What is the career path to a career in social services?

I did not know in high school that I wanted to be a social worker. I initially planned to go to school pre-med and eventually become a
doctor. During college, I began taking the science classes required for medical school and volunteered in a hospital. I decided that I
wanted to be a psychology major, while pursing the pre-med track, since I enjoyed the courses. As I continued taking psychology courses and science courses, I found that I did not enjoy the science courses and soon decided that I was not interested in going to medical school. The summer after my sophomore year of college, I worked in an assisted living facility and the supervisor was a social worker. From there, I realized that I wanted to work with older adults as a therapist. I continued as a psychology major and during my senior year of college applied to masters degree programs in social work. I decided to attend NYU, as the program focuses on clinical social work, which consists mainly of therapy. The masters in social work program includes 2 years of coursework and internship 3 days per week. The internship helped hone my skills as a social worker. After graduating, I got a job as a hospital social worker on a surgery unit. From there, I switched to a geriatric medicine position, then geriatric psychiatry. I still work
on the geriatric psychiatry unit and am pursing a PhD in social welfare. My dissertation is focusing on the knowledge and attitudes of
healthcare professionals toward older adult sexuality. A degree in social work allows you to pursue a career in clinical practice, policy, administration, or research.

Social workers offer a broad range of services at the federal, state and local levels. They work with populations from infants to the elderly and may serve diverse cultural groups. Depending on their specialty, these public servants are found in government agencies, community centers, schools, hospitals, hospices, mental health clinics and career centers. Social workers identify those who need help, assess their situations and develop plans to address their needs. Duties may include face-to-face counseling, resource assessment, responding to crisis situations and advocating for the well being of clients. Social workers begin with an education that introduces them to the code of ethics, policies and opportunities found in the field. They often earn a license to practice, and they may work with others in a group setting or see clients one on one in their own personal practice. Social workers help individuals, families and communities with everything from physical and mental health difficulties to social and financial issues, such as acquiring welfare, social security or other types of funding. In a way, this makes a social worker a jack of all trades in the realm of helping members of society achieve a better quality of life.

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT SOCIAL WORK CAREERS
Although all social workers share a common goal of helping others, professionals have the opportunity to specialize their services and focus on certain populations. The National Association of Social Workers lists 10 specialty practice sections in the field.

Administration or Supervision
Aging
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Child Welfare
Health
Mental Health
Private Practice
School Social Work
Social and Economic Justice and Peace
Social Work and the Courts

SOCIAL WORKER CAREER BASICS
Social workers offer a broad range of services at the federal, state and local levels. They work with populations from infants to the elderly and may serve diverse cultural groups. Depending on their specialty, these public servants are found in government agencies, community centers, schools, hospitals, hospices, mental health clinics and career centers. Social workers identify those who need help, assess their situations and develop plans to address their needs. Duties may include face-to-face counseling, resource assessment, responding to crisis situations and advocating for the well being of clients. Social workers begin with an education that introduces them to the code of ethics, policies and opportunities found in the field. They often earn a license to practice, and they may work with others in a group setting or see clients one on one in their own personal practice. Social workers help individuals, families and communities with everything from physical and mental health difficulties to social and financial issues, such as acquiring welfare, social security or other types of funding. In a way, this makes a social worker a jack of all trades in the realm of helping members of society achieve a better quality of life.

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT SOCIAL WORK CAREERS
Although all social workers share a common goal of helping others, professionals have the opportunity to specialize their services and focus on certain populations. The National Association of Social Workers lists 10 specialty practice sections in the field.

Administration or Supervision
Aging
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Child Welfare
Health
Mental Health
Private Practice
School Social Work
Social and Economic Justice and Peace
Social Work and the Courts

Each specialty may have different job duties. For example, some social workers, such as those in private practice, provide clinical services including one-on-one therapy. Others may have positions with a greater emphasis on developing education initiatives for families, schools or communities. Some social workers lead group sessions in rehabilitation clinics to assist those battling addiction. Others counsel families dealing with domestic violence, poverty or divorce, which may include children or parents specifically or the family unit as a whole. These are just a few of the many roles social workers play in society.

Source: http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/social-worker/