Social Work Careers: Justice Services
School Social Work Stats
Corrections
Justice & Victim Services
Social work skills support critical individual and family needs in this arena.
There are numerous job opportunities in this area of social work. Family or juvenile courts, public defenders offices, corrections facilities, victim services, and crisis shelters hire social workers to work in a range of positions. These position could include advocates for victims, counseling with families, supervisors of family visits, children’s program coordinators, program and executive directors for shelters, and deputy juvenile officers. Social work skills support critical individual and family needs in this arena.
What are some practicum site examples for justice and victim services social work?
- Jackson County Family Court
- Lenexa Municipal Court
- The Willow Domestic Violence Shelter
Substance Abuse
Social workers support individuals and their families dealing with chemical dependency by providing a variety of services.
Alcohol, substance abuse and chemical dependency are diseases that affect not only the person suffering from the disease but also the family or people that interact with the person. Social workers support individuals and their families dealing with chemical dependency by providing a variety of services such as counseling, coordinating treatment plans and meeting with patients to make sure they are following these plans.
In this field, social workers are employed primarily by outpatient treatment programs of hospitals and specialty treatment centers. Social workers in dual diagnosis units work with patients with both mental illness and substance abuse issues.
What are some practicum site examples for substance misuse social work?
- DCCCA, Inc.
- Heartland Regional Alcohol and Drug Assessment
- Johnson County Mental Health Center
- Adolescent Center for Treatment
Homeless Services
Social workers have an opportunity to advocate for social change on behalf of the homeless in many agencies.
Individuals and families who have unstable housing live in a variety of settings, both urban and rural, range in age, face health issues, and find themselves homeless for a variety of reasons that require a wide range of social work services. Many of them may be runaway youth, people with severe mental health needs, veterans, individuals with addiction, and women and children.
Case managers, crisis and intervention workers, and group and individual counselors often are employed by government, and non-profit agencies that provide these services. Social workers have an opportunity to advocate for social change on behalf of the homeless in many agencies.
What are some practicum site examples for homeless services social work?
- Lawrence Community Shelter
- Salvation Army
- Community LINC
- KCK School District-Homeless Children & Youth
Mental Health
Mental health social workers may work in inpatient or outpatient settings and help people with mental illnesses deal with problems or issues that they face in their daily lives providing counseling, therapy and support.
Mental health social work is growing across the country.
Mental health social workers may work in inpatient or outpatient settings. They help people with mental illnesses deal with problems or issues that they face in their daily lives providing counseling, therapy and support.
What do mental health social workers do in inpatient settings?
In inpatient settings, mental health social workers counsel patients who live in a supervised facility. When a person suffering from a mental illness is getting ready to be discharged, the social worker will help them succeed in the community by doing things like finding a home, a job, the appropriate education to secure a job, and/or community support groups.
What do mental health social workers do in outpatient settings?
In outpatient settings, mental health social workers work with people with mental illness who are living in their own home. The social worker will help these people with issues they face daily, such as work-related issues, personal issues that may be affecting their work responsibilities, relationships, or school work. Mental health social workers in outpatient settings may also provide therapy.
What are some practicum site examples for mental health social work?
- Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center
- Rainbow Mental Health Facility
- The Family Conservancy
- Valeo Behavioral Health Care
- Counseling and Psychological Services
School Social Work
Social workers in schools help to identify and address the social and emotional difficulties that students face that can interfere with their success in school.
