One of the most diverse and rewarding career paths is social work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, it is also one of the fastest-growing professions. While you are assisting people and society and empowering them, you must also ensure that you are managing everything properly. Case management in social work entails ensuring that all individuals' needs are met.

Social workers must ensure that they are properly assessing, managing, planning, and monitoring everything in accordance with the needs of the client. Social workers can be found in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, senior centers, prisons, mental health clinics, and both private and public sector organizations.

The standards that all social workers must follow and the casework that all social workers must process are two things that bind all social service workers together.

NASW Standards

The National Association of Social Workers has established standards that all social workers must adhere to, regardless of the field in which they work. Let's take a quick look at these requirements.

Ethics and Values

All social workers must have ethics and values that are evident in their work. They must work with honesty.

Qualifications and Knowledge

If someone wants to become a social worker, they must meet certain qualifications. A social worker must also be familiar with the various policies, practices, evaluation methods, and current theories that will be used in case management.

Assessment

When gathering information, social workers must be able to engage with clients or their family members. They must be able to assess things and make well-informed decisions that benefit the client based on that information.

Evaluation

Following a formal evaluation, the social worker or case manager should improve their services in order to increase their effectiveness.

Record Keeping

With the help of record keeping, all case management work and processes can be documented in a secure and organized way.

Case Management...aka Paperwork

Case managers and social workers must complete a large amount of paperwork in order to keep an accurate record of all cases. Furthermore, the paperwork must be completed in an orderly, secure, and efficient manner. So much is dependent on the records gathered by social service workers. It's a massive, and at times, an overwhelming undertaking.

Many government and private agencies are warming to the idea that modern technology, such as case management software designed specifically for human services, can be a social worker's best friend. New social workers expect technology, such as social services software, to help them streamline tasks, reduce paper work, and mobilize their work.

One more thing that binds all social workers, regardless of field, is a wonderful caring heart! 

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