What You Need to Know About Healthcare Social Worker
Position Description Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services. May also provide care and case management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Life As a Healthcare Social Worker
- Develop or advise on social policy and assist in community development.
- Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient.
- Supervise and direct other workers providing services to clients or patients.
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients’ medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field.
- Oversee Medicaid- and Medicare-related paperwork and recordkeeping in hospitals.
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Healthcare Social Worker Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Healthcare Social Workers say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Related Job Titles
- Medical Case Worker
- Disability Advocate
- Healthcare Advocate
- Disability Coordinator
- Hospice Social Worker
Healthcare Social Worker Job Outlook
In the United States, there were 176,500 jobs for Healthcare Social Worker in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 20.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 35,500 new jobs for Healthcare Social Worker by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 22,900 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Healthcare Social Worker are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Maine, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Healthcare Social Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Healthcare Social Workers ranges between about $34,210 and $84,870 a year.
Healthcare Social Workers who work in California, Alaska, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Healthcare Social Workers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,740 |
| Alaska | $70,620 |
| Arizona | $62,920 |
| Arkansas | $46,310 |
| California | $76,450 |
| Colorado | $52,150 |
| Connecticut | $72,640 |
| Delaware | $55,870 |
| District of Columbia | $72,090 |
| Florida | $50,950 |
| Georgia | $53,110 |
| Hawaii | $66,210 |
| Idaho | $56,080 |
| Illinois | $52,830 |
| Indiana | $51,710 |
| Iowa | $51,360 |
| Kansas | $53,580 |
| Kentucky | $50,340 |
| Louisiana | $53,460 |
| Maine | $52,830 |
| Maryland | $58,350 |
| Massachusetts | $61,960 |
| Michigan | $56,830 |
| Minnesota | $58,670 |
| Mississippi | $48,080 |
| Missouri | $46,370 |
| Montana | $49,570 |
| Nebraska | $48,230 |
| Nevada | $82,820 |
| New Hampshire | $64,570 |
| New Jersey | $64,570 |
| New Mexico | $55,490 |
| New York | $62,280 |
| North Carolina | $54,730 |
| North Dakota | $53,300 |
| Ohio | $52,910 |
| Oklahoma | $48,580 |
| Oregon | $70,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,770 |
| Rhode Island | $57,620 |
| South Carolina | $57,660 |
| South Dakota | $43,350 |
| Tennessee | $50,700 |
| Texas | $59,090 |
| Utah | $63,200 |
| Vermont | $57,900 |
| Virginia | $57,510 |
| Washington | $62,180 |
| West Virginia | $49,440 |
| Wisconsin | $52,300 |
| Wyoming | $57,270 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Healthcare Social Workers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Healthcare Social Workers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Microsoft Publisher
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Corel WordPerfect
- Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- Relational database software
- Calendar software
- Social Solutions ETO
- Web page design and editing software
How do I Become a Healthcare Social Worker?
What kind of Healthcare Social Worker requirements are there?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Healthcare Social Worker?
Healthcare Social Workers Sector
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Healthcare Social Worker may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Healthcare Social Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Army Medicine via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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