In an ideal world, every family would be stable and supportive, and every child’s needs would be met. But in reality, families who live in poverty, with mental illness, chemical abuse, or other issues, may need the help of child, family, and school social workers to find their way. An important role of these social workers is to help clients understand the range of services available to them, connect them to organizations and programs that will help them, and teach them how to advocate for themselves in the future. Good record keeping of conversations and activity is critical. Child and family social workers protect vulnerable children and help families function more effectively. They often connect families with housing, child care, and welfare assistance. They may promote better parenting skills, coordinate adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. School social workers deal with problems like bullying, truancy, and teenage pregnancy, and they may also advise teachers. Some travel to multiple schools in a school district. Child, family, and school social workers work for government agencies, non-profits, school systems, and in residential facilities. A bachelor’s degree in social work is the most common requirement to enter the field, though many also earn a master’s in social work. While the work can be emotionally taxing, child, family, and school social workers help lighten the load for struggling children and families, and give them hope for a brighter future.
Sources: Minnesota CAREERwise & CareerOneStop
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
- Collaborate with other professionals to develop education or assistance programs.
- Collect information about clients.
- Conduct research on social issues.
- Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
- Maintain client records.
- Write reports or evaluations.
- Arrange physical or mental health services for clients.
- Help clients get needed services or resources.
- Refer clients to community or social service programs.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using e-mail.
- Working with a group or team.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
Tools & Technology used by Social Workers
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Most Important Skills for Social Workers
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Negotiating—Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Social Workers
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Sociology and Anthropology—Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
| Wages Per Hour Social Workers (MN) | ||
Low$23.84 |
Median$31.75 |
High$39.54 |
Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.
Demand
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. There will be a 9.2% growth for Social Workers to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
This career is best for those with at least a Bachelor’s degree, and many professionals earn an Masters degree. This career does require a license, and certifications can help you move ahead.
View the local post-secondary education options for this career from Central Lakes College.
Spotlight on Central Lakes College
- Why consider CLC?
- Virtual Campus Tours: Brainerd Campus, Staples Campus
- Learn more about the CLC Honors Program.
- Attend CLC, and you may never need to buy a textbook.
If you have a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive condition that requires educational support, learn about support options at CLC.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Child Development
- Computer Applications
- Cultural/Ethnic Studies
- English Composition
- Health Education
- Personal Finance
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Public Speaking
- Safety and First Aid
- Sociology
- World Languages
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Videos
Overview of Human Services Industry (Nebraska Career Clusters)
Minnesota Board of Social Work
Child Protection Work (U MN Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare)
“Day in the Life” Videos
Social Worker (CareerRx)