The Different Types of Social Work

This blog is run by a sophomore Kent State student. I am a double major in Psychology and Special Education with a specialization in Deaf Education. My goal is to go to graduate school at SUNY Hunter College for Social Work and to become a social worker with adoption and foster care services. This blog's purpose is to inform the community about the different types of social workers and to hear stories about social workers or from social workers.

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To Social Workers...

What are your major accomplishments in your specific field of social work?

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Administration, policy, and research...

Administration, policy, and research social workers hold administrative roles and do not work directly with individuals.  They are there to lead other social work teams, conduct research, raise fund, and draft policies.  More often than not, social workers who work in this area use their knowledge of the field to improve and advocate for change. 

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To Social Workers...

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the social work profession?

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Palliative and hospice...

Palliative and hospice social workers work with patients with serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses.  Palliative social workers work on relieving pain and other symptoms of the patients illness.  Hospice social workers work with the dying patients.  These social workers provide their patients with support groups to help their patients and the families cope with the illness. Palliative and hospice social workers focus on the psychosocial needs of the patients and families that are affected by serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses.  

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It is a social workers job to keep their clients/patients calm, so this picture is a true representation of social workers. 

http://wheredidmybraingo.com/how-should-america-protect-social-workers/

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Gerontological...

Gerontological social workers work with senior citizens and their families.  These social workers provide families with information on assisted living facilities and meal plans for clients with health complications.  Geriatric social workers are taught how to meet the biopsychosocial needs of senior citizens.  They have some knowledge in differentiating between normal and abnormal aging processes.  Geriatric social workers are often used in the aiding of transfer from hospitalization to less intensive care.  Not all gerontological social workers work with seniors who cannot function on their own, some help seniors with active lifestyles. 

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This website summarizes what which branch of social work does, the percentages of where social workers work, and the education they need. The types of education include licenses, certification and registrations by state and the important qualities for a social worker to have a successful career. 

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Community...

Community social workers work with large groups or particular communities.  These social workers focus on the organization and development of the community.  They also work to improve the conditions within their community.  This type of social workers normally pair up with nonprofit organizations to raise funds, write grants, plan infrastructure, and other behind-the-scenes activities to benefit the community. 

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Military...

Military social workers work with service members and their families on the challenges faced in military life.  This type of social work includes veterans, so treating post-traumatic stress disorder is part of the job description.  These social workers also find ways to help families cope with deployment and coping with injuries sustained in service.  This branch of social work is in high demand because of our history with military personnel seeking assistance during or after their time of service.  There are also social workers that are stationed with troops to aid them in the process of loss and trauma.  There are also substance abuse issues that should be addressed because in the military it can be difficult to ask for help. 

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To Social Workers...

Knowing what you know now, would you change the way you handled any of your field cases? Would you chose a different specialization or even a new field of study?

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Social workers are here to change the world, make the world a better place, not just take people kids away.  Do research before you accuse people of choosing a stupid career, either way there are different type of social workers too.  

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/6-social-work-majors-tired-hearing

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This website looks at 8 of the most common types of social workers.  This website describes social workers as the superheroes of helping friends and family.  

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Mental health and substance abuse...

Mental health and substance abuse social workers work with groups, families, or individuals dealing with mental illnesses and/or substance abuse addictions.  More often than not mental health and substance abuse come hand in hand.  These social workers are very effective at addressing co-occurring disorders.  These social workers help their clientele by connecting them with support groups related to their condition or conditions.  The social workers’ main goal is to create lasting solutions and uncover hidden problems.  

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This website talks about the different types of social worker, the job details, what education is needed, the types of licensing and certifications necessary and salary.  The website also talks about what is needed per state to become a social worker in that state because licensing and certifications vary by state. 

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Medical and health...

Medical and health social workers work with families or individuals dealing with detrimental health issues.  These social workers help their patients to navigate through the daily trials and tribulations of life, while coping with their ailments.  They help with the emotional, financial and social struggles of chronic health issues in a wide array of patients.  These social workers mainly work in the hospital setting, dealing with patient discharges and post-care after discharge.    

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Discover the disciplines and settings where you can focus your social work career. From school social work to military social work, discover which fits your interest.

This website gives descriptions of the types of social work, what they do, why they do it and where they could find jobs.  This website also helps to figure out which social work field you want to go into.  There is a survey that can be filled out if you are interested in going to graduate school for a career in social work.  

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Child, family and school...

Child, family and school social workers work with families and youth that are mainly part of child welfare.  These social workers work with children who were victims of abuse and/or neglect, helping them into foster care services.  These social workers also help couples who want to give their child up for adoption and to find children foster families.  The main goal of child and family social workers is to reunite families and give the child a safe physical, emotional, and psychological environment to live and grow. 

School social workers are normally called upon when a student with past home difficulties is acting out in school, bulling other students or is frequently absent.  These social workers are taught how to address social and psychological developmental concerns that may decrease academic performance in the student.  And how to develop plans to increase academics and social development.