Clinical Social Worker

If a person is going to be a clinical social worker, there are two characteristics they are going to have to be in possession of. First and by far foremost is a genuine desire to help those in need, sometimes during very stressful and vulnerable times in their lives. And second, the grit and determination to study all the way through to a Master’s Degree in a field that they full well know, while paying decently is by no means in the upper echelon of the worker pay scale.

There are a few clinical social worker positions that will only require a Bachelor’s Degree, but the overwhelming majority will call for a Master’s. Further, if the clinical social worker intends to be involved in research, a Doctorate type of degree might also be necessary. Clinical social workers must also be well-versed in all facets of social work as well as welfare policy and development and growth.

The demand for clinical social workers is in high demand and there are no signs that it will slow down anytime soon. In fact, it can pretty much be assumed that it will even see growth in the coming years. They are in demand in places such as clinics, educational facilities and institutions, rehab centers, hospitals of all types, agencies and the court system. It is a demanding job full of challenges but also one that is extremely fulfilling.

You should also be aware that no matter how qualified you are and good your intentions may be, you are going to encounter situations that run the gamut from receptive people who look forward to the help and assistance you are offering to people who may be at their wit’s end and prone to outbursts. Face it, as mentioned above you will often be working with folks who are at their most vulnerable moments and emotionally fragile.

Pay wise you can usually look at starting off in the range of $35,000 annually, although there are many variables that can come into play that can greatly affect your pay as a clinical social worker. Geographic location and the type of entity you are working for will figure greatly into your actual pay rate. But almost all of these clinical social worker jobs come with plenty of benefits.

These will usually consist of retirement plan setups, medical and dental insurance, sick and personal leave time and paid holidays. And we must not neglect to mention that these types of positions also offer a high level of job security. So there it is; what you need to know about working as a clinical social worker.