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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, 'People helping people, it's powerful stuff.'

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

Did you know?

In the United States, “there were more than 708,000 social work jobs in 2021", and "the profession is expected to grow by nine percent by 2031.

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.

Cutouts of hands holding the Earth with red lines that change to hearts. The text reads: 'Together we can change the world.'

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.)

Did you know?

Martin Short, a famous actor, graduated from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work, in 1971.

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?

Eight people, with colourful sweater sleeves, stacking their hands in a huddle formation.Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

  • 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 'Choices. It's all about choices'.

  • 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.

Did you know?

In Canada, the number of job openings for social workers, probation & parole officers, and other related occupations, are expected to total 22,600 by 2031.

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. 

A person sitting at a desk with books, phone, and a pen in hand.Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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). 

Did you know?

Completing a social work program prepares you to be a social worker, but you're not licensed to practice.

You must apply to a professional organization of social workers (or a regulatory authority in your country), such as the NASW (USA) or the CASW (Canada) to become a registered and licensed social worker. 

Scenario: Rehana's Decision

A person smiling at the camera, and sitting by a darkened window, with a brightly lit office building in the distance.Photo by Lisa Marie Theck on Unsplash

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, 'We are are going to be prepared.'

  • 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.

Did you know?

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." — Mark Twain, American writer & humorist

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License:

This Byte has been authored by

AG

Annabelle Grundy

Educator; LX Designer/eLearning Developer Student

B.A. (Hons.); B.Ed; M.Ed

English

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