Over 600,000 social workers strive every day to make a positive impact on the lives of others. If you’re passionate about helping individuals, families, organizations, and communities, a career in social work might be right for you. Social workers find themselves helping people from all walks of life in a variety of atmospheres from schools to hospitals to prisons to nursing homes and handle casework, policy analysis, research, counseling, and teaching. They deal with issues such as poverty, abuse, addiction, unemployment, death, divorce, and physical illness. If a career switch to social work appeals to you, following is a brief background of social work basics and how to make a smooth transition.

Career Outlook: According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the social work profession is expected to grow by 30% by 2010 and is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

Median Annual Earnings for Social Workers (U.S., 2004)

• Child, Family, And School Social Workers: $34,820
• Medical And Public Health Social Workers: $40,080
• Mental Health And Substance Abuse Social Workers: $33,920
• All Other Social Workers: $39,440

Education Requirements: All social workers must have a bachelors (BSW), masters (MSW), or doctoral degree (DSW or Ph.D.) and complete a predetermined number of hours in supervised fieldwork. Social workers also have to graduate from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE reports that in 2004 there were 442 BSW programs and 168 MSW programs. While some people work with only a BSW, career options are more limited, so the MSW or DSW is more common.

• BSW: Accredited BSW programs typically take four years to complete and require 400 hours of supervised field experience. With a BSW, a graduate can work in an entry-level position, such as a caseworker.

• MSW: An MSW requires two years of study and has a prerequisite of an undergraduate degree in social work, psychology, or a similar field. An MSW allows a social worker to work in a clinical setting to diagnose and treat psychological problems.

• DSW: A doctoral degree takes anywhere from 4-7 years. A DSW has extensive training in therapy and research and is qualified to teach in a university setting.

If you lack the educational or professional background, an associate’s degree may be a good place to start to see if you’re willing to make the necessary educational commitment.

For information regarding accredited social work programs, visit the Council on social work education’s website: www.cswe.org

Licensing and Exams: Social workers must be licensed. For licensing purposes, each state has its own requirements, but an MSW is usually a minimum. In addition, licensing requires 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience.

After completing school and hour requirements, social work candidates must pass an exam. The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) develops and maintains four categories of social work licensure examinations: Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist, and Clinical. Candidates should check with individual boards to find out which examinations are appropriate for the jurisdiction where they want to be licensed.

According to the ASWB’s website:

“Each examination contains 170 four-option multiple choice questions designed to measure minimum competencies at four categories of practice. Only 150 of the 170 items are scored; the remaining 20 questions are “pretest” items included to measure their effectiveness as items on future examinations. These pretest items are scattered randomly throughout the examination. Candidates have four hours to complete the test, which is administered electronically.”

For information on state licensing requirements, see the Association of Social Work Boards website: http://www.aswb.org/education/boards/

For information on exams, visit http://www.aswb.org/exam_info.shtml

Continuing Education: As part of renewing licenses every two years, almost all states require continuing education (CE) courses. Each state’s CE requirements vary in number of hours and approved courses, so be sure to check with the board over your jurisdiction to make sure you are in compliance with CE requirements. Many courses are available online, at sites such as www.speedyceus.com, which save time and money.

Types of Licenses: There are several different kinds of licenses available:
L.C.S.W. (or A.C.S.W., L.C.S., L.I.C.S.W., C.S.W.)

The licensed clinical social worker has a graduate academic degree, has completed supervised clinical work experience and has passed a national- or state-certified licensing exam. This advanced practitioner holds a license that allows him or her to receive health-care insurance reimbursements. (National Association of Social Workers)

SSW: School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School social workers are instrumental in furthering the purpose of the schools: to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence. School social workers are hired by school districts to enhance the district’s ability to meet its academic mission, especially where home, school and community collaboration is the key to achieving that mission. (School Social Work Association of America)

Other specialties and certifications, offered by the National Association of Social Workers, include:

• Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)
• Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW)
• Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW)
• Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Social Worker (C-CATODSW)
• Certified Advanced Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW)
• Certified Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
• Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM)
• Certified Social Work Case Manager (C-SWCM)
• Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)
• Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)

Rob Zawrotny
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/how-to-start-a-career-in-social-work-72394.html

There are many attractions in SA. The Eyre Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula, Murrayland, Kangaroo Island and Yorke Peninsula have magnificent beaches with various water sports activities; accessible in 20 minutes by the efficient public transport of Adelaide. What’s worth visiting will be the historic towns with shipwrecks in Fleurieu Peninsula, the mountain ranges and mysterious deserts of Flinders Range, Kangaroo Island with marine life and wildlife, the caves of Limestone Coast such as the Naracoorte Caves, Murraylands’ riverside pub and houseboats for a splendid holiday.

The 12 regions of SA with its main attractions are:-

1.      Adelaide – capital of arts & cuisine, sport & shopping, beach e.g. Glenelg with dolphin cruises, The Cedars which was home of the legendary painter Sir Hans Heysen

2.      Adelaide Hills –serene landscapes & farmsland

3.      Barossa – renowned as the wine capital of Australia

4.      Clare Valley – countryside where traditions remain

5.      Eyre Peninsula – 2,000 kilometers of coastline with national parks, ancient caves and the famous Nullarbor

6.      Fleurieu Peninsula – beach with activities such as diving, snorkeling, surfing and trailing, as well as historic towns with shipwrecks

7.      Flinders Ranges – vast mountain ranges and mysterious deserts

8.      Kangaroo Island – beaches, marine life, wildlife, vineyards & farms

9.      Limestone Coast – magnificent coastline, national parks, caves e.g. Naracoorte Caves

10. Murraylands – water sports, riverside pub and houseboats along Murray River

11. Riverland – abundant citrus fruit harvests, the world class wines & the majestic Murray River

12. Yorke Peninsula – the splendid place for holiday with beaches & national parks

Adelaide, is the capital city of SA and was named after Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV. This city was designed by Colonel William Light in 1837 with a central business district (CBD) surrounded by open parklands. Adelaide has been declared as one of the world’s most livable cities, offering diverse job opportunities and unparalleled business advantages. It’s one of the world’s least expensive cities with cost of living and price of homes that is much less than of cities like Melbourne and Sydney. Adelaide is also not a crowded city thus has abundant space for living.

Adelaide is a 20 minute city where one can leave for work later and arrive home earlier. Public transport is well-organized and managed efficiently to provide accessibility to various suburbs and regions all over South Australia as well as other states of Australia.  Car hires and other tour facilities are available all over for business traveling and holiday purposes. There are free transports such as the tram between North Terrace and South Terrace or the 99C Bus, and the Adelaide Connector Free Bus Service that connects the major facilities (universities, schools and shopping areas) within North Adelaide and Adelaide city centre. Other public transport available is the Tindo (the world’s first solar powered electric bus to complement the Adelaide Connector Free Bus Service. AdelaideMetro is the alternative public transport that connects the greater metropolitan region with trains, buses and trams for a fee. Adelaide’s International Airport, located only 5 km from the city centre, and is the newest and most efficient airport in Australia.

There is a wide range of venues and attractions in Adelaide, such as historical and cultural venues (SA Museum in North Terrace, Australian Aboriginal Cultural Gallery and Adelaide Festival Centre); recreational and national park (Botanic Gardens, Adelaide Zoo, Belair National Park) and various sports clubs. Late night shopping in large shopping mall’s like the Rundle Mall (with 800 over stores) and movies theatres, pubs and entertainment complexes are the hotspots of Adelaide. Other major shopping malls are Burnside Village (on the east); Westfield, Marion and West Lakes (on the west); Tea Tree Plaza and Modbury (on the north); and Colonnades and Noarlunga (on the south). The Marion Megaplex is the largest cinema complex in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Other activities include beach activities at the famous Glenelg with dolphin cruises and Hel-A-Va Jet Boats at Marine Pier. It would an exciting experience to cuddle a Koala or feed a kangaroo at the award-winning Cleland Wildlife Park, having 130 species of Australian wildlife. Other wildlife activities include Rodney Fox Shark Experience at Moseley Square. SA has more than 400 festivals a year, therefore it is known as the Festival State. Festivals that would interest me and my partner are the biennial Adelaide Festival, Feast Festival, Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, Bay to Birdwood Run and Classic Adelaide Rally.

The food of SA is of world-class standards and there are various Central Markets to enjoy some of the best gourmet food. Rundle Mall offers a variety of foods and cuisine with Italian-style cafes, Asian food as well as seafood. The Adelaide Central Market is located in the middle of the CBD and it has existed since 1869. Wine industry is widespread in South Australia and vineyards are located mainly in Barossa and Riverland. Food industry research and quality control ensures a huge market for the produce of Australia worldwide.

SA has world-class education system for various industries mainly automotive, bioscience, defense, resources, electronics, healthcare, information technology and wine. There are many research organizations such as the Commonwealth Scientific Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management (ICEWaRM) and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) that provide career opportunities for those keen in research and monitoring activities. In terms of healthcare facilities, there are 9 metropolitan and 25 private hospitals in SA providing world-leading clinical and research skills

There are many professional clubs and societies, such as Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, to help expand networking in certain areas of interest, as well as building professional relationships and understanding the Aussie way of life. However for a better networking with the community of SA, it is good to join the social clubs.

Hence, South Australia could be home for a rewarding career, a safe and healthy environment and quality lifestyle.

References on useful websites :

1) http://www.southaustralia.com/sg/ – a website on tons of information on the culture, attractions, activities, travel, holiday and much more in South Australia

2) http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/routes/timetableM.html – information on public transport in Adelaide and surrounding areas (with routes and schedule information etc)

3) http://www.immigration.sa.gov.au/ – website on migration to South Australia

Gurminder Kaur
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/south-australia-as-an-attractive-place-to-live-work-and-study-727613.html

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