Alana M. Carroll
Anchor Contributor
It’s a reasonable assumption that, when one hears the term “social worker,” they would immediately think of those employed for a children’s welfare agency. For example, a prominent agency in Rhode Island is the Department of Children, Youth and Families (commonly abbreviated to DCYF). Indeed, that is what came to my family’s mind when I told them I selected social work as my major. I was initially confused by the nudges in different directions given to me by relatives as well as the concerned suggestions that I might benefit from selecting something else. Once I sat through a couple of lectures on social work, however, the reason my family’s responses were so apprehensive became clear as day.
Working for the welfare of children is certainly a noble and necessary career but not everybody with a degree in social work works for child protective services (CPS). Furthermore, this was certainly not the path I had in mind when I returned to school this fall. The more social work classes I attend, the more apparent it becomes that there are numerous different branches of social work, many of which are surprising to those who hear of them.
Social work is a broad profession, encompassing many different areas of employment. It is, in simple terms, a job centered around professional helping; social workers help those, whether through assisting them through personal change or by helping to change the environment in which they live. As stated earlier, those who work for CPS change the environment for children by removing them from harmful environments. Social workers can also work on the other end of the spectrum and pursue a career in gerontology. These workers assist the ever-growing elderly population with the struggles that come with aging and provide them with resources and services to maintain their independence and dignity. Social work professions can be focused on individual clients, but this is not always the case, as there are numerous fields that focus on the betterment of society as a whole. Urban planning is a great example of this. In this field, social workers can increase equity and promote well-being of citizens in an environment by redeveloping neighborhoods in need. Similarly, social workers can also work in communal economic development positions as directors where they can plan and promote the economy of a community.
A personal interest of mine is that of clinical social work. In particular, mental health-related social work. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), are able to evaluate and diagnose mental health disorders in individuals as well as offer treatment for them such as counseling. LCSWs are also able to hold interventions and manage individual cases. A degree in psychology is typically what people imagine when they picture a counselor, though it has been estimated that around 60% of mental health service providers are social workers in the United States.
I believe that, if the undeniable presence of social workers in fields beyond CPS was more well-known, then it would both be a field that is both more acknowledged and more respected. A great stigma surrounds the profession, which I believe is why those around me seem so wary when I speak about devoting my education and career to it. My hope is to broaden the perspectives of those less educated about social work, and I believe a good place to start would be with my family, informing them about the broad variety of careers that align with the title of “social worker.”
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