A person trained in psychology and sociology who is concerned with emotional problems related to a person’s interactions with others.
A professionally trained person providing social services, either as a member of a health team, a social service section of a health facility, or on a consultant basis. Social services are provided to enable a patient, family members, or others to deal with problems of social functioning affecting the health or well-being of the patient. Most trained social workers now hold a master’s degree in social work (MSW). The B.A. in social work (BSW) is a beginning professional degree. It is estimated that there are some 120-140,000 trained social workers in the current social service labor force of about 300,000 social service workers. Approximately 30,000 of that larger number are employed in health related settings. Social workers increasingly are engaging in private and independent practice, on both a full-time and part-time basis. Eighteen states (including Puerto Rico) now regulate social work, with six licensing independent practice specifically. An estimated 30,000 social workers are engaged in some degree of independent practice. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) requires that social workers engaging in independent practice have at least an MSW and two 3’ears of professionally supervised practice in the methods to be employed in independent practice.
A government employee who works to provide social services to people in need and improve their living standards.
A professional working with a public or private agency, charged with helping people handle personal, emotional, or social problems, or the effects of medical problems, and seeing that people get the social and other services available to them, often acting as advocate for individuals or families in working with government agencies, schools, clinics, preschool programs, and the like. Psychiatric social workers specialize in working with people with mental disorders, and some are trained to work as psychotherapists. Medical social workers counsel people in a hospital setting, helping them cope with problems posed by severe illness or disability. Social workers often make up part of the team reviewing reports of suspected child abuse and neglect.