This article seeks to answer the question ‘How Do I Become A Social Worker Without A Degree?’. It gives full details on how you can become a Social Worker without a degree.
Social work is a profession that promotes social change, development and the empowerment and liberation of people.
It is an important field that aims to improve the well-being of communities, protect people from abuse or harm and support those with social or health issues that hinder their daily life. In other words, social work aims to increase the wellbeing and quality of life for vulnerable people, which includes children, the physically challenged and the elderly, through empowerment and support.
A Social Worker responsibilities vary depending on the work environment. However, typical duties include:
- Creating rehabilitation plans for those recovering from a long-term illness.
- Implementing safety policies for vulnerable individuals, adults or children as the case may be.
- Writing and preparing care plans for individuals
- Monitoring individuals and keeping records of their recovery progress
- Referring individuals to relevant community resources and organisations (e.g. Legal aid, NGOs).
Social work is all about making a positive change, not only to the individual but to society at large.
Social work is therefore not a career for just anybody. You are required to possess certain skills and a strong educational background. However, if you are interested in a career in social work but do not have a degree, there are ways to become a social worker without a degree. In this article, I will discuss the essential skills for a successful career in social work and the various ways to become a social worker without a degree.
Skills needed For a Career in Social Work
Outside having a degree as an important prerequisite to become a social worker, there are varieties of skills and traits that can help you succeed in a career in social work without a degree.
Some of these skills include:
1. Empathy
Due to the nature of the profession, it’s important to have a sense of empathy.
This will help you to be able to fully understand your client’s experiences and this may in turn help you provide the type of assistance best suited to their unique circumstances.
2. Critical-thinking Skills
As a social worker, there are times you may need to make decisions. In such situations, advanced critical thinking skills will help you to successfully determine which information is important and how to best communicate that information to the appropriate individuals.
3. Effective communication
In social work, you may need to communicate with different individuals with varying personalities and from different backgrounds. Being able to adjust your language, tone and communication style to fit different circumstances may help you form more productive conversations and active listening skills may help you to clearly understand the needs of those you work with.
4. Ability to Set Boundaries
As a social worker, you will come across different individuals with different challenges. Hence, it is important to be skilled in setting boundaries because it will help you adhere to codes of ethics and protect your mental health. A career in social work most times presents you with personal or highly emotional situations and your ability to differentiate yourself from your clients as a professional may help you effectively discharge your duties.
5. Ability to Understand Human Psychology
Oftentimes, social work involves mental, behavioral issues. Hence, an understanding of human psychology may help you best determine the appropriate form of treatment for your clients, whether old or young. Irrespective of the age of the client, a perfect understanding of human psychology may help you successfully communicate effectively with your client.
6. Organizational skills
A career in social work often requires juggling different tasks and coordinating your efforts between multiple cases and clients. Asides taking care of sick patients, you may also need to carry out administrative tasks, such as recordkeeping, hence the need to develop organizational skill to ensure each individual under your care receives the appropriate care and attention.
With these basic skills starting a career as a social worker without a degree becomes easier through the following ways:
1. Gain relevant experience
There is a common saying that experience is the best teacher. Hence, to start your career in social work without a degree, you can consider gaining relevant work experience in social work to add to your resume. You can achieve this by applying for entry-level jobs. Another means to get experience to volunteer for positions in social work related fields, such as healthcare or nonprofit organizations. The experience you gain may give you relevant training needed in future.
2. Seek Alternative Training
Possibly, you don’t have what it takes to acquire a degree in social work, you may consider alternative means of training. This can include online courses in areas of psychology, child development, sociology, community building or social programming in order to gain valuable information and knowledge that could help you succeed in a career in social work.
3. Pursue certifications
A lot of times there is a misconception that certifications are meant for those with degrees who probably wish to upgrade their degrees. While this is not false, individuals without a degree can also pursue certifications in any field of their choice. In this case, there are numerous certifications for aspiring social workers. This can be a useful addition to your resume. Many of these certifications can be found online. They include:
- Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) certification
- CPR certification
- First-aid certification
- Special education certification
- Crisis intervention certification
- American Sign Language (ASL) certification.
CONCLUSION
In a world where not everyone has the ability to survive without assistance, due to health issues, or environmental challenges, a Social Worker plays an important role in safeguarding these individuals, who are usually the most vulnerable in society. Hence, social workers are like guardians for people with social, health or interpersonal challenges.
Instead of providing direct care, they safeguard, support, and help people in need to resolve the issues that are affecting their life.
If you want to provide essential support to vulnerable individuals, then become a Social Worker. Not having a degree in the field shouldn’t be a barrier. This is because you can become a social worker without a degree.
To become a Social Worker Without a degree, you can consider other approaches like undergoing social worker training, gaining relevant experience sometimes through volunteering, getting certifications, etc. Social Workers are mostly in the field. This means that they are rarely office-based, thus, travelling from one location to another, either in hospitals, care homes or schools. This makes the career ideal for anyone who wants to make a positive change in people’s lives.
Like in any profession, there is an opportunity for career advancement and development when you become a Social Worker even without a degree. There are different areas of care that Social Workers can specialize in, such as:
- Learning disabilities
- Mental health
- Alcohol, drug, and substance abuse
- Criminal justice and ex-offender rehabilitation
- Working with children and families.
In all, social work is a career that can be built with on the job training and relevant experiences from different avenues without a degree. However, to be able to practice professionally and attain a higher position in social work, a degree is necessary.
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