What is social work?

In addition to growing number of job opportunities, more aspiring social workers may be drawn to this field thanks to its positive reputation. A national survey from Ipsos found that 80% of Americans have a favorable opinion of social workers. And in the post-COVID-19 era, social workers are in high demand as individuals, communities, and local and federal governments have realized the importance of adopting mental health and other support services that social workers facilitate and provide. 

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Social work’s impact can be seen everywhere, says Yvonne Chase, president-elect of the board of directors for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She’s also an associate professor at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

“Social workers are really found in every aspect of community life,” Chase tells Coins2Day. “We work in schools, we work in hospitals, we work in mental health clinics, we work in senior citizen centers. Many social workers are part of our elected offices. We certainly work in the areas of housing and insufficiency.” 

Social work attracts people who are driven by a desire to help others and a master’s degree in social work (MSW) is a helpful step to landing a career in the field. That’s why Coins2Day compiled a directory of online MSW programs with a variety of information to help you find a program that best fits your lifestyle. If you are transitioning careers, it’s especially important to understand what the field of social work really entails. Here’s what you need to know.

The whole picture of social work

While different people have different definitions of social work, a commonality is the idea of helping. “Social workers help people prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives,” as the Bureau of Labor Statistics explains. And the main mission of social work, according to the NASW, is to “enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.”

While social work and psychology sometimes are correlated, social work focuses on the whole family system while psychology focuses on individual people, Chase notes. The first social work class was offered at Columbia University in 1898, and in the time since, Chase says social work has continued to be a leading field in providing charity and help-related services. 

“There’s so many options within social work, it’s so broad,” Chase says. “So we’ve been around for a very long time, and since that time, social workers have led the way in creating private as well as charitable organizations to serve people in need.” 

Social workers typically practice within three levels: micro, mezzo, and macro, Mandy Weirich, a clinical instructor and the MSW online program coordinator at West Virginia University, previously told Coins2Day. “Micro refers to one-on-one care, mezzo to community and group work, and macro to larger-scale state or federal initiatives, including policy and law.” 

What’s more, social workers can provide assistance, guidance, and support to every community and people of all ages, as Sarah Swords, a clinical associate professor, and assistant dean for master’s programs at the University of Texas at Austin, previously told Coins2Day.

“We talk about cradle to grave, we do. What we often say here in our school is that everyone at some point in their life will need a social worker, everyone, and it’s true,” Swords says. “There are very few people in this world who will not at some point be touched by a social worker.” 

Where can social work take you?

Social workers are able to integrate into many roles and are found in every aspect of community life, according to the NASW. This includes schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centers, elected offices, private practices, prisons, the military, corporations, and numerous public and private agencies. 

People who hold an MSW have even more options to work within niche fields or areas, follow their passion, and more easily climb the ladder at existing roles. They can also move into careers in human resources, schools, and different types of hospitals. 

Other typical career paths for social work students may include clinical roles such as a therapist, case manager, adoption worker, or outpatient health worker. People in this field can additionally pursue roles in community social work, such as a nonprofit administrator, executive director, program coordinator or manager, or a community liaison. Social workers can even pursue policy and law.

While social work can take you many places, Chase says all social workers share a common mission. 

“I think the goal of every social worker in working with clients is to have the client reach as much self-sufficiency as they can. And, you know, what does that mean? Well, it’s going to mean different things for different clients,” Chase says. “Some are not going to ever reach a certain point of self-sufficiency, but others have that potential.”

Check out all of Coins2Day’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.