Social work is one of those professions which has grown at a high rate in recent past years. As a social worker, a huge responsibility lies on you. It is not an ordinary job where you only make money and go home. You are supposed to make a positive contribution to the underprivileged segment of society who lack the basic amenities of life. Social work expands at a broad scale, so you get the chance to work with people who are struggling due to different issues. From domestic abuse to drug addiction, you are supposed to work with individuals facing such problems in their daily lives. It is better to have clarity while beginning your career as a professional social worker.
Also, you have to become strong enough as a social worker to cope with different kinds of situations. Seeing people going through emotional trauma due to several causes can also affect your mental health. So, you may need to decide which area of social work suits you best to make the right choice. It will help you deliver your best during the work as per your capabilities. Let’s find out some highly demanding careers for social workers.
School Social Worker
While working in schools as a social worker, you should help students and teachers deal with different issues. It tests your skills to help students come out of any mental stress. So, it would be best if you had a relevant and high-level degree to qualify for this position. To manage your studies flexibly, you can opt for the virtual education platform, so an Online Masters in Social Work would be the right choice.
The primary concern of school social workers is to ensure that nothing affects the students’ academic performance. Teachers and students should be working together in a healthy environment.
The average salary of the teachers is around $42,000. It also depends on your experience and educational background, considering these factors. Also, you have to address teachers’ issues as it directly impacts the overall school experience and the personality grooming of the students.
Mental Health Counselor
One of the challenging positions as a social worker that you can go for is the mental health counselor. You are supposed to help individuals dealing with mental health issues due to different reasons.
As a mental health counselor, you should provide the proper moral and emotional support to individuals struggling with mental illness. You have to help them figure out the root cause of their issues and take steps accordingly to normal life.
You can work in different healthcare settings or treatment programs to offer your services. Whether the patient has personal or professional issues, you must adopt the right approach. So, the person can be comfortable with you in sharing his concerns. You should know what exactly bothers the individual mentally. It will help you make recommendations accordingly. The annual salary of the mental health counselor is around $42,000.
Substance Abuse Counselor
If you want to make a positive contribution to society, you should choose a career as a substance abuse counselor. Drug addiction is a significant issue worldwide, so opting for this career can be highly rewarding. You can work in different healthcare facilities such as drug rehab centers to offer your services.
While working as a drug counselor can help drug addicts through a recovery program. You will be helping them identify what triggers them to consume drugs? Or what personal issues are they facing which led them to drug addiction? It is essential to make addicts understand that taking drugs will give them temporary relief and permanently damage their emotional and physical health. So, you have to counsel them in such a way to create a positive impact on their mind that will play a key role in their treatment. The annual salary of the substance abuse counselor is around $47,000.
Marriage and Family Counselor
Suppose you are interested in working with married couples and addressing their issues. In that case, you should choose to become a marriage and family counselor. You have to work on their interpersonal challenges and help them sort out different relationship issues.
Also, this position allows you to address the issues within the family and strengthen the bond between children and parents. Suppose the children are mentally disturbed due to constant fights or disagreements between parents. In that case, you have to help parents resolve the issue. Such scenarios directly impact children’s psyche, so you must help families overcome such challenges. The annual salary of a marriage and family counselor is around $42,500.
Child and Family Therapist
Being a child and family therapist, you have to work with children to sort out their issues mainly. This position brings different challenges as you have to work with children who are the victims of abuse or violence. Working with kids dealing with such emotional trauma can be very tough, so you have to prepare yourself accordingly.
You also have to specialize in child development, mental illness, and play therapy. Also, you have to gain expertise in child-centric solutions to support the families effectively.
Conclusion
Social work is one of the toughest fields that requires you to be mentally strong. You can explore many social work career options, but every option will bring different challenges. The positions mentioned above will bring clarity to you and help you make the right career choice. So, decide on your skills, interest, and qualification to have a bright social work career and serve society. It will help you fulfill your duties more efficiently and channel your talent and efforts in the right direction.