Careers

Introduction

Graduates with a degree in Social Work have the academic credentials necessary to fill jobs in traditional and newly emerging areas where a Bachelor's degree is considered the appropriate entry level, as well as in areas formerly reserved exclusively for Master of Social Work graduates. Some of the traditional areas are: child welfare agencies, court system, adolescent and child care in residential facilities for physically and mentally handicapped, work with elderly in nursing homes and in their own homes, multi-service community centers, and youth work. Among the newly emerging areas are residential and in-home services for the elderly, women's advocacy centers, shelters for battered women and children, day care facilities, crime victims' assistance centers, industrial social work, community mental health programs, chemical dependency facilities and treatment programs, neighborhood health centers, self-help groups, political activism, crisis centers, and managed care facilities. Employment needs in areas formerly reserved for MSWs are Social Work departments in schools, hospitals, and family service agencies.

Graduates of the Social Work Program have been consistently successful in finding employment. The majority of our job-seeking graduates tend to be employed in professional jobs within six months of graduation, and all job-seeking graduates attain professional employment within a year after graduation.

Employers

The West Chester University Advisory Board represents members of the social services community, business community, alumni, and others interested in social work education. Their purpose is to assist social work programs to deliver a curriculum that is consistent yet innovative, reflecting the needs of the clients that we serve.

Chester County Children, Youth, and Families' Caseworker

Many graduates of the BSW program at West Chester University opt to work at Chester County Children Youth and Families, as a Caseworker. It is a highly diversified career that allows the students to directly work with children and families who have been referred to this agency. Caseworkers can utilize and build their investigative and case management skills, and work extensively with the legal, mental health, and educational systems.

Social Workers at Various School Districts

A number of graduates of the BSW program at West Chester University apply for jobs in the West Chester Area School District, as a School Social Worker. School Social Workers work with children and their parents to conduct assessment, case management, conferences, and referrals to outside sources. School Social Workers can utilize and build their advocacy and collaborative skills by working in conjunction with the School Psychologist, the Caseworker, the Guidance Counselor, and the teachers.

County Case Management Unit's Case Managers

Graduates of the BSW program at West Chester University have obtained jobs working at the Chester County Case Management Unit of the Department of Mental Retardation Board as Case Managers. Case Managers provide early intervention services, adult training, employment services, community residential services, specialized therapy services, and family support services, among others. Case Managers work in conjunction with physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists in order to help individuals with mental retardation to achieve their maximum potential.