Online Education Teaches Students the Necessary Skills Required for a Career in Social Work
If considering pursing your degree in social work through distance education, you have made a wise choice indeed. Currently, the United States has a very high demand for skilled professionals in the social work field. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts social work will be one of the fast growing professions in the future, with a 30% increase in employment opportunities by 2010. Not to mention, social work provides potential candidates with a variety of specialty fields to pursue, including substance abuse, mental health, domestic abuse, crisis intervention, community-based services, and more. Fortunately, the growth in online education has made easier than ever to earn your online degree in social work, no matter what the specialty area you choose.
Social workers have a critical set of responsibilities that can often prove quite demanding on individuals. These duties can range from preventing to treating mental illness to resolving social problems, such as insufficient housing, access to disability resources, treatment for substance abuse, and providing legal support for child and domestic abuse victims. As a social worker, you will encounter all types of difficult living situations and, therefore, needs to be thoroughly prepared to handle all possible situations. In addition, social workers are individuals who truly need to have a passion for the profession because the compensation is often less than average. The median annual salary ranges from $32,000 to $37,000. While social work ranks on the lower end of the pay scale, many individuals find themselves drawn to the profession due to a greater need to make a difference in the community and people’s lives.
An online social work degree will teach you how to change other’s lives for the better and set these once-troubled individuals down a path of positive well-being and success. Online programs in social work focus on teaching students how to deal with crisis in individual, organizational, and family settings. Brescia University’s online bachelor’s degree program in social work concentrates on educating its students in the prevention and remediation of social problems. Brescia’s social work program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The diversity provided by online programs in social work is often considered one of its greatest benefits. The wide spectrum of possible specialties and career fields allows students to mold their educational needs to their professional goals. If your passion is to work with elderly patients, an online degree in social work can properly prepare you for a career in a nursing home environment. Or, maybe, you find yourself drawn to reaching out to troubled teens; an online degree in social work is an easy step toward this career. Pursuing your online social work degree will literally open up many windows of opportunity for you that it can truly be a life changing and self fulfilling experience.
This type of degree is one that should be pursued by a very special group of individuals, who want to devote their careers to the recovery and improvement of those less fortunate and in crisis situations. After earning your online degree in social work, you will be prepared to face a challenging set of responsibilities, including dealing with abuse, addiction, illness, unemployment, poverty, discrimination, aging, and educational problems. In the end, it is the role of a social worker to help these individuals cope more effectively. Once entering the profession, it becomes your goal as a social worker to protect, provide aide, and counsel these individuals and families toward a healthier lifestyle.
If you are interested in learning more about an online degree program in social work, explore the opportunities awaiting you at Brescia University.