Independent social workers are becoming more common, offering flexible and experienced services to private, public, and government agencies. They help individuals, families, and communities cope with various life situations and must maintain ongoing professional development. To become a social worker, one needs a degree in social work or a related discipline and a professional license or certification.
An independent social worker runs a private social service practice. While previously unheard of for a licensed clinical social worker to pursue an independent career, these social workers are now quite common. These independent social workers are governed by a regulatory body and must maintain ongoing professional development. Its services are regularly commissioned by private, public and government agencies.
The availability of an independent social worker can be a boon for government agencies with limited resources and limited budgets. They can get a flexible and experienced service provider at a lower rate than what would be possible with a full-time employee, and can also allow their staff members to perform other essential tasks. On the private front, people may find that an independent social worker may have more time available to address their individual concerns.
Initially, an independent social worker will meet with clients and discuss their particular situations. Based on this discussion, the social worker will assess your requirements and recommend social services that suit your needs. The social worker will liaise with specific service providers and health specialists on behalf of their clients.
Working with individuals, families and communities, social workers help people cope with their many life situations. These situations can include dealing with dysfunctional family conflicts and relationship issues, facing life-threatening or disabling health conditions, battling mental health issues and substance abuse, surviving sexual abuse, and dealing with unemployment and homelessness. Social workers help with the adoption and fostering of children and help care for the elderly. They work with young people to address issues related to academics, truancy, teen pregnancy, and so on. A social worker can make a lot of positive difference in people’s lives, but a social worker job can be very stressful and is best suited for driven and motivated individuals.
To start a career in social work, you must have a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a more advanced qualification in social work, sociology, psychology, education or any other related discipline. In addition to graduate school, social workers need to obtain a professional license or certification to be able to practice. A qualified independent social worker can find a variety of social worker positions in both rural and urban areas. Social worker salaries depend on experience, location and type of social work.
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