Exploring Human Services

Exploring Human Services Occupations: Social Worker
BSHS 302

Exploring Human Services: Social Worker
The human service field has a variety of positions within, all of which require a college degree. For instance; for one to enter human services as a social worker, minimum requirements must be met. The work environment varies, depending on the social worker’s specialized degree, and the job outlook is promising. A social worker is a special individual who works with a vast client base and a multitude of issues, whose advancement opportunities are plentiful, but are reliant on the goals of the social worker. The need for social workers by numerous employers such as schools, state and local governments, child and family services agencies, and medical and substance abuse clinics will increase over the next decade because of numerous factors discussed later on in this paper. The purpose of this paper is to research and discuss qualifications, working environment, job outlook, advancement opportunities, types of clients, and prospective employers of the social worker.  
Qualifications of the Social Worker
As stated in the Occupational Outlook Handbook for social workers (2011), social work is a profession for those who have a strong desire to help improve people’s lives. Social work requires compassion, understanding, the ability to empathize and sympathize, objectivity, and quality people skills, but these are not the only requirements or qualifications one needs to become a social worker. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have some licensure, certification, or registration requirements; but these regulations vary from state to state (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011). A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required to obtain a social service position such as case worker, mental health assistant, group home worker, and residential counselor; however, some positions require an advanced degree and experience in a social work environment. Whereas a bachelor’s...