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Job Opportunities for Displaced
Social Workers
Social Work Career
and Professional Resources
Association of
Social Work Boards
Council on Social
Work Education
Loan Forgiveness Programs Available To Social Workers
Louisiana Board of
Social Work Examiners
NASW Job Link
NASW Insurance
Trust
NASW Social Work Policy Statements
NYU’s WWW Resources
for Social Workers
Social Work
Occupational Information and Outlook
Social Work Exam Prep Resources
Education Programs
in Louisiana
Grambling State
University
Louisiana College
Louisiana State
University
Northwestern State
University of Louisiana
Southeastern
Louisiana University
Southern University
and A & M College
Southern University
at New Orleans
Tulane University
University of
Louisiana - Monroe
Careers in Social
Work
Excerpts from NASW
Press Publication
Choices: Careers in Social Work
Hard copies may be
ordered from NASW Press
About the Profession
The social work
profession has its own body of knowledge, code of ethics, practice
standards, credentials, state licensing, and a nationwide system of
accredited education programs. These equip the professional social
worker to combine the desire to help others with the knowledge,
skill, and ethics needed to provide that help.
For sheer variety,
few occupations can match social work, which offers the broadest
range of opportunities and settings. Social workers are found in
public agencies, private businesses, hospitals, clinics, schools,
nursing homes, private practices, police departments, courts, and
countless other interesting workplaces.
Social workers serve
individuals, families, and communities. They are managers,
supervisors, and administrators. They serve at all levels of
government. They are educators. They are therapists and researchers.
More and more, they are also elected political leaders and
legislators.
Educational and
Licensing Requirements
To be a social
worker, one must have a degree in social work from a college or
university program accredited by the Council on Social Work
Education. The undergraduate degree is the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW).
Graduate degrees include the Master of Social Work (MSW) and the
Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) or PhD. An MSW is required to provide
therapy. For information about accredited
schools of
social work, contact the Council on Social Work
Education at 1600 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-683-8080,
www.cswe.org.
Degree programs
involve classroom study as well as practical field experience. The
bachelor’s degree prepares graduates for generalist entry-level
work, whereas the master’s degree is for more advanced clinical
practice. A DSW or PhD is useful for doing research or teaching at
the university level.
Most states require
practicing social workers to be
licensed,
certified, or registered, although standards vary.
Contact the state regulatory board directly or the American
Association of State Social Work Boards,
www.aswb.org, 400 South Ridge Parkway, Suite B. Culpepper, VA
22701, 703-829-6880, for a list of regulatory agencies or for a
comparison of state regulations.
Income
It is difficult to
assign a definitive range to social work salaries; however, one
thing is certain: Demand for social workers is on the rise.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the year 2000 there
will be more than half a million social workers in the United
States.
Those just starting
out with a BSW can expect an annual salary ranging up to $30,000
depending on type of work, experience, and geographic factors. A
social worker with an MSW degree can expect an annual income ranging
to about $40,000; a DSW can anticipate an annual income of more than
$40,000. A few experienced private practitioners and senior
administrators earn as much as $100,000. |
