What Can I do With a Major

Major: Social Work

Description of Major:

Social Workers help individuals, families, or groups solve or cope with personal or social problems such as poverty, homelessness or inadequate housing, serious illness, disabilities, substance abuse, unemployment, lack of job skills, financial mismanagement, unwanted pregnancy, or antisocial behavior. They also work with families with serious conflicts, including those involving child, elder, or spousal abuse or divorce. Social workers develop plans to meet the client's needs and determine eligibility for assistance, funds, and services. They help clients get services and record case progress.

Through direct counseling and referral to other services, social workers help clients to consider solutions or find other resources. They provide concrete information such as where to go for debt counseling, how to find child care or elder care, how to apply for public assistance, or how to get an alcoholic or drug addict admitted to a rehabilitation program. Social workers help make society more responsive to people's needs. They work with others to help combat social problems through community programs.

Social workers usually specialize in fields such as child welfare, family services, mental health, medical social work, school social work, and public assistance. Other social workers are employed in community organization, administration, or research. Social workers also focus on policy and planning.

( www.work-at-home.org/sreport/career/94.)

Related Career Titles:

Social Worker
Agency director
Anthropologist
Case Worker
Child Welfare Worker
Church worker
Community service agency director
Consultant
Cooperative extension worker
Criminal Justice/Corrections Specialist
Developmental disabilities
Drug rehabilitation counselor
Family services social worker
Group home director
Health care worker
Home health aide
International social worker
Employee-assistance administrator
Human services worker
Intake Counselor
Marriage counselor
Medical social worker
Mental health worker
Peace Corps/VISTA volunteer
Probation officer
Psychiatric social worker
Psychologist
Residential counselor
School counselor
School social worker
Social service aide
Sociologist
Substance Abuse Counselor
Teacher
Vocational rehabilitation counselor

Employment Areas :

Family Services
Departments of human resources
Social services
Housing
Education
Corrections
Social service agencies
Hospitals,
Psychiatric hospitals
Nursing homes
Mental health institutions
Home health agencies
Community centers
Schools
Courts
Religious organizations
Health care and mental health
Child welfare
Drug abuse
Gerontology
Clinical

Related Links:

Social Work and Social Services Jobs Online
http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/jobs/index.html

National Association of Social Workers an Internet-based national database of social work opportunities
http://www.naswdc.org/job.htm

Social Work Jobs (listed by state)
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/9300

Idealist.org: non profit jobs around the world (extremely comprehensive site)
http://www.idealist.org/career/morejobs.html

National Association of Social Workers
http://www.naswdc.org

American Network of Home Health Care Social Workers  
www.homehe al thsocialwork.org

American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy 
www. aa mft.org

Association for Community Organization and Social Administration http://www.acosa.org

Action without Borders-Non Profit Organizations and Opportunities http://www.idealist.org/

Clinical Social Work Federation: 
www.web com.c om/nfscsw/