Life As a Healthcare Social Worker
Career Description Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services. May also provide care and case management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Life As a Healthcare Social Worker: What Do They Do?
- Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
- Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.
- Develop or advise on social policy and assist in community development.
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients’ medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
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What a Healthcare Social Worker Should Know
Below is a list of the skills most Healthcare Social Workers say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Related Job Titles
- Geriatric Social Worker
- Oncology Social Work
- Medical Case Manager
- Certified Social Workers In Health Care
- Discharge Planner
Job Opportunities for Healthcare Social Workers
In the United States, there were 176,500 jobs for Healthcare Social Worker in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 20.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 35,500 new jobs for Healthcare Social Worker by 2026. There will be an estimated 22,900 positions for Healthcare Social Worker per year.
The states with the most job growth for Healthcare Social Worker are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Maine, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Healthcare Social Worker
Healthcare Social Workers make between $34,210 and $84,870 a year.
Healthcare Social Workers who work in California, Alaska, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Healthcare Social Workers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,740 |
| Alaska | $70,620 |
| Arizona | $62,920 |
| Arkansas | $46,310 |
| California | $76,450 |
| Colorado | $52,150 |
| Connecticut | $72,640 |
| Delaware | $55,870 |
| District of Columbia | $72,090 |
| Florida | $50,950 |
| Georgia | $53,110 |
| Hawaii | $66,210 |
| Idaho | $56,080 |
| Illinois | $52,830 |
| Indiana | $51,710 |
| Iowa | $51,360 |
| Kansas | $53,580 |
| Kentucky | $50,340 |
| Louisiana | $53,460 |
| Maine | $52,830 |
| Maryland | $58,350 |
| Massachusetts | $61,960 |
| Michigan | $56,830 |
| Minnesota | $58,670 |
| Mississippi | $48,080 |
| Missouri | $46,370 |
| Montana | $49,570 |
| Nebraska | $48,230 |
| Nevada | $82,820 |
| New Hampshire | $64,570 |
| New Jersey | $64,570 |
| New Mexico | $55,490 |
| New York | $62,280 |
| North Carolina | $54,730 |
| North Dakota | $53,300 |
| Ohio | $52,910 |
| Oklahoma | $48,580 |
| Oregon | $70,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,770 |
| Rhode Island | $57,620 |
| South Carolina | $57,660 |
| South Dakota | $43,350 |
| Tennessee | $50,700 |
| Texas | $59,090 |
| Utah | $63,200 |
| Vermont | $57,900 |
| Virginia | $57,510 |
| Washington | $62,180 |
| West Virginia | $49,440 |
| Wisconsin | $52,300 |
| Wyoming | $57,270 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Healthcare Social Workers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Healthcare Social Workers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Microsoft Publisher
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Corel WordPerfect
- Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- Relational database software
- Calendar software
- Social Solutions ETO
- Web page design and editing software
How do I Become a Healthcare Social Worker?
What kind of Healthcare Social Worker requirements are there?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Healthcare Social Worker?
Who Employs Healthcare Social Workers?
Healthcare Social Workers work in the following industries:
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Healthcare Social Worker may also be interested in:
Those who work as a Healthcare Social Worker sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Army Medicine via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia
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