Healthcare Social Workers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $36K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $45K
Median Salary: $57K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $72K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $87K
Demand
Core Tasks
Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and take authorized protective action when necessary.
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.
Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.
Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients' status.
Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient.
Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.
Supervise and direct other workers providing services to clients or patients.
Oversee Medicaid- and Medicare-related paperwork and recordkeeping in hospitals.
Plan and conduct programs to combat social problems, prevent substance abuse, or improve community health and counseling services.
Develop or advise on social policy and assist in community development.
Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Psychology
98%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Therapy and Counseling
95%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
English Language
88%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Sociology and Anthropology
88%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Customer and Personal Service
79%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training
71%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Philosophy and Theology
63%
Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Clerical
61%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Law and Government
60%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Administration and Management
59%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Top 10 Skills
Social Perceptiveness
85%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
83%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking
83%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
80%
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.
Coordination
80%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Complex Problem Solving
78%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Writing
78%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
75%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Expression
83%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity
80%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
80%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
80%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Inductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Written Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Fluency of Ideas
75%
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
94%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
91%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information
90%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
89%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Documenting/Recording Information
87%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
86%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
85%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
85%
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
83%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
81%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Detailed Work Activities
Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients.
Confer with clients to discuss treatment plans or progress.
Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
Refer individuals to educational or work programs.
Refer clients to community or social service programs.
Develop treatment plans for patients or clients.
Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress.
Maintain client records.
Collect information about clients.
Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
Evaluate potential problems in home or work environments of clients.
Counsel clients or patients with substance abuse issues.
Counsel family members of clients or patients.
Modify treatment plans to accommodate client needs.
Supervise workers providing client or patient services.
Plan programs to address community health issues.
Advise others on social or educational issues.
Conduct research on social issues.
Investigate legal issues.
Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
Work Context
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Social
100%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
58%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
48%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising
48%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
43%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
15%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Concern for Others
100%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Integrity
100%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self Control
96%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability
95%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance
95%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
93%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Cooperation
92%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Social Orientation
92%
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Attention to Detail
87%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Persistence
87%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
Relationships
96%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
