How Do I Earn my Social Work License?

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The job of a licensed social worker is varied and challenging. It requires years of study. However, from a career standpoint, becoming a licensed social worker can open up many doors. A licensed social worker must be knowledgeable in a wide variety of areas and be highly versatile in their abilities to deal with people and possibly stressful situations.

The nominal requirements of a Master’s degree and a structured, supervised, internship can be a block to some who seek the position, but the doors opened by the licensure include the possibility of self employment, a real draw to some willing to go through the process. It should be noted that licensure can happen while only possessing a Bachelor’s degree, but the Master’s degree opens the most doors and gives the most latitude in the options provided.

What Are the Requirements for Social Work Licenses?

The field of Licensed Social Workers is highly regulated, often requiring a Master’s degree in Social Work to even qualify. Many states have prescribed curricula for the prospective social worker and give both a broad and focused view of the subject. Certification, as it may be called, is a proscribed regulatory measure taken by most states in an effort to minimize any possible abuse of social workers’ professional positions, as well as to ensure proper counseling is given by qualified practitioners.

What Types of Positions are Available for People with Social Work Licenses?

Numerous positions like Evaluation and Assessment Specialist, Test Evaluator, Personnel Development Specialist and numerous other areas are open to Licensed Social Worker (LSW). The positions may be within a company or as a contract analyst. The job may vary from setting up a program to evaluating a program. Analytical skills are a must as well as a broad knowledge of both general and specific best practices and procedures. Much of the work is done specifically within the area of mental health. There you can work under the supervision of a physician or as a private contractor. Another large and specific area of employment for Social Workers is the State. Those jobs can range from adoption, to family investigations, to juvenile justice. The limits are rarely there for a licensed person.

What Are the Job Prospects for Workers with Social Work Licenses?

As states move to professionalize their staffs and improve their services, more positions will prefer, if not require a LSW. As those aspects change in the LSW field, and social work increases in its importance, it is vital for the career of social work to keep its name as clean as possible and as free from scandal as possible. Also, it will be important to show the value of social work practices in the community at large. As mentioned, states are major employers of LSW’s, so funding for government programs, such as various areas of welfare will, rightfully, require proof of success in social welfare programs.

For a person willing to make the effort and commitment to the field, licensed social work will prove challenging, interesting and potentially lucrative. A person could hardly ask more of a career.