Education Requirements for the Social Work Case Manager
It is an unfortunate fact that there are cases of severe child abuse and neglect that happen throughout the country with alarming regularity. The reasons for the abuse or neglect are many and varied, but the immediate concern is the safety of the child.
This is where the Social Work Case Manager comes into play. They respond to allegations of child abuse or neglect by using a thorough analysis of household conditions to understand the degree of danger a child might be in. This process is very complex and requires rigorous attention to detail, understanding child psychology and adherence to a variety of very complicated rules and regulations regarding parents losing custody of children.
In order to have the necessary skillset and abilities to perform this task, the majority of states require that applications for this position hold a minimum of a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Having a degree concentration in Child Welfare is preferred by most employers. In order to earn your MSW you will need to have first attained your Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science such as: Psychology (emphasis on Child Psychology preferred), Social Work, Sociology, Counseling or Human Services.
The majority of MSW programs offer preferential treatment for program candidates to those students who have their Bachelor of Social Work degree due to the foundational knowledge of Social Work being already understood by these students.