What Is Clinical Social Work?

A clinical social worker is a professional who primarily provides mental health services. Like all social workers, a clinical social worker considers environmental influences including policy, culture and community issues, however, therapeutic services are the major focus.

History

• Social work had its beginnings with the work of Jane Addams and the Settlement House movement in the early 1900’s. The increasing popularity of psychotherapy in the first half of the 20th century inspired many social workers to begin practicing individual psychotherapy, paving the way for clinical social work.

Types

• Clinical social workers specialize in a wide variety of fields and settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, prisons and addiction treatment centers.

Significance

• According to the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, there are 200,000 clinical social workers nation wide, making up the majority of providers for mental health care services.

Benefits

• Clinical social workers offer an understanding of how environment affects the individual, support for an individual’s ability to have a say in her own treatment and adherence to a specific code of ethics.

Considerations

• The requirements for the title Licensed Clinical Social Worker include a master’s degree in Social Work, 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, as well as a four-hour, multiple choice examination overseen by the Association of Social Work Boards.