Social Workers Work Clinical People Degree Lives Related

Social workers help people "cope with" (deal with something difficult or unpleasant) challenges in every "stage" (section) of their lives. They help with a wide range of situations, such as "adopting a child" (bringing a child not related to one by blood officially into one's family) or being "diagnosed" (identified as having) with a "terminal illness" (sickness that will eventually lead to death). Social workers work with many "populations" (types of people), including children, people with "disabilities" (physical or mental problems or limitations), and people with "addictions" (reliant on alcohol or drugs).

There are two main types of social workers: direct-service social workers and clinical social workers. Direct-service social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.

Although most social workers work in an office, they may spend a lot of time away from the office visiting "clients" (customers; users of their services). School social workers may be assigned to "multiple" (more than one) schools and travel around the "school district" (several schools under the same management) to see students.

A bachelor's degree in social work (BSW) is the most common requirement for "entry-level" (beginning of a career; low-level) positions. However, some employers may hire workers who have a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as "psychology" (study of the human mind) or "sociology" (study of human society).

Getting a license to work as a social worker "varies" (is different) by state. All states have some type of licensure or certification requirement, but "typically" (usually), becoming a licensed clinical social worker requires a master's degree in social work and two years or 3,000 hours of "supervised clinical experience" (experience working with clients while being supervised by someone more experienced) after graduation. After completing their supervised experience, clinical social workers must pass an exam to be licensed.