2024 Job Aid: What Is Clinical Social Work and How Can You Become a Better Clinical Social Worker?
2024 Clinical Worker Job Aid – What You Need to Know
If you’ve ever wondered how to become a clinical social worker or how to increase your expertise as a social work clinician, this guide will help. We’ll go over the answers to “What is a clinical social worker?” and “What does a clinical social worker do?” as well as “If I am already part of a clinical psychologist private practice, how can I increase my effectiveness?”
You’ll also find details on clinical social work programs, salary, annual pay, and the difference between a clinical social worker vs psychologist. So, continue reading to dive into the world of clinical social work and learn why it’s such an important support for those suffering from mental and behavioral health issues.
What do clinical social workers do? According to the American Board of Clinical Social Work (ABCSW), clinical social workers make up the largest group of mental health healthcare providers in the country. They also provide more behavioral care across a wider variety of settings than any other profession. This makes clinical social workers one of the most important pieces of the mental health community.
What do clinical social workers do?
When researching various types of social work careers, you will often run into the term “clinical,” as in, clinical social worker or licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Every social worker by default is not qualified with the clinical designation.
Clinical social worker requirements include the need to complete a master’s degree in social work as well as a certain number of hours of clinical experience, which varies according to state. Once a professional is licensed as a social work clinician, they can perform advanced activities such as diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders.
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Do you have additional feedback about what do clinical social workers do? Or thoughts on the often asked question: “can a clinical social worker prescribe medication?” If so, contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Table of Contents: Clinical Social Work Guide
Keep on scrolling down this page to read each section or click any link below to go directly to that section.
- What Is a Clinical Social Worker?
- Clinical Social Worker vs Social Worker
- Clinical Social Worker vs Psychologist
- What Does a Clinical Social Worker Do?
- How Do You Become a Clinical Social Worker?
- Where Can You Find Licensed Clinical Social Worker Programs?
- Clinical Social Workers Salary
- Conclusion | What Is Clinical Social Work?
- FAQ | How to Become a Clinical Social Worker
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What Is a Clinical Social Worker? Definition
How do you define clinical social worker? A clinical social worker is a subset of the broader social work profession. Someone with a clinical social worker degree and certification can perform certain types of tasks beyond those that do not hold this title.
In answering the “What Is Clinical Social Work?” question, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) defines clinical social work as, “a specialty practice area of social work which focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness, emotional, and other behavioral disturbances.”
If you’re looking into clinical social work programs and are asking yourself “what’s a clinical social worker and how do I become one?”, you’ll find that to become a social work clinician, you will need to earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, plus meet additional licensing requirements explained below.
Many MSW programs will note that they prepare students for licensure, which is one of the clinical social worker requirements. The fieldwork requirements for going into clinical social work will vary by state or jurisdiction. As an example, the state of Arizona currently requires 3,200 hours of supervised social work in no less than 24 months. With 1,600 of them including direct client contact.
In Pennsylvania, the requirement is currently 3,000 hours of post-masters social work experience, with at least 1,500 of those hours being dedicated to consultation, family therapy, group therapy, assessment psychotherapy, and other therapeutic interventions.
Each state has different criteria regarding what do clinical social workers do. For more, keep on reading, and also please check your state or other jurisdiction for how it defines clinical social worker requirements for licensing.
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Do you have questions about how to get a clinical social work degree or a private practice clinical therapist salary? Or have feedback about the key differences between clinical social worker vs clinical psychologist? If so, contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Clinical Social Worker vs Social Worker – Differences and Comparisons
Beyond the need to go through additional field hours and pass a clinical social work licensing exam, how else do clinical social workers differ from those social workers that do not have that license?
- Non-Clinical Social Workers: Can become a social worker with a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field. Often, will do more referral or intake-type duties, rather than diagnosis and treatment work. This is considered a more junior position to the social work clinician.
- Clinical Social Workers: Their license gives them the ability to diagnose and treat clients, working with them one-on-one through their treatment plans. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) may also be supervising non-clinical social workers. Independent social workers working in private therapy practices are often clinical social workers.
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If you have more use cases about the difference between clinical social worker vs clinical psychologist or the difference between a clinical social worker and psychologist professional, please contact the Social Work Portal Team. Also, see below.
Clinical Social Worker vs Psychologist Comparison
A clinical social worker and a psychologist work with people in similar ways. They will assess patients to understand where any underlying mental health issues may be and then implement treatment plans to help the patient overcome psychological issues and mental health disorders.
Both may provide psychotherapy services, but their level of education and ability to cross over from diagnosis to prescribing medication is not the same in all states.
For example, a common question people ask when comparing the difference between clinical social worker and psychologist is, “can a clinical social worker prescribe medication?” The answer is, “No!” While they can assess, diagnose, and treat addictions, mental health conditions, and emotional or behavioral issues, a clinical social worker can’t prescribe medications. A psychologist might be able to prescribe medication. A handful of U.S. states allow psychologists to prescribe medication, but most do not.
When looking at LCSW vs clinical psychologist, you will find a few other distinct differences.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Social workers typically take a biopsychosocial approach, looking at physical, mental health, and social factors when treating patients. An LCSW needs to have a master’s degree at a minimum.
- Psychologist: Psychologists often focus largely on behavior and cognition when treating patients. A psychologist needs to have a Ph.D. or Psy.D. at a minimum. Psychologists may receive specialized training in giving cognitive and behavioral tests and often treat more complex or severe mental conditions.
Due to the difference in degree requirements between a clinical social worker vs clinical psychologist, becoming a clinical psychologist can take longer than becoming a clinical social worker.
Additionally, when researching the average salary for a clinical psychologist private practice and a clinical social worker private practice, you’ll likely find a difference, especially in those states that allow a psychologist to prescribe medications. Clinical psychologists typically make more than LCSWs.
Learn more about a Clinical Psychologist Private Practice.
If you have any feedback on how we can improve the section on social work vs clinical psychology, please let us know. Contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Can a Clinical Social Worker Prescribe Medication?
No! While Clinical Social Workers can assess, diagnose, and treat addictions, mental health conditions, and behavioral issues, they are not allowed to prescribe medications to patients. What about a psychologist? Can psychologists prescribe medications? The answer is that they can – depending on the state they practice at. A handful of U.S. states allow psychologists to prescribe medication, but most do not.
As of last year, five states: Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Idaho allow licensed psychologists to prescribe specific types of medication.
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What Does a Clinical Social Worker Do?
A social work clinician uses an integrated treatment model from a “person-in-environment” perspective to provide clients with therapy and psychotherapy. They largely work one-on-one with clients, though can also work with couples and groups, to diagnose and treat various mental health or psychosocial issues. This can include substance abuse, anxiety, depression, interpersonal relationship problems, behavioral issues, and more.
When you answer the question, “what’s a clinical social worker?” you also need to factor in the wide variety of settings that LCSWs can work in. They can be prison social workers, child and family social workers, addiction specialists, child welfare social workers, independent psychotherapists, and more.
Typical Clinical Social Worker Duties
- Assess and diagnose clients with psychological issues
- Create interventions based on their knowledge of various practice models and approaches
- Conduct treatment for psychological, behavioral, and emotional disorders
- Administer social service programs
- Oversee case management
- Consult with other medical professionals
- Keep detailed session notes and provide reporting on client progress
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How Do You Become a Clinical Social Worker?
Do you need a clinical social worker degree to become a clinical social worker? Well, you do need a degree, but it’s called a social work degree. You will need a Master of Social Work (MSW). This degree is the first step in how to become a clinical social worker.
The next step is to obtain the requisite number of clinical field hours. Many states require over 3,000 hours, of which a little less than half typically need to be direct social work (working directly with clients/patients). Another common requirement is that this fieldwork is done in a minimum of about two years.
Once you’ve earned your degree and the requisite number of field hours, you can then apply for a license as a clinical social worker in your state (if in the U.S.) or other jurisdiction (if not in the U.S.). This will require you to pass a licensing exam before you can be considered a clinical social worker.
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Do you have any questions about social work vs clinical psychology? Do you need more details on what is a clinical social worker? Contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Where Can You Find Licensed Clinical Social Worker Programs?
If you’re interested in pursuing a clinical social work degree, there are many Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs out there to choose from. To get a master’s degree in social work, which is required before going into clinical social work, you’ll first need a bachelor’s degree in social work or a closely related human services field.
Here are a few places you can find Master of Social work degrees:
- Simmons University
- The School of Social Work at Boise State
- The College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky
- Syracuse University Falk College of Sport & Human Dynamics
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Clinical Social Workers Salary Pay
The entry-level pay for clinical social work is approximately $42,000 per year.
What is a clinical social worker’s top salary prospect? Average salaries go as high as about $92,000 per year.
The median average annual salary for a clinical social worker is $63,056.
Experience and education will play a part in private practice clinical therapist salary and LCSW salary outlooks. Those in private practice will typically have more years of experience and can make toward the higher end of the salary scale for social work clinicians.
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Conclusion | What Is Clinical Social Work? Summary of What You Need to Know
A majority of those providing mental health support and services in the U.S. are clinical social workers. This position is crucial to many seeking help for emotional or mental health disorders.
With the additional education and fieldwork, there is a significant difference between the duties of a clinical social worker vs social worker. Some may even argue that the gap is wider than the one between an LCSW vs clinical psychologist since in most states, psychologists also cannot prescribe medications.
If you’re planning a career in social work, then you may want to seriously consider earning your license in clinical social work so you can more fully treat and aid individuals in their mental health journeys.
We hope this guide has been able to provide you with information on clinical social work, the difference between clinical social worker and psychologist, and more.
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FAQ | How to Become a Clinical Social Worker
What are the duties of a clinical social worker?
Typical Clinical Social Worker Duties
•Assess and diagnose clients with psychological issues
•Create interventions based on their knowledge of various practice models and approaches
•Conduct treatment for psychological, behavioral, and emotional disorders
•Administer social service programs
•Oversee case management
•Consult with other medical professionals, like doctors and therapists
•Keep detailed session notes and provide reporting on client progress
What is a clinical social worker vs social worker?
How do you define clinical social worker? A clinical social worker is a subset of the broader social work profession. Someone with a clinical social worker degree and certification can perform certain types of tasks beyond those that do not hold this title.
Their license gives them the ability to diagnose and treat clients (non-clinical social workers cannot). A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) may also be supervising non-clinical social workers.
What’s the difference between a clinical social worker vs psychologist?
A clinical social worker and a psychologist work with people in similar ways. They will assess patients to understand where any underlying mental health issues may be and then implement treatment plans to help the patient overcome psychological issues and mental health disorders.
Both may provide psychotherapy services, but their level of education and ability to cross over from diagnosis to prescribing medication is not the same in all states. Additionally, a social work clinician needs a master’s degree, and a psychologist needs at least a doctorate degree.
What qualifications are required for clinical social work?
To become a clinical social worker, you need a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and the requisite number of field hours (usually over 3,000 performed over two years minimum.)
You can then apply for a license as a clinical social worker in your state (if in the U.S.) or another jurisdiction (if not in the U.S.). This will require you to pass a licensing exam before you can be considered a clinical social worker.
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