What Do Clinical Social Workers Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for clinical social workers?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what clinical social workers do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Clinical Social Workers Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about clinical social workers by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Clinical Social Workers provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Popular Job Titles For Clinical Social Workers
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers
- Medical Social Workers
- Clinical Social Workers
- Hospice Medical Social Workers
- Licensed Independent Social Workers
- Licensed Medical Social Workers
- Behavioral Health Specialists
- Case Managers
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
- Therapists
- Mental Health Professionals
- Behavioral Health Clinicians
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for clinical social workers can be found.
Best Industries for Clinical Social Workers
Clinical Social Workers Jobs By Industry
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 20%
- Home Health Care Services: 13.2%
- Individual and Family Services: 13%
- Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities): 8.1%
- Outpatient Care Centers: 6.5%
- Offices of Physicians: 6.4%
- Other: 32.8%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of clinical social workers can be found working in the General Medical and Surgical Hospitals sector. In 2023, about 20% of all jobs for clinical social workers were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Home Health Care Services (13.2%), Individual and Family Services (13%), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (8.1%), Outpatient Care Centers (6.5%) and Offices of Physicians (6.4%).
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What Do Clinical Social Workers Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what clinical social workers do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work clinical social workers do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that clinical social workers tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for clinical social workers, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Clinical Social Workers
Based on 39,600 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Clinical Social Workers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | 21,552 | 54% |
| Treatment Planning | 10,638 | 27% |
| Mental Health | 10,295 | 26% |
| Medical Social Work | 7,806 | 20% |
| Psychology | 7,580 | 19% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Clinical Social Workers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 11,470 | 29% |
| Planning | 5,915 | 15% |
| Coordinating | 5,456 | 14% |
| Advocacy | 5,103 | 13% |
| Management | 4,953 | 13% |
Based on 39,600 job postings related to clinical social workers, social work was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 54% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for treatment planning, mental health, medical social work, psychology and crisis intervention were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for clinical social workers, followed by planning, coordinating, advocacy, management and problem solving.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | 21,552 | 54% |
| Treatment Planning | 10,638 | 27% |
| Mental Health | 10,295 | 26% |
| Medical Social Work | 7,806 | 20% |
| Psychology | 7,580 | 19% |
| Crisis Intervention | 7,457 | 19% |
| Case Management | 7,326 | 19% |
| Discharge Planning | 6,471 | 16% |
| Behavioral Health | 6,286 | 16% |
| Psychosocial Assessments | 5,397 | 14% |
| Psychiatry | 4,755 | 12% |
| Psychotherapy | 4,754 | 12% |
| Care Coordination | 4,201 | 11% |
| Family Therapy | 3,938 | 10% |
| Hospice | 3,489 | 9% |
| Clinical Social Work | 3,466 | 9% |
| Nursing | 3,349 | 8% |
| Patient Assistance | 3,341 | 8% |
| Medical Records | 3,284 | 8% |
| Home Health Care | 3,189 | 8% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 11,470 | 29% |
| Planning | 5,915 | 15% |
| Coordinating | 5,456 | 14% |
| Advocacy | 5,103 | 13% |
| Management | 4,953 | 13% |
| Problem Solving | 4,257 | 11% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 3,984 | 10% |
| Writing | 3,849 | 10% |
| Leadership | 3,500 | 9% |
| Computer Literacy | 2,912 | 7% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 2,704 | 7% |
| Organizational Skills | 2,545 | 6% |
| Research | 2,126 | 5% |
| Scheduling | 2,034 | 5% |
| Customer Service | 2,010 | 5% |
| Decision Making | 1,976 | 5% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,866 | 5% |
| Time Management | 1,855 | 5% |
| Multilingualism | 1,827 | 5% |
| Microsoft Office | 1,814 | 5% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Clinical Social Workers
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed Clinical Social Workers | 69,788 | 52.1% |
| Medical Social Workers | 18,370 | 13.7% |
| Clinical Social Workers | 22,109 | 16.5% |
| Hospice Medical Social Workers | 6,530 | 4.9% |
| Licensed Independent Social Workers | 3,001 | 2.2% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was licensed clinical social workers, with 12,713 unique job postings. Medical social workers were second, with 4,607 postings, followed by clinical social workers, hospice medical social workers and licensed independent social workers.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to clinical social workers.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed Clinical Social Workers | 69,788 | 52.1% |
| Medical Social Workers | 18,370 | 13.7% |
| Clinical Social Workers | 22,109 | 16.5% |
| Hospice Medical Social Workers | 6,530 | 4.9% |
| Licensed Independent Social Workers | 3,001 | 2.2% |
| Licensed Medical Social Workers | 2,589 | 1.9% |
| Behavioral Health Specialists | 1,405 | 1% |
| Case Managers | 1,146 | 0.9% |
| Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists | 1,617 | 1.2% |
| Therapists | 1,066 | 0.8% |
| Mental Health Professionals | 922 | 0.7% |
| Behavioral Health Clinicians | 561 | 0.4% |
| Clinicians | 735 | 0.5% |
| Healthcare Case Managers | 339 | 0.3% |
| Psychotherapists | 294 | 0.2% |
| Healthcare Specialists | 416 | 0.3% |
| Clinical Care Leaders | 929 | 0.7% |
| Public Health Specialists | 296 | 0.2% |
| Mental Health Clinicians | 920 | 0.7% |
| Licensed Mental Health Counselors | 830 | 0.6% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for clinical social workers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for clinical social workers.
How much do clinical social workers make?
Clinical Social Workers: How do you become one?
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