In the field of public health, there are two main types of social worker.
In the field of public health, there are two main types of social worker. The first is a direct service social worker, who assists people in solving and coping with the problems in their lives. The second type is a clinical social worker, who diagnoses and treats various mental, behavioral and emotional problems.
Public health social workers help people in needy communities with the challenges in all phases of their lives. They assist their clients with all types of situations. Some are helped with the adoption of a child, or how to deal with a serious, terminal illness. Public health social workers work closely with all types of populations, such as children, those with disabilities and people with substance abuse problems.
A good number of public health social workers work in a private practice, and some work for government agencies or public health organizations. Some of the most common types of social workers include:
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Child/family social workers
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School social workers
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Healthcare social workers
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Hospice social workers
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Gerontological social workers
Public Health Social Worker Degree
A public health social worker needs to have a bachelor’s degree in social work. Some employers for social workers will hire a worker who has a bachelor’s degree in sociology or psychology. Bachelor degree programs will prepare you for a career as a direct service public health social worker or in some cases, as a mental health worker. Social work programs will teach you about human behavior, diverse populations and social welfare policy.
If you want to move higher in the social work field, a master’s degree in social work, or MSW, may be needed. Note that all clinical social workers need to have a MSW.
For some social workers, it may be desirable to earn a master’s degree in public health, or MPH, so that you can gain a higher position in a public health organization.
Public Health Social Worker Job Description
In your work as a public health social worker, you will do some of the following:
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Find people who need help
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Assess the needs of your clients, their situations and support networks
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Come up with plans to improve their overall well being
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Help clients to make adjustments to life challenges, including divorce, illness and unemployment
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Work with communities on public health efforts to prevent public health problems
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Assist clients in working with government agencies to receive benefits
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Respond to situations of crisis, including child abuse or natural disasters
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Follow up with clients to see if their personal situations have improved
YouTube Special Feature
Krista Casazza, Ph.D, ’06 – Public Health and Social Work Alumnus
Public Health Social Worker Skills and Qualifications
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Compassion
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Listening skills
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People skills
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Problem solving
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Time management
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Organizational skills
Public Health Social Worker Certifications
Every state in the US has licensure or certification requirements for social workers. All states mandate that clinical social workers be licensed. To become a licensed clinical social worker, you need to have a MSW, and about 3000 hours of supervised experience in a clinic setting.
Public Health Social Worker Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median wage for public health social workers is $42,200. Note that the top 10% earn more than $70,000 per year, which usually includes those with a MSW or MPH.
Indeed.com states that the average salary for social workers is $55,000.
The median annual wages for various kinds of social workers are as follows:
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Healthcare social worker: $47,000
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Child and family social worker: $40,200
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Mental health social worker: $38,500
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All others: $51,500
The wages of social workers also vary by the type of institution:
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Elementary/secondary schools: $54,000
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Local government: $47,000
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Nursing and residential care: $41,000
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Individual and family: $39,000
Public Health Social Worker Employment Outlook
The employment outlook for public health social workers is strong. BLS states that jobs will increase by 25% by 2020, which is faster than average. It also reports that the employment demand for child, family and school social workers will increase by 20%
Interestingly, the demand for healthcare and public health social workers will increase by a huge 34%. More people are getting older and living longer, so it makes sense that there will be more need for health-related social workers.
Associations
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National Association of Social Workers: This is the biggest membership association of professional social workers in the world, with over 140,000 members.
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School Social Work Association of America: This association empowers school social workers and promotes the field of school social work.
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Clinical Social Work Association: This is a national membership organization that is dedicated to providing important services, professional support, products and national identity to clinical social workers.
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Association of Social Work Boards: This is the association that supervises the social work licensure examinations in the US.
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National Association of Black Social Workers: This is the biggest association of black social workers in the United States.
Additional Resources
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SocialWork.com: A free resources for social workers who are looking for employment in the field.
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US News and World Report Top Social Work Programs: The best universities for bachelor’s, master’s and doctorates in social work.
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Social Worker Resource: A resource for free and paid webinars on various social work topics.
YouTube Video Resources
On any given day, half of all social workers across the nation are working in health and health-related settings. Public health social worker Lauren Schiffer discusses her work at a community health center in Boston.
