Casework can be very demanding at times. It’s also a broad profession in terms of the situations and expectations that social workers come across.

Despite it being a challenging field, it’s also one of the fasting growing ones here in the US. This is mainly due to the high demand for caseworkers globally to counter a growing shortage, especially here in the US.

And while social services case management software can help manage the caseload to a certain extent, caseworkers need certain traits also.

Social Workers Need to Be Empathetic but Also Objective

Most of the people you work with as a caseworker will be going through some sort of emotional distress or crisis. So, empathy is key.

Once you’re able to relate to their situation, it’d be easier for you to figure out the best way forward for them. Moreover, if you show you genuinely care, your clients are more likely to trust you and open up to you.

But at times, you also have to be objective and think of things from a completely neutral perspective. So, you’re mostly going to be walking a thin line between empathy and objectivity. With experience, you’d learn when to stand at what side of the line.

Constantly Driven and Resilient

Life as a social worker can be like being on an emotional roller-coaster day after day. For the most part, it’s a very rewarding profession because you’re making a difference in people’s lives. But it’s also exhausting, so you need to be constantly motivated in order to work with the same passion every day. And it’s also important to remember the bigger picture, especially when things get overwhelming.

Moreover, the fact is that some cases don’t end well despite all your efforts. And while it can be disheartening, it’s important to stay resilient and not let it get to you.

Incredibly Organized

One of the most important traits that many social workers lack is organizational and time management skills.

As a caseworker, you’d always be swamped with cases, meetings, paperwork, visits, and other everyday tasks. So, being disorganized is simply not an option. You need to figure out a way to manage time and streamline your tasks to get them all done.

Only because it is GVT's business to provide human services case management software we have often hesitated in recommending nonprofit software, but there are huge benefits for social worker the able to organize caseloads is unmatchable.  

Want to learn more about technology and nonprofit case management software, check out the following popular Recommended Readings from our blog:

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