Those pursuing a career in social work usually find it difficult to establish the key differences between a clinical social worker and a non-clinical worker. Both of these professions share a common background, but they are quite different in terms of the entire qualifications, duties they are tasked with, and other social functions.
This is a clear indication that social workers should have a proper educational background, desire to pursue this career as well as their state of residence in relation to the job and the environment they will stay when pursuing their career. Before you embark in selecting either side of this well-known profession, it’s important to understand the outstanding characteristics of each one of them.
In this article, we are going to look at the key differences between the non-clinical social workers and licensed clinical social workers.
Non-Clinical Social Workers
Most of the non-clinical social workers discharge their roles in a private capacity or with a social work firm or with organizations whose aim is not to make profits (charitable organizations). Every non-clinical social worker is required to have a bachelor’s degree from an acknowledged institution as opposed to clinical social workers who are entitled to more than just a mere degree.
Since they are not highly educated and they are more flexible by definition, social workers who prefer a non-clinical occupation can be assigned duties in a variety of settings where they can provide their clients with the necessary help they may require or in solving common issues.
Most of the social workers who are involved in non-clinical work offer services like job and career counseling, after-school services, as well as educational counseling. They may try to get rid of the major social problems especially in troubled communities or they may provide their services to both the state and federal agencies.
Non-clinical social workers are not limited to working in private sectors, but they can also work in public sectors by getting involved in things such as social assistance and welfare policies. They can offer rehabilitation services or make consultations with companies mandated to offer rehabilitation to individuals with substance abuse issues, anger management issues, and many other problems.
Clinical Social Workers
The educational requirements for those in need of working in a clinical capacity are at least a master’s degree in social work as opposed to non-clinical workers whose requirements is a degree from an accredited institution. An MSW provides clinical social experts the right combination of support skills and advanced counseling and also the medical knowledge that is very useful in some of the careers that fall under the clinical sector.
To perform clinical services at any level, clinical workers have to been licensed by the state, but the exact requirements to get licensed varies from one state to the other. In order to be licensed by the state, a clinical social worker is to apply for the LCSW exam and after completing this test successfully they are issued with a license permitting them to work in different parts of the state.
Only licensed clinical social workers are allowed to pursue jobs in this industry. Some of the jobs performed by the clinical workers include handling divorce, addressing either the spouse or child abuse, working with children who have been victimized as they may require all sorts of support, long term treatment, and also offering medical assistance.
Passing the LCSW exam can be a very daunting task, but with perseverance it can help you pursue a very respectable career in which you can truly help people. It’s good to try to pass this test in your first attempt as it will cost money to sign up for the test. Dedicated LCSW test prep is essential to all students aspiring to become clinical social workers.
By taking the steps to become a licensed clinical social worker, you are making the decision to help people who need your assistance and make your community a better place.