Social employees are individuals who work to assist others. They help vulnerable groups of individuals overcome challenges and achieve their goals while providing essential services to their community. There are many specializations and specific certifications in social work. An authorized social employee is trained to assist people while being compassionate and understanding of their needs.
Social employees are advocates for people of their community and help them solve problems. They help each individuals and families overcome difficult situations reminiscent of poverty, addiction and unemployment. They help raise awareness for and with the people they represent on the local, state and national levels.
As a social employee, knowledge is required in quite a lot of areas, including:
- Human development
- Behave
- Social, economic and cultural institutions
- How all of these items work together
This knowledge helps social employees apply techniques to assist people seek counseling or psychotherapy or to enhance social and health services in a community. Social employees can be involved within the legislative process when calling for various varieties of reforms.
An authorized social employee (CSW) helps individuals, families, or groups of individuals overcome difficult circumstances to enhance themselves and their situations. There are two different categories of CSWs: direct and clinical. Direct service CSWs are concerned with helping people access community resources, and clinical CSWs are more concerned with the medical side of social work. This includes treating individuals with behavioral disorders, mental or emotional illnesses or supporting them in developing strategies for coping with life situations.
Both varieties of certified social employees are typically required to have a bachelor's and master's degree in social work. After that, social work licensing varies depending on the state during which you reside. There are several steps involved, particularly depending on which area of ​​social work interests you most. There are several types of social work certifications for positions reminiscent of:
- Child and family social employee. They intervene once they consider children are prone to abuse or neglect. These social employees may assist families find housing, applying for social advantages, or arranging child care. They can also work with families to position children in foster care, arrange adoptions, or reunite families after a period of separation.
- School social employee. These social employees work with teachers and staff to enhance the tutorial performance and social development of the varsity's students. Problems they might struggle with include aggressive behavior, bullying, or excessive absenteeism.
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker. They help people combating addiction or mental health issues. Their duties include finding information and services, support groups and 12-step programs.
- Healthcare social employee. These social employees help people understand their diagnosis and adjust their lives. They can aid you find support from support groups and data about specific illnesses. Many of those CSWs work in geriatrics, hospice, or medical social work.
Just as there are different areas of social work, there are also several types of social work licenses. Some states require certified social employees to acquire a license, while others don’t. Therefore, this is essential information that you must know before embarking on the CSW journey. Even in case your state doesn't require a license, you could have a tough time finding an excellent job without one.
Education. As mentioned, most CSWs have bachelor's and master's degrees. Here's a have a look at the academic requirements you would like for the license:
- Bachelor: This covers essentially the most basic parts of social work and prepares you for entry-level positions. You can work as a medical assistant, clerk or subordinate manager.
- Master’s: A master’s degree is required for all clinical social work positions. Here, you give attention to your area of ​​interest, reminiscent of addiction counseling, program management, or clinical practice.
- Doctorate: This degree prepares you to conduct your personal social work research and construct highly specialized knowledge. At this level, candidates typically engage in academia, research and advanced management.
There are several types of licenses you’ll be able to work toward depending on the world you might be excited by. Generally, the primary steps in social work licensure are to earn your degree from an accredited program after which complete an internship or internship to realize practical experience. You will then be able to take a licensing exam through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). The board will determine whether you might be eligible to take the exam and whether you have got met all your state's needed requirements. The licensing exam costs roughly $200 plus additional licensing fees. Typically, you will want to renew this license each one to 2 years.
With a license, the general public knows that you have got the correct education and training to supply top quality, ethical services to your community. Here are a number of the most typical varieties of licenses a CSW can apply for:
- Licensed Baccalaureate of Social Work (LBSW). This is step one to becoming a practicing social employee. You must earn a bachelor's degree in an accredited program after which pass the ASWB exam. Typically, you should complete between 2,000 and 4,000 hours of supervised practice and meet all your state's specific requirements.
- Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW). This is a step towards clinical practice and lets you start as a non-clinical social employee. LMSWs don’t typically complete two years of clinical practice, but are typically required to finish as much as 4,000 hours of general social work practice after completing a master's degree. At this level, you might work in roles reminiscent of case management or community development.
- Licensed Master Social Worker – Advanced Generalist (LMSW – AG). This license demonstrates that you have got advanced experience in non-clinical social work and is essentially the most notable non-clinical license. These candidates complete two years of non-clinical supervised practice plus the hours required to acquire the LMSW license. Many states require additional practice hours and exams to acquire this license. Responsibilities include working on policy development, research and improving community health.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Clinical social employees conduct clinical assessments, diagnose mental health problems, and practice psychotherapy. You should have a master's or doctoral degree and 4,000 hours of practical experience. This is often the one license that enables social employees to supply clinical services in most states.