social worker is it allows you to act on a passion for an issue. For instance, social workers concerned with helping people with serious health diagnoses can choose to work in a hospice care facility. Similarly, if you are concerned about people with dementia, you can work with a memory care unit. This allows you to significantly improve your productivity, find a suitable job and ensure job security.

High salary potential and job security

With more jobs open annually to social work professionals across different sectors, the job outlook and salary range for social work displays growth and stability. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, social workers earn roughly $50,000 annually, depending on their qualifications, educational background and experience. While salary is the last thing on every social worker’s mind entering the field, a lucrative and steady salary can smooth over work challenges.

How to become a social worker?

Social workers must complete specific academic requirements, gain practical experience and obtain certification before securing employment and changing the world. Here are the general steps you may need to take to become one:

Earn an undergraduate degree

At a minimum, organizations require you to obtain a relevant undergraduate degree from an accredited academic institution. While working towards your undergraduate degree, you will learn about social work, its concepts and how to perform research. This means tackling subjects related to cultural diversity, social work case management, social welfare policy, human behavior, human rights and social work ethics.

Many undergraduate social work programs offer opportunities to gain practical experience. Through practical experience, you will observe social workers and work with clients under supervision. While these are unpaid and voluntary positions, they can provide valuable experience and identify areas where you can apply the theories, techniques and concepts you learned in class. As you observe and practice in the field, you can identify a specific field that aligns with your professional goals, interests and skills.

Obtain a master’s degree

Although you can enter the industry right after earning your undergraduate degree, pursuing advanced studies will offer you a leg up in specific job markets. This is because a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) degree will offer courses that refine your skills, develop industry knowledge and empower you to become a subject matter expert. By earning a Master’s in Social Work through an accredited institution such as Florida State University, students can pursue a range of MSW career options, such as becoming a medical social worker, mental health counselor, clinical social worker and policy advocate.

Studying for a master’s degree involves a combination of coursework and clinical practice fieldwork. On the course offered by Florida State University, students will tackle courses such as substance abuse therapy, assessment and diagnosis, couples and family therapy, human behavior and the environment, and social work for older adults. By continuing your education, you can demonstrate to your prospective employers your level of commitment and dedication to social work practice.

Get your license

Some states require you to obtain a license before you can begin working as a social worker. In states where a license is not mandatory, earning the Licensed Social Worker designation is essential in standing out in the job market and demanding higher pay. Each state’s licensing board determines the different kinds of work licenses available, the educational requirements and the extent of practice.

However, nearly all states require licensing candidates to pass a knowledge assessment that covers federal and state regulations, theory, practice and social work ethics. These states will also require a specific number of continuing education or professional development credits to maintain your license. In this way, the licensing board can ensure your knowledge is up to date and you are prepared to adapt to the changing global conditions.

Working towards a meaningful social work career

Finding meaning in your work can help you innovate, create and propel the world forward. By working as a social worker, you can establish meaningful connections with people from different walks of life, impact their lives and become the change you want to see.