Family relationships, employment, living arrangements and money problems are all part of daily living. However, when a person is seriously ill, these problems can take on disproportionate importance, and have a detrimental effect on the ability of the patient to recover. Social Workers in hospitals often spend a great deal of time helping patients adjust to serious and prolonged illnesses and the effects illnesses have on the daily process of living. They are skilled in applying professional knowledge to the complex situations people encounter when illness strikes. The Medical Social Worker is skilled in helping the patient and family deal with the personal problems that result from severe or long illness, or disability. The Social Worker has become an important link for the patient between hospitalization and their return to normal life in the community. The Psychiatric Social Worker concentrates on helping people who have mental health concerns. They may work in clinics or with inpatients in psychiatric hospitals. These Social Workers also serve as a link between the family and the other members of the health care team. Hospice programs (programs for patients who are terminally ill) help the patients and their families deal with death. These programs help the patient remain with their families or in their own homes as long as possible. There are usually Social Workers in these programs who serve as liaisons between the health care team treating the patient, the patient and the family. The ability to establish relationships with people is essential in this field. The social worker must be personable and express warmth and sincere caring. Good judgment and analytical decision making skills are equally important in order to assist the patient and family in making major life decisions. Social Workers must be able to relate to people without having their problems overwhelm them and be able to work as a member of a team.

Preparation for a career as a Clinical Social Worker includes a Bachelor’s, Masters, or Doctorate degree. The degree must be in social work (not sociology). Social Workers with Doctorate level degrees are often employed as administrators, teachers, or researchers.

• 4 year Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree

Employment of social workers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005. The number of older people, who are more likely to need social services, is growing rapidly. In addition, requirements for social workers will grow with increases in the need for and concern about services to the mentally ill, the mentally retarded, and individuals and families in crisis. Many job openings will also arise due to the need to replace social workers who leave the occupation. Employment of social workers in hospitals is projected to grow much faster than the average for the economy as a whole due to greater emphasis on discharge planning, which facilitates early discharge of patients by assuring that the necessary medical services and social supports are in place when individuals leave the hospital. Employment of social workers in private social service agencies is projected to grow about as fast as the average. Although demand for their services is expected to increase rapidly, agencies will increasingly restructure services and hire more lower paid human services workers instead of social workers. Employment in government should also grow about as fast as the average in response to increasing needs for public welfare and family services. Social worker employment in home health services is growing, not only because hospitals are moving to release patients more quickly, but because a large and growing number of people have impairments or disabilities that make it difficult to live at home without some form of assistance. Opportunities for social workers in private practice will expand because of the anticipated availability of funding from health insurance and from public sector contracts. Also, with increasing affluence, people will be more willing to pay for professional help to deal with personal problems. The growing popularity of employee assistance programs is also expected to spur demand for private practitioners, some of whom provide social work services to corporations on a contract basis. Competition for social worker jobs is stronger in cities where training programs for social workers abound; rural areas often find it difficult to attract and retain qualified staff.

Through direct counseling or referral to other services, social workers help people solve a range of personal problems. Workers in occupations with similar duties include the clergy, counselors, counseling psychologists, and vocational rehabilitation counselors.

$31,470

• Avila University
• Central Missouri State University
• Kansas State University Health Professions Advising Office
• Missouri Western State College
• Newman University
• Southwest Missouri State University
• St. Louis University School Of Social Service
• University Of Kansas
• University Of Missouri - Columbia School Of Social Work
• University Of Missouri - Kansas City
• University Of Missouri - St. Louis Department Of Social Work
• Washburn University

• Aft Healthcare
• American Public Health Association
• Council On Social Work Education
• Kansas Association Of Homes And Services For The Aging
• Missouri Association Of Homes For The Aging
• National Association Of Social Workers
• National Mental Health Association, Inc.
• Society For Social Work Administrators In Health Care