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What does the work environment look like when working as a social worker in a hospital or school.?

I want to work with children so I am deciding if I want to be a social worker for a hospital or school. But I also wonder how a day to day would look like. I have talked with the few social workers I know but most of them work for the state rather then the field I want to go to though it might be the same I still want to know in what ways its different and what could be similar with work load, hours and more.

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GRETA’s Answer

Hi Kathy! Social work in schools and hospitals looks quite different! In schools you have the opportunity to be a part of that child’s education, work with teachers and even help develop programs that directly correlate with what needs the children you’re working with are facing. Children spend the majority of the their waking time at school, so you may be able to have a larger impact. In hospitals, you’ll be working with some of the most severe cases and may experience less support from the community because hospitals run at a very fast pace often with long hours and stressful conditions. Ultimately I highly recommend deciding what type of life style you’d like to live. Either way you’ll be working a full work week. A hospital might cultivate more emotional stress, but also may grant higher pay and better benefits. Your approach style might also be something to take into consideration. In hospital you’ll work with all ages, at a school you’ll work with a specific age which is also something to consider

GRETA recommends the following next steps:

Decide what age you’d like to work with
Decide how much money you’d like to make
Decide how much emotional labor you’re willing to do
Decide how much you’d like to work with others
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Chinyere’s Answer

Hello Kathy,

It’s wonderful that you’re exploring a career in social work with a focus on helping children—that’s such meaningful and impactful work! Here is a breakdown of what the work environment might look like in both settings and what day-to-day life could involve to help you decide.

Social Work in a Hospital Setting
In a hospital, you’ll likely work in a fast-paced, sometimes high-pressure environment. Your primary role would be supporting children and their families during medical crises, illnesses, or recovery. Tasks might include:
- Advocacy: Helping families navigate healthcare systems and access services like financial aid or counseling.
- Emotional Support: Providing counseling to children and families dealing with trauma, terminal illness, or other challenges.
- Coordination: Collaborating with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to develop care plans.

Workload & Hours:
- Hospital social work often requires long or irregular hours, as hospitals are 24/7 environments.
- The workload can be intense, with multiple cases to juggle, especially in pediatric units or emergency settings.

Similarities to State Work: You’ll deal with complex systems (like healthcare policies), but hospital work is usually more immediate and focused on health-related issues.

Social Work in a School Setting
In a school, your environment will typically be more structured, with regular hours tied to the school day. Your focus would be on the emotional, academic, and social well-being of children. Tasks might include:
- Counseling: Helping children cope with bullying, family issues, or mental health struggles.
- Intervention: Working with at-risk children to identify and address problems early.
- Collaboration: Partnering with teachers, parents, and administrators to create support systems for students.
- Education: Conducting workshops on topics like mental health, conflict resolution, or anti-bullying.

Workload & Hours:
- School social workers usually work during the school year, with time off during summer and holidays.
- While the environment is more predictable, the emotional demands can still be heavy, especially if you’re dealing with severe cases of abuse, neglect, or trauma.

Similarities to State Work: You’ll still interact with state agencies at times, such as child protective services, when advocating for a student’s safety.

What’s Similar Across Both Roles
- In both settings, you’ll need strong communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills.
- Both roles may involve advocating for resources or connecting children and families to broader support networks.
- The emotional demands can be high, but the reward of making a positive impact is immense.

Deciding Factors
- If you thrive in high-energy, fast-moving settings, a hospital might be the right fit.
- If you value consistency and want to build long-term relationships with children, a school might align better with your goals.

Whatever you choose, you’ll be making a huge difference in the lives of children, which is the most important thing. Keep reaching out to professionals and asking questions—it’s the best way to make an informed decision. You’ve got this!

Best wishes!
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Robert’s Answer

As I said IT IS LOUD!!! Plan on needing psychiatric treatment by the end of the first week.
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Annah’s Answer

Kathy, what a great career route! As someone who spent half my career supporting young children and families, I share your passion for this population! A social worker specializing in children/youth has several options- working within a school, working for the state (department of children, youth and families), with a children's hospital (or children's ward), with a nonprofit supporting family development, an integrative medical clinic, with the county as a program development advisor, in foster care and adoption services, homeless shelters, or in private practice. These are just a few examples. Some settings will be more stressful or fast paced- such as working in an emergency department as a crisis assessor. Some positions may tug at your heart strings more than others as you will be in a position to support kids going through the roughest situations. This may also be very rewarding work; it truly depends on what you are looking for. Many social services graduates try several different roles before settling into a longer-term position. If you attend graduate school, you will be required to participate in multiple internships, and this will also give you a better idea about post-graduate life. A day working in a school will have you interacting with students, staff, and parents. You might provide individual counseling, diagnostic assessments, group therapy, and present upon topics related to mental health within the classroom. In a hospital, you might be meeting with children prior to admission to evaluate their needs, meeting with patients at their bedside, working to educate families about mental health and how to best support their child in and out of the hospital, and connecting people with ongoing support post-hospitalization. You will develop a sense for yourself about whether you prefer working with patients directly or might rather enter into a supervision or management role. You might pursue such amazing modalities as play therapy and expressive arts therapy- both incredibly useful when working with young people (and also pretty fun)! You might even find yourself wanting to specialize in pediatric mental health supporting the youngest patients of all- newborns and infants. I wish you the best on your journey! You will figure it all out in time. Getting that hands-on experience will really make the difference and solidify your next steps.
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Nick’s Answer

Hi Kathy, I am an occupational therapist who has worked mostly in schools, but also in hospitals and subacute facilities, so my answer may not be the best as I am going on what I have witnessed. In the hospital/subacute I believe the social workers take on patient discharge/family education roles to help plan with life after discharge i.e. more services (rehab, nursing), going home vs. another facility. In the schools, I have seen social workers mostly work on new student evaluations to help determine if students need special education services or a special placement. I have also worked with social workers who have completed the LMHC (forgive me if I missed on this certification abbreviation), that work as a school counselor. In this role social workers may work with 5-10 students 1:1 and run a few groups of 3-5 students a day, or push into classes/recess to help with managing social situations, resolving conflict etc. They can also be called on to help defuse conflicts as needed throughout the day. I think building rapport with kids, actively listening, and communicating with staff/parents is crucial. I hope this is helpful. If you can observe each setting as much as you can, and ask questions. Good luck.
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