Job Description
A social worker’s tasks are divided into 4 main areas: counselling, investigation and expert testimony, community program development and family mediation.
Social workers work in hospitals, schools, community centres, shelters, workplaces, courthouses, and detention centres, among other places. Social workers sometimes work in teams with doctors, teachers, lawyers, and psychologists, etc., to help people dealing with emotional conflicts or difficulties.
Counselling
Social workers often set up one-on-one or group sessions with clients to hear about the difficulties their clients are facing. During these sessions they “counsel” or give advice to their clients on how to deal with what is happening in their lives. One of the social worker’s goals is to help clients develop the skills necessary so that they can solve their problems themselves.
For example, Mark, the social worker at the local CLSC, has set up counselling sessions to help Maria and her parents. Maria has been hanging out with a street gang and skips almost all of her classes. She even tried to run away last month (although she came home pretty quickly when she realized she didn’t even have enough money to pay for a meal at the local fast food restaurant). Maria and her parents are getting family counselling so they can speak about what is going on and try and find a way to move past this turn of events.
For example, Mark, the social worker at the local CLSC, has set up counselling sessions to help Maria and her parents. Maria has been hanging out with a street gang and skips almost all of her classes. She even tried to run away last month (although she came home pretty quickly when she realized she didn’t even have enough money to pay for a meal at the local fast food restaurant). Maria and her parents are getting family counselling so they can speak about what is going on and try and find a way to move past this turn of events.
Investigation and Expert Testimony
A part of a social worker’s job is to investigate reports about people who are being mistreated or are in danger. If a report comes in, a social worker looks into what is happening and may report it to the police, or appear in court to describe the details. It is important for social workers to be very careful when documenting their observations, since decisions about an individual or family could be based on what they report. For this reason, they must make sure they consider the different issues at play in the cases they investigate.
Community Program Development
While some social workers prefer working directly with clients, others like doing research and developing programs.
Social workers who develop programs search for long term, effective solutions to problems. For example, they might design activities for a youth centre to inform young people about the consequences of drug use. A social worker might also create a program to improve conditions for teen mothers in difficult situations.
Social workers who develop programs search for long term, effective solutions to problems. For example, they might design activities for a youth centre to inform young people about the consequences of drug use. A social worker might also create a program to improve conditions for teen mothers in difficult situations.
Family Mediation
Where do social workers work?
As you can imagine, when a couple separates, the situation can be tense and emotional, and sometimes the people involved have difficulty communicating with each other. A social worker is one of several professionals who can act as a family mediator. The mediator’s role is to help couples reach a compromise that considers the needs of each person and the best interests of their children.
Social workers work in hospitals, schools, community centres, shelters, workplaces, courthouses, and detention centres, among other places. Social workers sometimes work in teams with doctors, teachers, lawyers, and psychologists, etc., to help people dealing with emotional conflicts or difficulties.
