Black Intelligentsia Libraries
The New Way Of Thinking
Social Worker
Are you an extrovert who is genuinely concerned about other people and gets involved?  Do you enjoy doing community service, viewing it as an honor and responsibility instead of a punishment?  If so, and if you love Social Studies and Science and working with and helping people, then you should consider becoming a Social Worker.

Social Workers are professionals who help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives, addressing child care, foster care and adoptions, geriatrics, the disabled, people with serious illnesses, addictions, abuse, mentally ill patients, terminally ill patients, etc.  Clinical Social Workers diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues and also help doctors and other healthcare professionals understand the effects that diseases and illnesses can have on patients’ mental and emotional health. Activities include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.  

The duties of a Social Worker include but are not limited to:  identifying people who need help; assessing clients’ needs, situations, and support networks to determine goals and develop strategies/plans to improve clients’ well-being; helping clients adjust to changes and challenges in their lives (illness, divorce, unemployment, etc.); advocating for and referring clients to community and government resources (food stamps, child care, health care, Medicare, etc.); responding to crisis situations (child abuse, domestic violence, etc.); working with teachers, parents, and school administrators to develop strategies to improve students’ academic performance; arranging adoptions and finding foster homes for abandoned or abused children; working to get families back together; addressing teenage pregnancy, aggressive behavior, bullying, and truancy; developing treatment plans with clients and doctors; conducting followup visits with patients once discharged; providing individual, group, family, and couples therapy/counseling; evaluating services provided to ensure effectiveness; conducting research; and teaching at universities.

High school students interested in becoming a Social Worker benefit from taking Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Health, Geography, Life Skills, Child Development, History, Biology/Anatomy, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Nursing.  Students entering Social Work Bachelor's of Science programs from high school with no previous Social Work training should expect a period of four years to complete said program.  All states require Clinical Social Workers to be licensed, particularly in the state in which they practice. 

​Specialties in Social Work include:  Child, Family, and School (social, psychological, and academic functioning of vulnerable children and families); Healthcare (psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses); Clinical (diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders—anxiety, depression, etc.); Mental Health and Substance Abuse (mental illnesses, emotional, and substance abuse problems—alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs); Geriatric (help senior citizens find services—meals, home health care, assisted living facilities, nursing homes); Hospice and Palliative Care (help patients adjust to serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses with support groups, grief counselors, etc.); and Medical (link patients with resources in the hospital and their community).

Due to rising student enrollments, increased demand for health care and social services, and more people seeking treatment for mental illness and substance abuse, employment of Social Workers is projected to grow 19 percent over the next decade.  The best prospects will be for specialties in adoptions and foster care, healthcare, mental health, substance abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $46,480

Salary Range:  ~$28,630 - $73,060+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
​The​ normal routes to becoming a Social Worker have been to major in Social Work, Sociology, Social Science, Social Relations, Social Studies, Family and Community Services​, Psychology, and Social Science Education.

College courses include Psychology, Sociology, Geography, Political Science, and Economics, which teach students about diverse populations, human behavior, and social welfare policy.  All programs require students to complete supervised fieldwork or an internship.  Entry-level positions include Caseworker and Mental Health Assistant positions.  Becoming a licensed Clinical Social Worker requires a master’s degree (MSW), two years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience after graduation, and passing the clinical exam.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
Colleges and universities that have Social Work and related majors are:  Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, Alabama); Alabama State University (Montgomery, Alabama); Howard University (Washington, DC); Oakwood University (Huntsville, Alabama); Talladega College (Talladega, Alabama); Philander Smith College (Little Rock, Arkansas); Allen University (Columbia, South Carolina); University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, Arkansas); Delaware State University (Dover, Delaware); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC); Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida); Florida Memorial University (Miami Gardens, Florida); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, Maryland); Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama); Albany State University (Albany, Georgia); Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, Georgia); Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, Georgia); Cheyney University (Cheyney, Pennsylvania); Coppin State University (Baltimore, Maryland); Miles College (Fairfield, Alabama); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); Kentucky State University (Frankfort, Kentucky); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, Louisiana); Grambling State University (Grambling, Louisiana); Bowie State University (Bowie, Maryland); Alcorn State University (Lorman, Mississippi); Mississippi Valley State University (Itta Bena, Mississippi); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia); Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina); North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina); Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, North Carolina); Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, North Carolina); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas); Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio); Livingstone College (Salisbury, North Carolina); Winston Salem State University (Winston Salem, North Carolina); Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee); Bennett College (Greensboro, North Carolina); Saint Augustine's University (Raleigh, North Carolina); Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, Ohio); Rust College (Holly Springs, Mississippi); ​South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); LeMoyne-Owen College (Memphis, Tennessee); Jarvis Christian College (Hawkins, Texas); Texas College (Tyler, Texas); Texas Southern University (Houston, Texas); Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia); Virginia Union University (Richmond, Virginia); West Virginia State University (Charleston, West Virginia); and Bluefield State College (Bluefield, West Virginia).
Available Scholarships