Career Field Overview
Social work is a field that focuses on helping people of all ages meet their basic and complex needs and enhance their well-being, as well as focusing on improving social systems for the benefit of everyone. Social workers practice in a wide variety of settings and provide a wide range of care that can span from counseling and therapy to connecting people with resources and services. Often social workers focus on working with people who are vulnerable because of their circumstances, whether that is because of historical and current inequities, mental or physical challenges, or aging-related challenges. With the increasing number of people living very long lives in our society, social workers play a vital role in helping address the opportunities and challenges that come with the aging population.