Clinical social work is a section of social work which involves service to people who are suffering from problems and conditions that adversely affect their lives. They are professionals in the mental health department who provide counseling, intervention and therapy services to their clients. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) play the role of advocates and help people access the required resources while dealing with their issues, like drug abuse and addiction, and mental illness (Dombo, Kays & Weller, 2014). CSWs work in agencies and with direct clients. Clinical social work often takes place in hospitals, clients’ homes, residential facilities, and offices. Most LCSW are employed by non-profit organizations and public and private companies. Many opportunities for CSWs are found in urban areas. The work of a licensed clinical social worker is crucial in society.
LCSWs daily duties include diagnosing and treating behavioral, emotional, and mental illnesses, which also includes depression and anxiety. LCSWs provide couples, family, individual and group therapy. They work with patients to create strategies which cope up with challenging situations or change behavior. In the case where more help is needed, a licensed clinical social worker is allowed to refer a client to support groups and mental health professionals. A clinical social worker can come up with a treatment plan for doctors, a client, and related healthcare experts. Moreover, he or she can adjust a treatment plan based on the progress of the client. In private settings, LCSWs have recordkeeping and administrative tasks, like working with an insurance company to obtain payment for a service (Dombo, Kays & Weller, 2014).
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A clinical social worker is expected to be professional and ethical, demonstrating excellent skills in communication and a capability of working with a diverse population (Dombo, Kays & Weller, 2014). LCSWs work with many other experts from government agencies and social service. Therefore, they are expected to collaborate well with others. Since they deal with several crises, they are expected to have emotional stability and resilience.
There are several demanding and diverse professional, cognitive and professional skills that clinical social workers need in practicing their career. One of the skills needed is active listening. Active listening involves reflecting on what a client is saying and engaging in each conversation so that the client knows you understand them. Through good listening, a client will trust you and hence be comfortable confiding in you (Dombo, Kays & Weller, 2014). Most people who choose to be social workers have emotional intelligence, which is high empathy, sensitivity, and self-awareness. Social work is a balance between what you know and what you are reading from what a client is saying. Therefore, to help a client, you should have critical thinking skills since people are complex and problems are found in diverse domains of people's lives.
Another important skill is organization. For a social worker to provide psychological support to clients and perform case management services, you must have the ability to prioritize and organize based on the client's need urgency. Tolerance is another important personality of a social worker. Approaching and dealing with clients who come from different socio-economic, ethnic, and racial communities with respect and cultural responsiveness is crucial in the practice of social work. Lastly, a social worker should have inner strength and set boundaries between work and personal life. A social worker should not take home the stress of work. They should have boundaries between clients, and yourself will enable you to develop a healthy work-life balance (Tosone, 2016). Because of the emotional challenges involved at work, a social worker should be psychologically and emotionally prepared to deal with many stressful situations.
The minimum educational requirement for entry-level career positions in social work is a bachelor’s degree. Before one becomes a clinical social work, they have to first earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, or a masters in sociology, psychology, or related fields. An MSW degree takes a maximum of two years (Tosone, 2016). A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is not a requirement for admission in many programs. However, those who have BSW have many opportunities for accelerated programs. MSW programs involve subjects like social justice and diversity, social policy and welfare, family dynamics, research methods, and human behavior. Completion of clinical field experience can also be a requirement for students.
A license is required for a clinical social worker to perform specific types of work and use the licensed clinical social worker designation (Tosone, 2016). Eligibility requirements in different states vary. To become an LCSW in the state of Missouri, one requires a Master's or a doctorate in social work, 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience, and a passing score in the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) clinical exam. The Master's degree must have been obtained from a Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited school and the doctorate from a social work program that is approved by the Missouri Committee of Social Workers (MCSW). The supervised clinical experience hours should be acquired within 24 and 48 months. The ASWB exam is only taken after one's application has been approved by the MCSW (Tosone, 2016).
An advantage of being a clinical social worker is the salary you will earn. Because a clinical social worker is above the normal entry positions career in social work, they are paid higher wages than other social workers. In fact, this is a motivation to entry-level social workers who are planning to join CSW. Secondly, the job market of clinical social workers is booming. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market is expected to grow by 12 percent between 2014 and 2024 ( Salary.com, 2018 ). This expectation is higher than the average for all jobs. The high growth is due to the increased need for social and healthcare services. Substance abuse and mental health social work have a growth expectation of 31 percent since more people are seeking addiction and mental illness treatment.
The first disadvantage of being a clinical social worker is the high emotional demands that are needed. Social workers have very many emotional demands each day (Steketee, Ross & Wachman, 2017). For instance, there are some clients who get stuck by issues created by the legal system, school, and other institutions or their challenges and there is very little that you can do to help them. Because a social worker cannot control the behavior of the client, you must provide them with resources and tools they need and proceed to the next client. A strong personality is required to handle these stresses involved at work. Sometimes, you might find yourself carrying the work at office home. Therefore, the next day it will be difficult to handle other issues, or it might affect your relationship with other people back home.
Secondly, social workers work in varied environments. There are times when you will have to put your safety at risk so that you can help other people in these risky environments (Steketee, Ross & Wachman, 2017). For instance, spending a day working in prisons with inmates. However, there are other times when you work in pleasant hospitals, clinics, offices, and schools. Lastly, educational requirements for licensed clinical social workers are demanding. To obtain a position in clinical social work, you must have a Master's degree, hence more time and expense in school. Also, you should obtain a license according to the state you plan to be working, Missouri state in this case.
Social work is one of the riskiest and sometimes low paying jobs that have little or no recognition in society. Social workers most times have to go into homes of psychiatrically unstable people, sex offenders, people convicted of murder, and gang members (Steketee, Ross, and Wachman, 2017). However, they still believe that these clients are trying to make positive changes in their lives and there have to be there to help them. Apart from visiting people’s homes, there is still risk in meeting such clients in small private, offices alone. Therefore, the cost of being a social worker is expensive. Ranging from the expensive educational requirements to obtain the license, all the way to working in risky environments, being a clinical social worker has a high expense. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average a licensed clinical social worker in Missouri earns a median annual basic salary of between $59, 791 and 60, 655 (Steketee, Ross, and Wachman, 2017).
In conclusion, clinical social work is a very meaningful career. Most practices of LCSWs aim at helping human beings who have challenges like mental illness, addiction, trauma, and depression. Therefore, it is a great career path to follow if the demands resonate with you.
References
Dombo, E. A., Kays, L., & Weller, K. (2014). Clinical social work practice and technology: Personal, practical, regulatory, and ethical considerations for the twenty-first century. Social work in healthcare , 53 (9), 900-919.
Salary.com. (2018). Missouri Social Worker (MSW) Salaries. Retrieved from https://www1.salary.com/MO/Social-Worker-MSW-salary.html
Steketee, G., Ross, A. M., & Wachman, M. K. (2017). Health Outcomes and Costs of Social Work Services: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health , 107 , S256- S266.
Tosone, C. (2016). Clinical Social Work Practice and Education: What Would Flexner Think Now? Journal of Social Work Education , 52 (sup1), S28-S37.
