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Careers in Social Work

Clinical social workers require scholarship and training, balanced with creativity, compassion, and a global humanist philosophy. Equality, social justice, and service are core values. Social workers provide assistance, give voice to the voiceless, and advocate for the upward mobility of individuals and communities. SSW students and graduates are exceptional people, and we are proud of their career choices. Here are just some examples:

Fields of Practice Employers
mental health community mental health centers, private practice, psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, day treatment programs, managed mental health programs, employee assistance programs, college counseling centers
health care social work hospitals and HMOs, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, group homes, community health clinics
domestic violence shelters, community crisis services, hospitals, community education
child welfare and family public and private child welfare agencies, child daycare, adoption and foster care agencies, family preservation agencies
school social work elementary and secondary schools, special education placement offices, Head Start centers, counseling centers, early intervention programs
justice and corrections court, community-based juvenile justice programs, private law offices, prisons, police departments, victim services programs
employee assistance programs corporations, labor unions, hospitals, organizational development firms
alcohol and substance abuse residential treatment, dual-diagnosis programs, methadone maintenance clinics, community development settings, inpatient and outpatient treatment centers, schools, community mental health centers
private practice private practice (psychotherapy, mediation, personal coaching)
organizational consulting corporations, NGOs, government agencies, development corporations
advocacy and community organizing grassroots community advocacy groups, community development corporations, volunteer programs
international social work international aid organizations, relief organizations, refugee programs, human rights organizations, international adoption agencies
administration and management family service agencies, child welfare departments, social service agencies, hospitals, employee assistance programs, state mental health departments
aging and gerontology hospitals and medical centers, nursing homes, senior housing facilities, senior centers, family services agencies