What Do Social Workers Do?

A lot of times, when "Social Worker" is in a job title, the employer is looking for someone with an MSW. So where can people with their BSW look to find a job that pays well and uses their social work skills? 

So recently I went to Reddit to ask social workers what job in social work they hold, and what their favorite part of that role is. I want to highlight the diverse and rewarding possibilities in a social work career. Some of the respondents also talked about the downsides, or compared various fields of social work. Here are some of the social workers' answers. I've attempted to subdivide the fields of social work into larger categories, though there is some overlap. 

Heidi Hanson earned her BSW online from Indiana Wesleyan University, and her MSW online from Florida State University. Social work positions that Heidi has held include working for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Public Housing, and for a federally-qualified healthcare center. She has worked to assist people with navigating the bureaucracy behind obtaining food stamps, Medicaid, and Medicare.

Meet Nancy Klein, a clinical social worker (LCSW, MSSW) with a private practice in Palm Bay, Florida. Nancy talks about what a day in the life of a private practice clinical social worker looks like, discusses her previous social work positions, and explains the versatility and benefits of the M.S.W. degree.

Meet Keely Ricks, MSW, Medical Social Worker and Veteran Liaison with Wuesthoff Brevard Hospice. Keely talks about her journey in a variety of fields in social work, that eventually led her to her current position in hospice. Find out about a day in the life of hospice social work.

Meet Dean Craig Stanley, Associate Dean of Student Affairs for the Florida State University College of Social Work. Find out about the various social work roles he has held through the years, and learn about his experiences in "a day in the life" of a social worker

Watch some YouTube videos highlighting serving military social workers, and learn about the path to becoming a social worker in the military.

In a riveting book chronicling the journeys of 11 veterans, readers experience the joys, struggles, and day-to-day experiences of what it means to be a combat social worker. This book goes much deeper than "a day in the life" of an active-duty social worker.

A link to an article about an in-patient hospice social worker who works for Vitas Healthcare. If you're interested in hospice social work, it's a must-read.

A brief description of what it's like to be a student in the FSU College of Social Work's online MSW program.

Watch some videos that will help you understand what it means to be a social worker. In an inspiring TEDx Talk, Anna Scheyett explains why social workers are superheroes. A National Association of Social Workers video gives a quick overview of the field of social work. A Florida State University College of Social Work video explains why FSU CSW might be the best school for you.