Are you looking for a job in the US as a foreigner? Do you know as a social worker, you can secure a job in the US from your home country?
There are a lot of job opportunities available for social workers in the US. Hence, it doesn’t matter if you are a foreigner or a permanent resident; you can apply for the job of a social worker in the US.
However, there is a higher chance for those who have a social work license and a degree in social work or any field linked to it. Hence, in this blog, we will be giving you more information on social workers and how to apply for the job of a social worker
However, be sure to read the entire article to get all the information you need.
Who is a Social Worker?
A social worker is a skilled professional who works with all types of people, groups, and communities to help them live better lives.
They assist people with educational backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, cultural origins, religions, and disabilities.
Types of Social Workers
1. Child, family, and school
Children and their families who are having challenges with social or psychological issues in school, at home, or in their communities can seek the help of a specialized social worker.
These social workers are placed in children’s foster care and are expected to, monitor their welfare and assist adults with the process of adopting or becoming foster parents.
Schools, governments, and foster care organizations all employ them.
2. Medical and public health
This social worker assists individuals by offering survival mechanisms, counselling, and medical referrals to the patient and their families.
Hence, people dealing with health issues or chronic illnesses can work with a medical social worker to assist in handling their medical issues.
They also handle public resources, such as; Medicare and Medicaid, and coordinate their many healthcare services. Medical social workers work for hospitals, government agencies, and health care providers.
3. Mental health and substance abuse
These social workers organize and support therapy, rehab programs, and counselling for addicts and patients with mental health challenges.
They also handle outreaches and preventative programs to locate individuals in need and provide care on time. They may be employed by hospitals, residential treatment facilities, community organizations, and government agencies.
4. Community
Now, they provide resources and aid the social justice environment of a particular neighbourhood, town, or city.
They work with a large group of community members, instead of clients. Also, They also organize and develop social programs to improve the quality of life in their area. They are basically employed by local government agencies.
5. Military
These social workers monitor the well-being of service members, identify post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental health challenges and suggest a treatment plan for affected members.
They also help families manage their relative’s deployment or injuries from serving. In essence, the government employs them for the American Armed Forces.
On the other hand, they can still work in the private sector for health centers that usually serve the military.
6. Social work professional environment
They work at multiple locations, and they can have an office but they regularly work in the field, visiting clients’ homes, schools, or health care clinics.
In some cases, they may also meet with clients at their offices. They primarily work for educational institutions, medical facilities, or rehabilitation facilities.
They control their work from their office and within the employer’s facility, by monitoring their facility’s environment, scheduling meetings with individuals going through challenging times, and check-in in regularly with rehab patients to ensure progress.
List of Social Work Jobs in the USA
Different public and private organizations can employ social workers.
However, here are some of the most common social work positions:
1. Direct support professional
They help people with cerebral and developmental disabilities.
National average salary: $62,473 per year
2. Caseworker
They provide counseling and aid clients in endangered communities.
National average salary: $45,692 per year
3. Case manager
They organize the client’s care options, hasten treatment and ensure the care plan is improving the client’s mental, physical, and emotional health constantly.
National average salary: $38,788 per year
4. Program Coordinator
They manage administrative tasks, such as budgeting, organizing employees, and arranging special programs for the facility.
National average salary: $47,250 per year
5. School social worker
They focus on helping students, parents, and school faculty to locate issues that are disturbing the students’ learning.
Average national salary: $59,903 per year
Social Worker Jobs USA
Social workers play a very delicate role and are in high demand in the U.S.
They are in charge of developing the well-being of individuals and families by communicating with them, listening to them, and offering relevant solutions to enhance their lives.
Also, they communicate with and research the less privileged community, such as people living in poverty, the unemployed, the abused, prison inmates, drug addicts, etc.
Hence, if you are a social worker there is a chance for you to work and improve your career in the U.S.
Federal Government Jobs for Social Workers
Foreigners who wish to improve their social worker careers can utilize the job vacancies offered by the United States government.
Hence as a social worker, you can work under the Department of Veteran Affairs in the U.S. However, this job is only open to U.S Citizens.
Hence, foreigners might be considered if no citizen is found qualified.
Social Worker Jobs USA Requirements
Below are the basic requirements you must meet to become a social worker:
- A Bachelor’s degree in social work or other related fields
Hence, this degree must also be approved by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Additionally, in order to practice social work independently, you must have a state license. You should have either the social worker licence or the linguistic social worker licence.
- Must have good speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills.
However, when you apply for any position, the employer may request more documents from you.
Usajobs.gov
The United States government owns this website for job applications. It contains various job listings and it is created to connect federal employers with job seekers.
Hence, it is the official employment site and has made it easy for job seekers to search for federal employment chances and apply for them.
On Usajobs.gov site, most government departments post their job openings to get qualified applicants. Hence, you can apply for as many job chances as you want via this platform, including the role of a social worker.
How to Apply for Social Workers Jobs in the USA
Follow these steps below to apply for a social worker job online:
- Using a browser, go to https://www.usajobs.gov/ on your device.
- Then search for, “Social workers” via the search field.
- Enter your “City”, “State”, “ZIP code” or “Country” under location and click on the search button.
- On the other hand, you can tap on any of the categories on the right-hand side of your screen to get a more filtered search.
- Hence, if you want to apply for a Federal social worker job, click on any of the categories under “Federal Employees”.
- Be sure to read through the job listings on the page, such as the duties, requirements, documents required, and other details.
- Then, once you find a job that fits you click on “Apply Now” on the left-hand side of the page.
- On the other hand, if you already have an account, log in to your account with your “Email address” and “Password”.
- Hence, if you don’t have a USA Jobs account, click on “Create an account”.
- Once you’ve accessed your account on the platform, fill in the job application form correctly and upload every document that will be required from you.
- On the other hand, you can always log in to your account on the site to check your application status, add more job applications, save and share job opportunities etc.
