Essay about English: Social Work and Occupational Outlook Handbook

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Occupational Profile of a Social Worker
Melissa Burkholder
English 111 35c
Ivy Tech Community College—Northeast

Occupational Profile of a Social Worker Social workers help people cope with their every day challenges. There are many different types of social workers. This includes: clinical, school, health care, and child and family social work. Each social worker helps people, but chooses an area in which they want to specialize in. The career profile of a social worker would include: a required college education including its additional costs, the interesting and important aspects, job outlook, and rate of pay.
Educational Requirements When someone is pursuing a job in this field they are required to go to college for a bachelor’s degree in social work for an entry-level position. Depending on what type of social work one chooses, one may need a master’s degree. According to the Occupational Outlook handbook it is said that, “ Clinical social workers must have a master’s degree in social work and two years of post-master experience in a supervised clinical setting” (http://www.bls.gov). A master’s degree generally takes about two more years after getting a bachelor’s degree, but according to their website, it states that some programs allow those with a bachelor’s degree to earn a master’s degree in a one-year program. However, if one does not have a degree in social work, most employers may hire her if she has a degree in related areas such as: sociology, psychology, and political science (Occupational Outlook handbook [OOH].2014). While one is in college employers like to see that there is some type of internship or experience has been acquired. Internships are not required, but it would look good on one’s resume. As far as certification, it really depends on what type of social worker one is and what agency and state one is a social worker. According to Debra Crisp (personal communication, September 22, 2014), a family support social worker at Children First Center, states that most agencies do not require any type of certification, just a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related area. Unless, of course, if it was a Clinical social worker, then one would need a master’s and license. The license is a clinical exam that one must pass once she has finished supervised experience to become a Clinical social worker. The costs for a social work degree, for example, if a person was pursuing a child and family social work degree at Indiana University in Bloomington as a on campus housing resident, with fifteen to eighteen credit hours it would be estimated around $24,418 per year (http://admissions.indiana.edu/cost-financial-aid/tuition-fees.html). This includes: tuition and fees ($10,388), room and board ($9,494), books and supplies ($1,500), transportation ($930), and personal expenses ($2,106).
Interesting and Important Aspects
All social worker's main goal is to try to help the client’s well-being and reach their client's goals. Child and family social workers help families and children find benefits they need. Their main goal is to really try to help children and help the parents who are struggling and do not know how to be good parents to their child. The Occupational Outlook handbook says that social workers can help parents find government services like: childcare, food stamps, and other family-living benefits (OOH, 2014). Not only do social workers try to provide tangible items, they also try to get families back together and teach them how to function as a whole. Child and family social workers go into homes and talk with families, and to observe to ensure the home is appropriate for a child to live. Even though there main objective is to try to get the family back together, sometimes social workers have no other choice but to put the children in foster care.
Although the National Association of Social Workers says “A growing component of social work