10.6 Social Worker
Karen Piette, MHS, CMA
A rewarding career that focuses on improving the well-being of individuals, families, and communities, social work utilizes various disciplines, including sociology, psychology, healthcare, community development, and policy. Social workers conduct assessments, develop interventions, and work to improve social functioning within communities. Their focus on well-being often includes empowering individuals and advocating for social justice.
Social work is a practice-based profession, with social workers working on the following three levels:
- Micro-level: Social workers at this level work directly with individuals and families, addressing issues such as housing, mental health disorders, behavioral health, and access to healthcare and social services.
- Mezzo-level: At this level, social workers target organizations, such as neighborhoods, nonprofits, schools, and other small communities. The goal is to bring about positive changes that benefit a larger group of people.
- Macro-level: Social workers at the macro level implement systemic changes, including influencing laws, advocating for government petitions, and changing social policies to benefit communities on a larger scale.
These three levels are interrelated and wide-reaching. Social workers need a comprehensive understanding of all three to perform their jobs effectively.
Social workers may work in medical settings such as hospitals and medical centers, where they can specialize in pediatrics, oncology, nephrology, or transplant care. They may also serve in roles such as hospital administrators, managers of allied health programs, or leaders in mental and behavioral health services and community outreach programs.
Skill Stitch: Motivational Interviewing
A common evidence-based approach to behavior change is motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing is a communication style that emphasizes respectful guidance and empowerment. The healthcare professional must have strong listening skills and refrain from offering unsolicited advice. Instead, they engage the patient or client as an equal partner in the process. This collaborative approach prioritizes partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation (providing resources for change).
Motivational interviewing is applied across various settings—healthcare, human services, and education—and with diverse populations, including different age groups, ethnicities, and gender identities. It is commonly used with patients or clients in behavioral health clinics, physician’s offices, and hospitals, addressing issues such as medication adherence, substance use, illegal behaviors, gambling, parenting, risky sexual behavior, and mental health conditions.
Key skills of healthcare professionals during motivational interviewing include:
- Using open ended questions to explore the individual’s experiences, perspectives and ideas
- Providing affirmations of strengths to build the individual’s confidence
- Expr