Career description:
A social worker helps people cope with the challenges they are facing in their lives. Some, called clinical social workers, are therapists who diagnose and then treat individuals who have mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders.
What it’s like:
Common duties:
- Providing mental health counseling to individuals, groups or families—if one is a clinical social worker
- Conducting initial assessments of clients’ situation to determine needs and goals
- Researching and advocating for appropriate public assistance resources for clients
- Communicating with clients’ care teams
- Providing crisis intervention as needed
- Referring individuals to appropriate treatment centers, as indicated
- Ensuring that all case files, and other records, strictly comply with policies, regulations, and procedures
- Coordinating treatment planning and maintaining ongoing contact with outpatient providers for the continual care of patients
- Actively participating in ongoing training as needed in order to meet all certification standards and credentialing policies
Similar occupations:
Adoption Social Worker, Case Manager, Case Worker, Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker), Family Protection Specialist, Family Resource Coordinator, Family Service Worker, Foster Care Social Worker, School Social Worker, Youth Services Specialist
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