What is this job like?

Social workers help people overcome problems and make their lives better. They might work with people who are homeless, sick, or having family problems. Or they might help students who are having trouble in school.

One of the ways social workers help is by finding resources for people. For someone with family difficulties, social workers might find a parenting class or support group. For a homeless person, they might find a place to live and a career training program. For a student, they might find a mentor or a learning disability expert.

Some social workers set up resources like these. They research what kinds of help people need. Then, they set up programs to provide that help. They might focus on child abuse, poverty, violence, and other problems.

Many social workers give counseling. They talk to people about their lives and help them to understand and solve their problems and to make plans.

There are three main types of social work.

Child, family, and school social workers. Some of these workers find foster homes for abused or neglected children. They also help parents learn how to care for children better. Other social workers help with adoptions. Social workers in schools give students and teachers advice about learning problems, behavior problems, and social problems, like bullying or shyness. Other social workers help elderly people and their families.

Medical and public health social workers. These workers help people who are sick or who have health problems for a long time. They give advice to people and their families about how to deal with being sick. They also find services to help, such as nutrition classes or nursing care.

Mental health and substance abuse social workers. These workers are sometimes called clinical social workers. They help people with mental illness, upset feelings, or drug or alcohol abuse. They might provide talk therapy to people in order to identify their problems and find ways they can get better. They might also reach out to the community, finding people who have problems and offering help. Some of these workers teach classes about how to make a budget, deal with anger, or get other life skills.

No matter their focus, most social workers spend the day in an office. Some travel to the people they help. Sometimes, they meet with people in the evening or on weekends. Many social workers have their own businesses.

Many social workers like their work, but it can be hard to deal with people who are upset or having trouble. Sometimes, social workers are very busy because they are helping many people at once.