Are you passionate about helping people

Do you feel strongly about human rights and advocating for others?

Do you want to make a difference in the world?

Vince Vaughn as Jeremy Grey in Wedding Crashers saying,

If you answered "Yes", then consider doing a degree in social work!

What is social work as a career choice?

Social work is a profession where trained professionals called social workers work with people, families, groups, and communities to improve everyone's health and well-being.

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What do social workers do?

  • Empower people who experience discrimination, oppression, abuse, poverty, inadequate housing, unemployment, etc.

  • Provide people with the tools, resources, and strategies to achieve mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

What are some roles and responsibilities of social workers?

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  • Planning and running social service programs

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  • Providing mental health support (clinical social worker)

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  • Working with diverse people, including families, community groups, etc.

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  • Advocating for people's rights

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  • Education and policy development

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  • Recording and keeping client information private

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  • Making referrals to other professionals who might be better suited to meet the clients’ needs — for example, referring clients to another mental health professional (psychiatrist, occupational therapist, psychotherapist, crisis intervention specialist, etc.)

What kinds of careers can a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree offer?

Leilah Claire offers some examples of careers in the video below:

Career options after graduation include:

  • Group therapist

  • Child protective services worker

  • Newcomer support counsellor

  • Disability counsellor

  • School social worker

  • Family mediator

  • Addictions and recovery counsellor

  • Hospital or hospice social worker

  • Probation officer for released prisoners

  • Case manager (helping clients access support services)

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Is it worth doing in a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, after completing a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree?

Michelle Bruxer, the founder of MSW Helper, says that it's definitely worth it in the video below:

Quiz

In high school, which courses would best prepare you for a social work degree program?

Why study social work?

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  • You can make a positive and profound impact on others.

  • You'll gain more understanding of social issues and the people who experience them.

  • You'll hopefully learn more about yourself, while learning about others.

Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, walking through an office space, saying

  • There are many job openings and career pathways.

  • You'll gain many skills that you can use in different professions, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and many others.

  • With a social work degree, you can apply for a license to practice social work.

What will you learn in a social work program?

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  • Knowledge, skills, and techniques that social workers use every day, such as: active listening, research, critical thinking, problem-solving, reflective thinking, etc.

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  • How to be successful in your roles as a social worker, such as: writing good case notes, organizing your files properly, understanding privacy laws.

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  • How to practice and apply what you learned from your courses in a practicum or work placement.

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  • How to support and advocate for vulnerable and diverse people within their communities.

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  • How to build your network of support, and find the resources you need as a social worker, such as community services, health care services, and social programs.

What are your study options?

Social work is a very broad field. Social workers (licensed and unlicensed) work in many different places depending on the type of work that they do, either in clinical or non-clinical settings. 

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Before selecting a social work program, ask yourself the following questions:

  1. What are my future career goals in the field of social work?

  2. Which specific work settings (either clinical or non-clinical) do I wish to work in? 

  3. What types of program delivery options work best for me, and my current situation?

Program delivery options

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Many post-secondary schools offer social work programs as full-time and part-time studies. 

Some programs may also allow you the option of switching from full-time to part-time, or vice-versa, as needed.

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You can take courses on campus (in-person) or online (distance education), or a combination of both (hybrid or blended learning). 

Some post-secondary schools offer social work programs as distance education only (fully online), or in-person only (on-campus). 

Scenario: Rehana's Decision

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Meet Rehana.

She enjoys volunteering as an Emotional Chat (or Certified Listener) Volunteer, and she is interested in becoming a social worker.  

Rehana is concerned that she doesn’t have enough experience to apply for a social work degree program to support her career goal of doing social work in school settings.

Quiz

What can Rehana do to gain experience in a school setting before applying to social work programs?

What else can you do to prepare for a social work degree program?

South Park character Mr. Mackey, tapping a clenched fist against a desktop, saying,

  • Volunteer in schools, non-profit organizations, community centers, or clinics to help you understand and to narrow down your interests for social work.

  • Research various post-secondary institutions that offer social work programs in your area of interest.

  • Review the pre-requisite courses and experiences required for your post-secondary application carefully.

How can you be successful in your degree program?

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  • Be curious: Learn about the people you interact with, as well as, the different workplaces or settings in which social workers work.

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  • Keep a journal: Reflect on your actions and your interactions with others, often, so that you can better understand who you are in relation to others. Also, write down self-care tips, resources, and strategies you can use to help others.

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  • Learn from your mistakes: Trial and error are important parts of learning.  If you make a mistake, take the time to figure out what went wrong, and correct it for next time.

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  • Be open-minded to feedback: Use the feedback that you receive from others to help yourself learn how to manage your emotions, build your confidence, and strengthen your support network.

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  • Practice self-care: Take breaks from social work activities by doing things that bring you joy or help you to relax from stress, such as: going for relaxing walks, reading, talking to a friend, having a hobby, doing sports, etc.

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