Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Also Called:

Case Manager,

Family Protection Specialist,

Family Service Worker,

School Social Worker

What they do: Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
  • Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
  • Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Business
  • Customer service

  • Administrative services

Health
  • Therapy and counseling

Math and Science
  • Psychology

  • Sociology and anthropology

Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Verbal
  • Communicate by speaking

  • Listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic
  • Notice when problems happen

  • Make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

  • Talking to others

Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social
  • Understanding people's reactions

  • Looking for ways to help people

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Relationships

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move
  • Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
  • Connect with a career advisor or mentor
  • Visit Idaho Launch
  • Search for available Child, Family, and School Social Workers jobs on Idaho Works

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop