What Does it Take to Be a Healthcare Social Worker?
Career 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.
A Day in the Life of a Healthcare Social Worker
- Oversee Medicaid- and Medicare-related paperwork and recordkeeping in hospitals.
- Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and take authorized protective action when necessary.
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients’ medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
- Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients’ status.
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Healthcare Social Worker Needed 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 for this Occupation:
- Social Worker
- Healthcare Social Worker
- Family Advocate
- Group Social Worker
- Nephrology Social Worker
Is There Going to be Demand for Healthcare Social Workers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 176,500 jobs in the United States for Healthcare Social Worker. 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. There will be an estimated 22,900 positions for Healthcare Social Worker per 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.
Healthcare Social Worker Average Salary
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
- Web page design and editing software
- Calendar software
- Social Solutions ETO
How do I Become a Healthcare Social Worker?
What kind of Healthcare Social Worker requirements are there?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Who Employs Healthcare Social Workers?
The table below shows the approximate number of Healthcare Social Workers employed by various industries.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Healthcare Social Worker may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Healthcare Social Worker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Army Medicine via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia
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