BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Social Worker
To be a successful Social Worker you should...
want your work to make a difference; believe in the worth and dignity of all people; have acceptance and appreciation of individual differences and contributions; have a clear understanding of the values, ethics, knowledge and skills of a helping professional; have excellent oral and written communication skills; have the ability to work in isolation and make independent judgements; understand the value of team work.
What will my job be like?
Social workers help individuals, families and groups to function within their environments by proiding direct services such as counseling and securing resoucrces, or by advocating for a change in the environment (systems change.)
Specialties
- Child Welfare
- Community Organizing; Gerontology
- Marriage and Family
- Health Care
- Mental Health
- Social Policy and Administration
- Substance Misuse and Addictions
Where could I work?
Social workers are employed in schools, corporations, courts of law, and private practice.
Other workplace settings:
- Commuinity Mental Health Centers
- Governmental Agencies
- HIV/AIDS Clinics
- Home Health Agencies
- Hospitals
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers
- Nursing Homes
- Prisons
- Social Service Agencies
Average Annual Salary
$58,380 per year
What is the future of this career?
Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 67,300 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.
Type of Education/Training
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.
Where could I get the education/training?
- Albertus Magnus College
- Central Connecticut State University
- CT State Asnuntuck
- CT State Capital CT State Gateway
- CT State Housatonic
- CT State Manchester
- CT State Middlesex
- CT State CT State Naugatuck Valley
- CT State Northwestern
- CT State Norwalk
- CT State Quinebaug Valley
- CT State Three Rivers
- CT State Tunxis
- Eastern Connecticut State University
- Fairfield University
- Quinnipiac University
- Sacred Heart University
- Southern Connecticut State University
- University of Connecticut
- University of Saint Joseph (MSW/BSW)
- Western Connecticut State University
Licensing/Certification
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.
More Information
National Association of Social Workers
750 First Street NE, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20002
800-742-4089
