What does a licensed social worker do

The Licensed Social Worker is a specially trained Social Worker who has met requirements for licensure in order to help clients with mental health issues. The Licensed Social Worker brings a special “Social Work” frame to the realm of mental health healing. While the Licensed Social Worker is trained to work with all types of clients, many Licensed Social Workers have chosen to specialize in working with a sub-set of the population such as: Children, adolescents, couples, groups, and adults with specific mental issues such as addiction. Other Licensed Social Workers will use their training to work in different capacities such as with fellow social workers as part of a research team or becoming administrators within Human Services agencies.

How an LSW is a Service to Society

Few things are as impactful for people as helping them to resolve emotional pains through comprehensive, strength based therapy. Many people are nothing short of crippled in many areas of their life due to unresolved traumas.

By freeing people from the burdens of past pain and helping them unravel self-defeating patterns, the Licensed Social Work provides an invaluable service toward helping people live fulfilling and happy lives. Nothing is of greater value than being able to live life to its fullest and overcome perceived barriers in order to find success and joy in all realms of life.

Impact on Society

The impact on society of this kind of work is both profound and also subtle. As people go through the healing process of resolving trauma and emotional wounds, the also free up enormous stores of creative potential. This in turn is something they can harness in their personal and professional lives.

As each member of society heals, they are able to add their powerful expressions of creative toward the greater good of their organizations, families and society as a whole. This creates a cascade effect as happiness is in fact contagious and it also models for others the kind of freedom and positivity they can experience by resolving their issues. The impact on society of the Licensed Social Worker is one that is hard to measure, but is without question a huge boon.

Education Required to Join the Workforce

Licensure requirements for social work vary from state to state and you can learn about the requirements of your state on our home page.

In most states, to hold the title of Licensed Social Worker, you will need to have earned your Bachelor of Science in Social Work or a highly related field in order to be accepted into a Master of Social Work program which you must then complete to earn your Master of Social Work (MSW) degree.

Once you have your degree, you will need to accumulate clinical experience under the supervision of a Licensed Social Worker in an amount determined by your state. There is often also a Jurisprudence examination as well as an exam created by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) which will vary depending on your state.

Range of Salaries for this Job

For Licensed Social Workers the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports an annual mean wage of between: $40,740 and $70,660 this will of course vary depending on the state and the form of employment. For example, there is a significant difference in wages earned by those working for a state government vs. those who open their own private practice.

What’s Next to Pursue a Career as a Licensed Social Worker?

If you have yet to earn your Bachelor’s degree, the first step is finding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program, which you will need to complete while earning at least a 3.0 GPA. Once you have your BSW, you will need to find a school that has a Master of Social Work (MSW) program that has an emphasis that appeals to you.

Social workers are the unsung heroes in our communities. They work in our hospitals, schools, criminal justice system and elsewhere to preserve the quality of life for those around them. Many people would agree they do so without receiving enough recognition for their tireless efforts.

Our communities are slowly beginning to view social workers as the superheroes they are, but there’s so much more to this dynamic field than many realize. For example, did you know there are three main types of professionals under the umbrella of social work? There are macro social workers (those providing indirect service), direct service social workers and clinical social workers.

Macro social workers work behind the scenes to indirectly benefit individuals at the institutional or policy level. These are the social workers fighting for improvements, support and change across the industry.

Direct service and clinical social workers stand firmly on the front lines, working face-to-face with individuals and families in need. The former requires a bachelor’s degree, while the latter requires a master’s—but do their differences span further than just degree disparity?

We spoke with a handful of social work experts to help us understand the nuances of clinical social work so that you can determine your path in the field. Take a look at what they had to say.

What sets clinical social work apart?

Clinical social work was named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Healthcare Jobs and 100 Best Jobs overall for 2015. All clinical social workers are required to earn a master’s degree in the field as well as state-specific licensure, and they earn a median annual salary of $50,820.* Add that to the 19 percent projected growth of the field, and the decision to pursue this meaningful career becomes more and more clear.

But you’re likely wondering what differentiates clinical social work from other specialties in the field. “What sets clinical social workers apart from other disciplines is our educational training regarding the person in the context of their families and communities,” explains Karen Koenig, author and licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

Clinical social workers operate from a “person-in-environment” perspective, considering not only their individual client, but also the communities to which they belong, from family to vocational environments, and everything in between. That is to say, clinical social workers are trained to recognize that individual clients are not “islands unto themselves,” but are integral to a much larger system, according to Carolyn Esparza, who worked for years as a LCSW and now practices within her local criminal justice system.

This integrated treatment model and increased educational requirement inevitably expands the scope of work for clinical social workers. Unlike bachelor-level professionals in the field, they can do the following:

• Provide clients with relevant therapy and psychotherapy
• Assess and diagnose clients with psychological conditions
• Administer interventions and evidence-based treatment
• Oversee case management  

“Clinical social workers…possess both a generalist social work foundation, as well as advanced knowledge of theory and practice related to prevention and treatment of psychological and behavioral disorders,” explains Michelle Comtois, LCSW and vice president of programs at First Call Alcohol/Drug Prevention & Recovery.  

What to expect as a clinical social worker

The increased assessment and treatment capability of clinical social workers is bound to add more to the plates of these impactful professionals. So what does a day in the life of a clinical social worker actually look like?

Well, that answer is more complicated than you might think, because—you guessed it—it’s different for everyone.

“Nothing prepared me for the fact that, as a social worker, no two days would ever be the same,” says Esparza. “Therefore, to be most effective, students must become exceptionally comfortable with being flexible.”

Your daily duties will be wholly dependent on the setting in which you work—and there are a lot of options for clinical social workers, ranging from hospitals and private practices to public schools and rehabilitation facilities. But there are a few things you can expect regardless of where you work.

“Typically, being a clinical social worker entails providing some form of therapy or counseling to a person and/or family,” explains Tomanika Witherspoon, a LCSW who works both within her own private practice, as well as at a residential treatment facility. Her daily duties include administering individual, group or family therapy; completing initial and quarterly treatment plans; preparing court reports and sometimes attending or testifying at hearings; and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams regarding client concerns, treatment plans and medication reviews.

Koenig, who operates a private practice in addition to administering volunteer counseling at a local women’s center, completes many of the same tasks in her day-to-day life as a LCSW. “My day consists of sessions with clients, taking notes, emailing with them, billing, fielding phone calls from current and prospective clients to make appointments, speaking with trusted colleagues about how to handle difficult cases and marketing to drive more business my way.”

The best clinical social workers are well-rounded in their skill sets, but also adaptable and able to think quickly on their feet. “Allowing myself to remain exceptionally flexible has afforded me the most fulfilling of all social work experiences,” Esparza says.

Make a difference as a clinical social worker

The flexible and skillful application of knowledge, theories, values and methods in a biopsychosocial approach is the hallmark of clinical social work, according to the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work (ABECSW).

In addition to adhering to a code of ethics within their practices, it is always important for clinical social workers to remember what drew them to the field in the first place. Revisiting the purpose behind one’s practice is a highly-recommended tactic to avoid social work burnout. “Clinical social work presents amazing opportunities to learn, to support people who are struggling and to witness the incredible strength and resilience of those pursuing recovery and wellness,” Comtois says.

If you’re interested in learning more about restoring the health, wellness and quality of life for those around you with a career in clinical social work, visit The College of St. Scholastica’s master of social work (MSW) program page to request more information.

*Salary data represents national, averaged earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries and employment conditions in your area may vary.

What is the main duties of a social worker?

What is the difference between a clinical social worker and a therapist?

What are 3 things social workers do?

What can an LSW do in Colorado?