 Career
Path Forecast
Employment of social
workers is expected to increase by 16 percent during the 2008–18 decade,
which is faster than the average for all occupations. The growing
elderly population and the aging baby boom generation will create
greater demand for health and social services, resulting in rapid job
growth among gerontological social workers. Employment of social workers
in private social service agencies also will increase.
Child, Family and School Social
Workers
Employment of child,
family, and school social workers is expected to grow by about 12
percent, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for
child and family social workers should continue, as these workers are
needed to investigate child abuse cases, place children in foster care
and with adoptive families. However, growth for these workers may be
hampered by the budget constraints of state and local governments, who
are amongst the largest employers of these workers. Furthermore, demand
for school social workers will continue and lead to more jobs as efforts
are expanded to respond to rising student enrollments, as well as the
continued emphasis on integrating children with disabilities into the
general school population. There could be competition for school social
work jobs in some areas because of the limited number of openings. The
availability of Federal, State, and local funding will be a major factor
in determining the actual job growth in schools.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Social Workers
 Mental
health and substance abuse social workers will grow by almost 20 percent
over the 2008–18 decade, which is much faster than the average. In
particular, social workers specializing in substance abuse will
experience strong demand. Substance abusers are increasingly being
placed into treatment programs instead of being sentenced to prison.
Also, growing numbers of the substance abusers sentenced to prison or
probation are, increasingly being required by correctional systems to
have substance abuse treatment added as a condition to their sentence or
probation. As this trend grows, demand will strengthen for treatment
programs and social workers to assist abusers on the road to recovery.
Opportunities for social workers in private practice will expand, as
they are preferred over more costly psychologists. Furthermore, the
passage of legislation that requires insurance plans offered by
employers to cover mental health treatment in a manner that is equal to
treatment of physical health may increase the demand for mental health
treatment.
Medical
and Public Health Social Workers
 Growth
of medical and public health social workers is expected to be about 22
percent, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. One
of the major contributing factors is the rise in the elderly population.
These social workers will be needed to assist in finding the best care
and assistance for the aging, as well as to support their families.
Employment opportunities for social workers with backgrounds in
gerontology should be excellent, particularly in the growing numbers of
assisted-living and senior-living communities. The expanding senior
population also will spur demand for social workers in nursing homes,
long-term care facilities, home care agencies, and hospices.
Job prospects. Job prospects are expected to be favorable. Many job
openings will stem from growth and the need to replace social workers
who leave the occupation. However, competition for social worker jobs is
expected in cities where training programs for social workers are
prevalent. Opportunities should be good in rural areas, which often find
it difficult to attract and retain qualified staff. By specialty, job
prospects may be best for those social workers with a background in
gerontology and substance abuse treatment.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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