Facts About the Profession

According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW):

• Social workers have the right education, experience, and dedication to help people help themselves whenever and wherever they need it. It takes a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral social work degree — with a minimum number of hours in supervised fieldwork — to become a social worker.
• Social workers help people in all stages of life, from children to the elderly, and from all situations from adoption to hospice care.
• You can find social workers in hospitals, police departments, mental health clinics, military facilities, and even corporations.
• Professional social workers are the nation's largest providers of mental health services. According to government sources, more than 60 percent of mental health treatment is delivered by social workers.
• More than 600,000 people in the United States hold social work degrees.
• The Veteran's Administration employs more than 3,800 MSWs to assist veterans and their families with individual and family counseling, patient education, end of life planning, substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention, and other services.
• Forty percent of mental health professionals working with the Red Cross Disaster Services Human Resources system are social workers.
• There are more than 170 social workers in national, state, and local elected office, including two U.S. Senators and four U.S. Representatives.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for social workers is expected to grow twice as fast as any other occupation, especially in gerontology, home healthcare, substance abuse, private social service agencies, and school social work.

Students graduating in social work apply for licensure and are prepared to practice social work in a number of different settings. Xavier has been very successful in placing our social work graduates. Graduates in social work have secured positions in many areas, including:

• Adult and children’s protective services
• Housing and Homelessness
• Non-profit community organizations
• Client advocacy
• Disability services
• Foster care services
• Women's crisis centers
• Adolescent group homes
• Substance abuse programs
• Hospitals
• Older adult living communities
• Family social services
• Health and education

Students wishing to advance within the field of social work usually pursue a Master in Social Work (M.S.W.) degree. Although the M.S.W. is a two-year degree program, students graduating from an accredited program can often complete the Master's in one year. The M.S.W. opens up countless opportunities in the field and enables students to maximize their knowledge base and income potential.

Xavier's Career Services Center assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, by conducting an annual workshop series on interviewing and résumé writing techniques, and by maintaining an educational, vocational, and employer information resource center.