Social work careers are broadly classified into two main categories. They are professional and paraprofessional social work careers. A paraprofessional career is categorized as a peer, technician and case aide.
These positions mostly depend on personal traits including personality, educational qualification and experience. People working in the field of social work are responsible for counseling and offering services which do not need clinically proven skills.
Family and children services:
Social workers careers in the field of family and children services perform to develop the communal and psychosomatic functioning of children and also families to improve the well being of the family. Some social workers also help single parents in dealing with their children. Also they provide services in the field of family communication, adjustment to various changes in families, including marriage and divorce. Social workers also offer marriage counseling to couples.
School social work:
Most public as well as private schools (from elementary to college) recruit social workers to deal with issues like teenage pregnancy, truancy, suicide and mental illness. Such social workers are also called by teachers in order to deal with disruptive students, conducting seminars and workshops on self esteem, violence and sexuality.
Medical social work:
Medical social workers offer assistance to families as well as individuals in dealing with chronic and acute diseases like Alzheimer’s, AIDS, cancer, and other medical conditions which threatens life. They also provide counseling to the family about the diagnosis of the ill person’s condition, and how to take care of the person at home.
Mental health:
Social workers in mental health perform in inpatient department like psychiatric hospitals. They also work at outpatient services at therapeutic centers or community mental health programs. They are responsible for counseling and monitoring medication for patients outside of the hospital. Social workers in such centers mostly perform with case managers, medical doctors and family members.
Substance abuse:
Social workers working in the field of substance abuse and addiction are experienced in treating clients, by understanding the physical environment of the person, spiritual beliefs, family support system, cultural attitudes and also the addiction. In the substance abuse field, diverse and flexible skills of social workers come into picture.
Clinical social work:
Clinical social workers depend on different therapeutic theories as well as tools to assist a single person, couples, families and people having mental, emotional and behavioral problems including depression, excessive eating and personality disorders. Clinical social workers work in various areas including schools, mental health agencies and others.