Clinical Social Worker Job Description

It is one of the few noble professions left today where helping others is the only priority. The job involves one-on-one interaction with clients as well as holding public awareness meetings. The work profile requires them to identify societal problems and work towards finding solutions. When it comes to doing social work, there are numerous aspects and each have their own commitments, hence it becomes difficult to pen down the job description. They work with substance abusers, people with employment issues, women's causes like education and health care, they also work for child welfare, etc. The work profile will vary according to the social issue the worker is dealing with. Social workers are employed by governments, schools, non-profit organizations, charities, etc. According to some statistics, the demand for a child and family social workers is on the rise.

Job Description

Social workers endeavor to make the society we live in a better place for everyone and they try to do this by helping people with their problems. The job of a social worker involves working from an office or residential establishment and meeting clients to resolve their issues. People who have an innate desire to help others will do well in this profession as at times, helping people deal with their problems can be little demanding. Those looking to enter this field need to have mental stability and good control over their emotions.

One of the key tasks is to provide emotional support and counseling to clients, the counseling is mostly done in a one-on-one session. At times, social workers will also have to undertake group counseling sessions. For example, if they are working for societal issues like domestic abuse they are required to counsel groups of women about their rights and the help available. They will also at times refer clients to other mental health professionals like psychiatrists.

They will interview the clients, ask questions and give suggestions that will help the clients better deal with their problems. In social work one important task that they will have to undertake is maintaining detailed records of the client. These records can range from physical health to psychological evaluation notes. They work with clients from different backgrounds and issues like drug and alcohol abusers, people with mental health problems, senior citizens, women with issues like domestic abuse, single mothers, etc.

Salary

The salary can range anywhere between USD 25,000 to USD 40,000 annually. A large number of social workers are employed by the federal government and their salaries are known to range between USD 30,000 to USD 48,000 per year. Like most professions, the salaries of people with experience is comparatively higher than their non-experienced counterparts. Experienced clinical social workers are known to earn salaries that touch the USD 55,000 per year mark.

The job mostly comprises effecting social change and empowering individuals to help them better cope with their situation. They play a vital role in dealing with societal issues like racial discrimination, addiction, poverty, employment, education, etc.