Click here to view video.
Social workers help individuals, families, and groups to function within their environments by providing direct services such as counseling and securing resources, or by advocating for a change in the environment (systems change).
Social workers are employed in schools, corporations, courts of law, and private practice.
Other workplace settings:
$52,000
Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 78,300 openings for social workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
To be a social worker, one must have a degree in social work from a college or university program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The undergraduate degree is the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). Graduate degrees include the Master of Social Work (MSW) and the Doctorate in Social Work (DSW or PhD). The bachelor’s degree prepares graduates for generalist entry-level work, whereas the master’s degree is for more advanced practice. A DSW or PhD is useful for doing research or teaching at the university level.
BSW Programs
MSW Programs
Licensure is required in the State of Connecticut to provide clinical social work (therapy). Prerequisite: To be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), Connecticut requires a Master’s degree in social work, 3000 hours post-graduate clinical social work experience, 100 hours of approved supervision by LCSW and passage of the clinical exam of the American Association of State Social Work Boards. No license is required to non-clinical social work as long as you hold at least a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a program accredited by the council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Please visit the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health website for more information.
National Association of Social Workers
750 First Street NE, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20002
(800) 742-4089
www.socialworkers.org