RN to BSN Program
Social Work As A Career
ABOUT THE PROFESSION
If you want a career with meaning, action, diversity, satisfaction, and an abundance of options, social work is for you! For more than 100 years, social workers have helped millions of people challenge their circumstances and change their lives, and pushed institutions to value and support persons in need. For sheer variety, few occupations can match social work and the broad range of opportunities and settings it offers. Social work is an excellent career choice for those who care about human dignity and social justice. The core values of the social work profession include service, social justice, inherent dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.
* Social work's primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.
* Social workers challenge social injustice, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people.
* Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.
* Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.
* Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.
* Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills to apply them in practice.
PRIMARY PRACTICE AREA
Social workers often pursue careers in the following fields:
* Public Welfare
* Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
* Justice and Corrections
* School Social Work
* Child Welfare and Family
* Aging and Gerontology
* Mental Health and Clinical Social Work
* Research and Education
* Occupational and EAP Social Work
* Developmental Disabilities
* Health Care Social Work
* Advocacy and Community Organization
* International Social Work
* Policy and Planning
* Politics
From Choices: Careers in Social Work Where Commitment & Opportunity Meet NASW
For more information on the profession of Social Work, please visit the following sites:
Pennsylvania Chapter NASW (PA NASW)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers
