Anyone interested in a degree in social work should think about the populations they want to work with. Depending on the kind of social work you want to practice, your clients could differ dramatically. Children, seniors, abuse victims, military veterans and recovering addicts are some the many different clients you may encounter in your career. Social workers serve disadvantaged people and that may serve many different groups and communities. Just as the clients are diverse, so are the organizations and institutions you may work for.
Here are some of the many positions someone with a degree in social work could do.
#1 Child Welfare
Interview families, conduct investigations and advocate for the best interests of children who may be endangered.
#2 Adoption Worker
Work with families interested in adopting a child.
#3 Foster Care Agency Worker
Manage the child populations in foster care situations and those being considered for placement in foster care.
#4 Daycare Provider
Care for young children in a daycare setting teaching early skills while the child’s parents are at work.
#5 Government Agency Social Worker
Manage the community outreach and social issue departments of government institutions.
#6 Hospital Social Worker
Provide the community outreach and social issue departments of a hospital, serving populations with special health care needs.
#7 Nursing Facility Social Worker
Communicate with the family of nursing facility residents to help them better serve the needs of their family members.
#8 Health Department Social Worker
Perform special community outreach functions for the health dept.
#9 Clinic Social Worker
Help healthcare providers and individuals to overcome the barriers to receiving healthcare that some individuals and families face.
#10 Hospice Social Worker
Discuss end of life care and end of life needs with the family and patients in hospice with the goal of easing the patient’s final days.
#11 Individual and Family Services Social Worker
Work with individuals and families to overcome socio-economic barriers to their well-being.
#12 Treatment Facility Social Worker
Work with recovering addicts and sometimes their families to find solutions to optimize the chances of a successful recovery.
#13 Prison Social Worker
Meet and discuss options after release with inmates and their families to improve the chance of a successful reintegration into society.
#14 Private Practice Social Workers
Help a healthcare provider and patients to overcome barriers to receiving healthcare.
#15 Military Hospital Social Worker
Work with veterans and their families to help them cope with the challenges of injury and military life.
#16 Veteran Affairs Hospitals and Outpatient Centers Social Worker
Work with veterans with a range of disabilities and issues.
#17 Military Base Family Services Unit Social Worker
Work with service members to overcome issues adjusting to military life.
#18 Military Correctional Facility Social Worker
Meet and discuss options after release with inmates and their families to improve the chance of a successful return to their unit or reintegration into society.
#19 Community and Military Base School Social Worker
Help students in military schools cope with the pressures of being new to military life while managing their studies.
#20 Community Mental Health Center Social Worker
Assist those struggling with mental health issues to overcome barriers to safe and productive living.
#21 Vocational Rehabilitation Center Social Worker
Work with those with rehabilitation needs to better organize their lives for rehabilitation and to assess needed services.
#22 Community-based Organization Social Worker
Deliver the resources of a community-based organization to aid needy members of the population to overcome hardship or difficulty.
#23 Social Welfare Provider Outreach Worker
Provide assistance for those receiving government assistance to find and keep a job and to become self-reliant.
#24 Government Planning Department Social Worker
Work with the local population to help individuals cope with changes to the city’s infrastructure and retain an acceptable standard of living.
#25 Advocacy Organization Social Worker
Advocate for individuals whose barriers to wellbeing match the issues at the heart of the advocacy organization.
#26 Political Offices Social Worker
Perform community outreach on the behalf of a political leader to better serve the people that leader represents.
#27 Human Resource Department Social Worker
Assist valued employees in a company with difficulties which could pose an impediment to performing their duties and assist with access to needed counseling services.
#28 University Social Workers
Work with students struggling with financial, emotional or other personal difficulties in order to help them achieve their academic goals.
#29 Corporation Social Worker
Assist employees with barriers to performing their duties, and then to gain access to needed counseling services.
#30 Homelessness Social Worker
Help the homeless or chronically homeless overcome difficulties finding, keeping, and maintaining living accommodations.
#31 Naval Social Worker
Work with sailors on large ships during long military deployments- particularly in aircraft carrier units and tenders.
#32 Athletic Club Social Worker
Help athletes in high-powered sports clubs to access the right services to cope with life difficulties and emotional stressors.
#33 Marriage and Family Therapist
Work with married couples and families experiencing interpersonal difficulty to help them address issues and stabilize relationships.
#34 Community Program Administrator
Come up with community strategies, handle fundraising, budgeting and directing staff.
#35 Police Dept. Social Worker
Assist the victims of crimes in assessing victims services and other needful resources.
#36 Senior Social Worker
Assist seniors to receive the living assistance and services they need to continue living independently.
#37 VA Supported Housing Social Worker
Counsel Vets in need of housing and coordinate services to help accommodate vulnerable military veterans.
#38 Domestic Violence Social Worker
Coordinate services for the victims of domestic violence and help them to find safe accommodations and life skills.
#39 Interdisciplinary Social Worker
Work with a wide range of clients, coordinate diverse services while meeting the needs of a complex population.
#40 Individual Counselor
Establish one on one therapeutic rapports with clients, helping them work through emotional issues in private or group sessions.
#41 Group Counselor
Facilitate group therapy sessions with groups of individuals working through a common trauma or emotional problem.
#42 Caregiver Support Counselor
Talk with caregivers to help them cope with the emotional trauma of working with the disabled and the dying.
#43 Supervisory Social Worker
Coordinate and oversee the work and cases of junior social workers in whatever area you choose.
#44 Family Court Social Worker
Assist families going through difficult divorce and custody battles to better look after the needs of their children.
#45 Psychosocial Rehabilitation Social Worker
Work with both inpatient and outpatient clients in mental health and drug rehab programs to help them work towards better integrating with ordinary society.
#46 Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Manage the resources and facilities of suicide prevention initiatives and suicide prevention call centers.
#47 Children’s Hospital Social Worker
Assist the families of sick and terminal children to obtain grieving and counseling services.
#48 Veterans Addiction Social Worker
Arrange for the treatment and provision of services to veterans suffering from drug or alcohol addiction.
#49 Native American Social Worker
Work directly with disadvantaged Native Americans and coordinate service to assist this population in maintaining and improving their quality of life and opportunities.
#50 School Social Worker
Serve the needs of troubled or underprivileged children in a school population with the goal of accommodating their educational needs.
