Micro social work – careers and programs

Introduction to micro social work

Social work is a broad field that encompasses a wide variety of jobs. For example, social workers could provide individual counseling to older adults or work for a political advocacy group to reduce homelessness. One helpful way to conceptualize what social workers do is to consider the scope of their work. While many social workers work across practice levels, with a commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of individuals, families, groups, and communities, the work they do can be understood across three levels: micro, mezzo, or macro.

Micro social work refers to one-on-one social work interventions. This individualized focus allows micro social workers to take an active role in helping clients reach their goals and improve their wellbeing.

What does a micro social worker do?

A micro social worker helps people and their families improve their quality of life. This may include navigating challenging life situations, figuring out how to access social resources, or adjusting to a new medical situation. Although micro social workers interface with communities and larger institutions, their primary goal is to help individuals.

Many micro social workers are clinicians, meaning they assess clients’ needs, create a treatment plan, and provide therapeutic services.

Many micro social workers are clinicians, meaning they assess clients’ needs, create a treatment plan, and provide therapeutic services. Clinical social workers might work in a mental health care facility, hospital, rehab hospital, or nonprofit organization. Some of a clinical social workers’ responsibilities may overlap with those of a mental health counselor or psychologist.

Other micro social workers provide non-clinical services. This could be helping clients access government or employer-covered benefits, complete basic legal paperwork, obtain job placement, or seek additional education.

» Read: Joining local and national social work organizations

What education is needed to do micro social work?

Bachelor’s degree in social work

All social workers require at least a bachelor’s degree in social work. This could be a bachelor’s of social work (BSW) or a bachelor of arts in social work (BASW). A bachelor’s program typically focuses on coursework to gain a foundation in social work. This includes learning how to serve individuals and their families.

All bachelors programs that are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) require a practicum minimum of 400 hours.

A bachelor’s degree typically qualifies you to take an entry-level position as a social worker. This might include working at a medical facility, school, rehab center, or adoption agency. However, those with a bachelor’s degree may be limited in the types of interventions they perform.

Therapeutic interventions like counseling require a master’s degree. People who hold a bachelor’s degree are sometimes given less responsibility in terms of leadership, working with complex clients, or working independently.

Master’s degree in social work

Micro social workers who offer psychotherapy must hold a master’s degree in social work (MSW). Many people interested in doing clinical social work chose a master’s degree with a clinical concentration. Thus, in addition to regular graduate coursework, they complete practicums to gain clinical skills. This might include offering treatments to children, adolescents, or adults.

An MSW program typically teaches students how to assess clients, diagnose and treat psychosocial issues, promote mental health, improve social functioning, and evaluate treatment success. Some MSW programs are offered in a hybrid setting that allows you to take courses online while completing clinical practicums in person.

Do you need a license or certification to become a micro social worker?

No. Social workers need a bachelor’s degree accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Licensure is required only for specific levels of practice.

There are 4 main types of social worker licensure:

Micro social workers can become licensed in any of these 4 tracks. However, given the clinical focus of many micro social worker positions, many people in this field have the LCSW license. This is the license that allows you to provide clinical assessment, psychotherapy, and other clinical interventions.

Typical careers in micro level social work

Micro social workers operate in a variety of work settings. The commonality between them is the focus on one-on-one interventions. Some common careers in micro social work include:

Conclusion

All social workers share a focus on promoting the development and empowerment of individuals and their communities. Because of the broad skills social workers learn, they are employed in a range of settings.

There are 3 major “levels” of social work that can help to conceptualize what people in this profession do: micro, mezzo, and macro. Micro social workers do what many people think of when they hear “social work”. They work closely with people and their families to provide one-on-one support. This includes clinical social work as well as helping individuals obtain necessary social services or other resources.

•  Mezzo social work takes a step back from the individual level. Mezzo social workers focus on organizations and small communities such as a school, neighborhood, or business. They help people as they operate within these communities.
• Macro social workers have the broadest focus. The goal of macro social work is to understand systemic and institutional sources of injustice. Macro social workers help people indirectly but typically work on research, political advocacy, or public policy.

There is significant overlap between these 3 levels of social work. In fact, micro social workers sometimes work at a mezzo or even macro scale. For micro social workers who want to obtain even more education, the doctorate of social work (DSW) degree can be a good option. This is a practice-focused degree that helps clinical social workers obtain expertise in an advanced area of practice. For many micro social workers, the DSW degree may open up additional career paths that require specialization.