 Day in the Life
Social workers
usually spend most of their time in an office or residential facility,
but they also may travel locally to visit clients, meet with service
providers, or attend meetings. Some may meet with clients in one of
several offices within a local area. Social work, while satisfying, can
be challenging. Understaffing and large caseloads add to the pressure in
some agencies. To tend to patient care or client needs, many hospitals
and long-term care facilities employ social workers on teams with a
broad mix of occupations, including clinical specialists, registered
nurses, and health aides. Full-time social workers usually work a
standard 40-hour week, but some occasionally work evenings and weekends
to meet with clients, attend community meetings, and handle emergencies.
Some work part time, particularly in voluntary nonprofit agencies.
Advancement to
supervisor, program manager, assistant director, or executive director
of a social service agency or department usually requires an advanced
degree and related work experience. Other career options for social
workers include teaching, research, and consulting. Some of these
workers also help formulate government policies by analyzing and
advocating policy positions in government agencies, in research
institutions, and on legislators' staffs.
 Some
social workers go into private practice. Most private practitioners are
clinical social workers who provide psychotherapy, usually paid for
through health insurance or by the client themselves. Private
practitioners must have at least a master's degree and a period of
supervised work experience. A network of contacts for referrals also is
essential. Many private practitioners split their time between working
for an agency or hospital and working in their private practice. They
may continue to hold a position at a hospital or agency in order to
receive health and life insurance.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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