Life As a Healthcare Social Worker

Position Description Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services. May also provide care and case management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.

Life As a Healthcare Social Worker

• Plan and conduct programs to combat social problems, prevent substance abuse, or improve community health and counseling services.
• Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
• Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.
• Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients’ status.
• Oversee Medicaid- and Medicare-related paperwork and recordkeeping in hospitals.
• Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients’ medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.

Healthcare Social Worker Required Skills

These are the skills Healthcare Social Workers say are the most useful in their careers:

Active Listening: 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.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Other Healthcare Social Worker Job Titles

• AIDS Social Worker
• Disability Advocate
• Healthcare Social Worker
• Dialysis Social Worker
• Public Welfare Worker

Is There Going to be Demand for Healthcare Social Workers?

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 176,500 jobs in the United States for Healthcare Social Workers.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 20.1% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 35,400 new jobs for Healthcare Social Workers by 2026. There will be an estimated 22,900 positions for Healthcare Social Worker per year.

The states with the most job growth for Healthcare Social Workers are New York, California, and Texas.

Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Rhode Island, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Healthcare Social Worker Salary

Healthcare Social Workers Make between $34,210 and $84,870 a year. The median salary is $56,200.

How much do Healthcare Social Workers make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Nevada	$82,820
California	$76,450
Connecticut	$72,640
District of Columbia	$72,090
Oregon	$70,830
Alaska	$70,620
Hawaii	$66,210
New Jersey	$64,570
New Hampshire	$64,570
Utah	$63,200
Arizona	$62,920
New York	$62,280
Washington	$62,180
Massachusetts	$61,960
Texas	$59,090
Minnesota	$58,670
Maryland	$58,350
Vermont	$57,900
South Carolina	$57,660
Rhode Island	$57,620
Virginia	$57,510
Wyoming	$57,270
Michigan	$56,830
Idaho	$56,080
Delaware	$55,870
New Mexico	$55,490
North Carolina	$54,730
Pennsylvania	$53,770
Kansas	$53,580
Louisiana	$53,460
North Dakota	$53,300
Georgia	$53,110
Ohio	$52,910
Maine	$52,830
Illinois	$52,830
Wisconsin	$52,300
Colorado	$52,150
Indiana	$51,710
Iowa	$51,360
Florida	$50,950
Tennessee	$50,700
Kentucky	$50,340
Montana	$49,570
West Virginia	$49,440
Oklahoma	$48,580
Nebraska	$48,230
Mississippi	$48,080
Alabama	$47,740
Missouri	$46,370
Arkansas	$46,310
South Dakota	$43,350

What Tools do Healthcare Social Workers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Healthcare Social Workers may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• MEDITECH software
• Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Excel
• Medical procedure coding software
• Microsoft Word

Who Employs Healthcare Social Workers?

Similar Careers

Those interested in being a Healthcare Social Worker may also be interested in:

• Health Educators
• Nurse Midwives

Are you already one of the many Healthcare Social Workers in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

• Orthoptists
• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Acupuncturists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons