Medical, Public Health Social Worker Makes 2010 Top Job List
Photo courtesy of U.S. News & World Report.
Cheers to U.S. News & World Report for this article that says medical and public health social work will be one of the fastest growing careers in 2010 and beyond. Here’s an excerpt:
“Medical and public health social workers held 139,000 jobs in 2009. Over the next decade, that figure is expected to climb by 31,000, or more than 22 percent, a rate much faster than average. That’s because of the aging of the baby boomer generation, which is beefing up the need for social workers in nursing homes and in home healthcare settings.”
Q: Are you a social worker who works in a hospital or nursing home? Would you encourage more social work students and professional social workers to pursue this career path?
To find out more about how social workers help provide services to senior citizens and help people maintain their health visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web pages on Health & Wellness by clicking here and the Seniors & Aging Web pages by clicking here.
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Yeah, I gotta admit that there are a lot of Inpatient ‘Social Workers’ who are not Social Workers, a lot have never even taken a Social Work class. Also, sadly, the amount of Social Workers in Outpatient Behavioral Health is relatively low, despite the growing need for specialized workers.
Sadly, although it is labeled as social work I have found many times it is target toward registered nurses who are taking on ‘case management’ roles rather than hiring BSW or MSW social workers. I have several friends who have gone back to obtain 2 year RN degree for that very reason.
Isn’t that ironic, Cindy? We always hear about shortages of nurses and the cost of health care. There are many social wokers to fill the role, we are paid less, and we have specific skills for the type of work. Frustrating!
Not only are social workers usually associated with abuse or neglect issues but usually shown in a negative light. I really like Judging Amy because Tyne Dailey was a more positive role model even though she also was a CPS worker.
When it comes down to it. Many people call social workers who are not social workers. People that are either licensed as a BSW or MSW are only those individuals who can carry the title as a social worker.
Social workers are not just people who deal with abuse. Social workers deal with micro, mezzo, and macro practice. These individuals are trainied specifically to deal with special populations and sensitive issues. In addition, social workers have to go through a very intense program to become educated with 2 years of internship experience.
As far as the medical field, social workers can not take the role of case managers. Only nurses hold the proper licensure for medicaid and medicure regulations. Social workers deal with only social work type stuff that include a gray area that contains some medical knowledge.
Social work is a very broad and honorable field.
With the aging of the baby boomer generation, that growth certainly appears logical and justified. As both the need and the jobs are there, I would definitely encourage more social work students and professional social workers to pursue this career path.
E A Wahrburg, MSW, LCSW (NC, NY)