Western Washington Area Health Education Center
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
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WWAHEC
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
Health
Professionals/
Student Placement
Health Career
Information
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
HOPE
Preceptor & Site Resources
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Volunteer/Retired
Providers Program
K-12 Learning Resources
aka Science
Allied Health
Health Career
Information
HOPE
Health Career Ambassadors
Health Career
Job Descriptions
Scholarship Info
Distance Learning
Statewide Office
of Rural Health
Community Health
Assessment, Planning
& Development
Primary Care
Provider Recruitment
Shop
Health Career Information
Medical Social Worker
Job description
Social workers deal with a wide range of problems, i.e., inadequate housing, unemployment, lack of job skills, financial mismanagement, substance abuse, serious illness/disabilities, unwanted pregnancies, child/spouse abuse and antisocial behaviors.
The medical social worker helps patients and their families with problems that accompany illness or inhibit recovery and rehabilitation. The medical social worker collects patient information to help other health professionals understand social, emotional, and environmental factors underlying a patient's illness. Patient counseling is an important part of the medical social worker's role. This traditional role has been expanded since technology has made it possible for very sick patients to live months or even years longer. Assisting the family care giver has created new roles for medical social workers. Discharge planning is an important part of the job.
Activities may include
●
interview and counsel individual patients and families
●
compile records and evaluate information
●
assist patients to improve their personal and social functioning
●
make case plans
●
refer patients to other professionals and community resources
●
coordinate and work with the community to combat social problems
Specialties
A few medical social workers specialize in such fields as geriatrics, organ transplants, pediatrics or obstetrics.
Salaries and benefits*
Entry-level Social Workers earn about $1,127 to $1,740 per month. A Social Worker 1 working for the State of Washington earns $2,156 to $2,725 per month. One must have a bachelor's degree and two years of work experience, or a master's degree and one year of experience. A Psychiatric Social Worker 1 with a master's degree in an appropriate social science area and three years of experience earns $2,596 to $3,010 per month. Working for Yakima County, Case Monitors earn $1,379 to $1,743 per month. Human Service Social Workers employed by the City of Tacoma earn $2,879 to $3,501 per month. Working for King County, they can earn $2,785 to $3,538 per month. In Eastern Washington, Social Workers with a bachelor's degree working for non-profit and social service agencies average $1.560 to $2,400 per month, while those with master's degrees average $1,750 to $2,825 per month. Working for health care facilities in the Pacific Northwest, Social Workers with a bachelor's degree and one year of experience average $2,598 to $3,073 per month. Statewide, Social Workers average $2,171 to $3,406 per month. Nationally, recent college graduates with a bachelor's degree in social work average $1,822 per month. Most medical social workers work for a hospital, governmental or not-for-profit agency, where they receive full benefits.
Training and requirements
Most medical social workers earn a master's degree (MSW). The MSW program provides both fundamental social work knowledge and the opportunity to focus on a special area. An entry level with a social work degree (BSW) must complete the bachelor's degree in which social work courses are undertaken in the last two years of study.
In Washington State, medical social work program courses are offered at the Bachelor's level at Pacific Lutheran University. Eastern Washington University, the University of Washington and Walla Walla College also offer MSW programs.
Necessary skills
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maturity
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self-confidence
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excellent oral and written communication skills
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clear understanding of the values, ethics, knowledge and skills of a helping professional
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ability to work in isolation and make independent judgments
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understanding of the value of team work
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acceptance and appreciation of individual differences and contributions
Licensure/Certification
Master's level medical social workers are eligible for membership in the National Association of Social Workers which administers the Academy of Certified Social Worker (ACSW) certification for independent practice. The ACSW also sponsors a program for advanced clinical practice certification.
Helpful high school courses
Include algebra, English literature and composition, family living, foreign languages, social studies, government, political science, history, psychology, and sociology.
Colleges/Vocational Schools in Washington State
●
Eastern
Washington University
School of Social Work and Human Services
203 Senior Hall
Cheney, WA 99004-2444
(509) 359-6483
EWU offers part-time MSW programs at the following locations:
●
Pacific Lutheran University (BSW only)
Department of Sociology and Social Work
Tacoma, WA 98447-0003
(253) 535-7294
●
University of Washington
School of Social Work
4101 15th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105-6299
(206) 543-5676
●
Walla Walla College
The School of Social
Work
204 South College Ave
College Place, WA 99324
(800) 854-8678
Outlook*
The job outlook for medical social workers is good and expected to grow faster than average through the year 2005. In areas less populated with college graduates, the supply of qualified applicants is smaller, and in some areas there are shortages of job seekers with graduate degrees in social work.
Professional Associations
●
American Association of State Social Work Boards
400 South Ridge Parkway, Suite B
Culpepper, VA 22701
(800) 225-6880
(540) 829-6880
http://www.aasswb.org
●
National Association of Social Workers
750 First St. NE, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002-4241
(202) 408-8600
(800) 638-8799
http://www.socialworkers.org
* Note: General career descriptions are updated as necessary, however salary expectations and projected outlooks have not been updated since 2000. Go to Workforce Explorer Washington and search your career for the most up-to-date salary and job growth expectations. Washington Healthcare Careers and Workforce College are also good resources for job information.
For additional information, contact your school's career counselor or
WWAHEC
2033 Sixth Avenue, Ste. 310
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: 206.441.7137
Fax: 206.441.7158
Page updated 9/15/04