u are entering the non-profit field of work, you are going to come across these terms over and over. Sites like Indeed often have dozens of jobs everyday for case mangers and social workers.
But while these job titles are frequently listed, many people still are not sure just what they are. In fact, one of the reasons why job sites like Indeed and other job posting sites have so many postings is that many people apply to these jobs them even though they don’t know what the jobs entail. This creates issues for employers who recieve so many resumes from people without the qualifications or experience.
This can make it hard for recruiters and hiring managers to do their job and find qualified applicants. When people are not even sure what the job involves, then it results in an overwhelming number of ill suited applicants.
If you’re someone who is on the job hunt and you continue to see these jobs posted over and over and yet aren’t sure what the terms mean, then this will help you out.
Education: College For Some
Social workers tend to require a college degree. In some non-profits, a Bachelor level social worker might be able to find work, but this is not the norm. For most companies, social workers are paid for by government funds. Because of this, there are rules in place that require certain levels of education.
The funding that government and non-profit organizations receive is tied to very clear education requirements. In most instances, government funding will require Bachelor level social workers or Master Level social workers.
However, if you are looking for work in the case management field, then you’re capable of finding work outside of the system. Many companies hire case managers who have completed their high school degrees (including GEDs) to work with homeless populations, MICA populations, geriatric, and even migrant population.
Case managers will not be paid the same as a social worker. Social workers command a higher salary because they have a college diploma, which entitles the company to a higher reimbursement from government funding.
The Job Responsibilities
Case managers have less advanced responsibilities than a social worker. Case managers have to do things like:
- Sign people up for welfare programs
- Find unemployed people apartments.
- Arrange for Doctor Appointments
- Review documents for Housing authorities
- Advocate for Those Arrested
- Help Children and Adults Apply for Benefits
Social workers, on the other hand, have different responsibilities. They will have to do things such as:
- Advocate to Courts on Behalf of Offenders
- Determine When Children Can Be Removed from Homes
- Manage Living Situations of Mentally Ill
The Career Path
Case Manager Career Path
The career path for a case manager is very straightforward. Case managers usually start off as case aids. It is possible for a person to start work as a case manager as soon as they get their GED –though these roles tend to be for people transitioning from incarnation to the workforce (many ex-offenders become case managers as soon as they are released from prison). Non-profits and government agencies that hire case managers don't care what college you went to. It's much differnet than applying for a job in the corporate world.
More commonly, case mangers find work upon graduating from college with a degree in social work or human services. The field of study for a case manager tends to be very straightforward. For instance, a housing care manager might find a job at a career fair for underemployed youth and end up assisting people with appying for and securing publicy funded supportive housing.
It is not common for case managers to have studied academic subjects. More commonly are pragmatic topics such as social work, human services, public health.
The job responsibilities and work of a case manager is based on paperwork and filing forms. It involves supervision of clients who are unable to manage their problems: indigent, homeless struggling with mental illness or drug addiction, ex-offenders looking for work and reentry assistance.
Case Managers can move into managing a homeless shelter, managing a adult day care center, helping manage a drug patient living facility, and even working for a city agency that oversees the management of individuals in crisis. It's not uncommon for case managers to move jobs frequenly, as often as a new job ever few months. In most professions this would be seen as a major red flag, however in social services it is not unusual.
Case managers start at anywhere from $15-$20 dollars an hour. This range varies depending on a number of factors. Recent GED and High School graduates will be on the lower end, ex-offenders and recent college graduates will be on the higher end. Most ex-offenders will find work with charaties that assisit reentry and are themselves funded in order to help ex-convicted persons reestablish work.
Social Worker Career Path
The career path for a social worker is much different. Social workers tend to be more professional. They graduate from college with a degree and have normally done one of more internships in the field. People do not progress from case managers to social workers.
Social workers will often need to obtain a masters degree and then become licensed. These individuals can then be employed as counselors by agencies that are reimbursable.
A social worker will aid in treating violent offenders in need of parole supervision. Other social workers will treat mentally ill who are in supportive housing situations. As part of their housing requirement, many unemployed mentally ill, MICA patients, and others have to undergo supervised counseling with LMSWs.
Hospitals will also employ social workers to aid in helping Medicaid patients understand their services. Social workers will oftentimes connect case managers to underserved clients (homeless, low income, migrant, MICA, elderly) and therefore provide the base line connections that these populations require.
Social workers start as MSW level social workers. They then obtain their License (Licensed Master Social Worker) and then can move on and take on their own clients and work for hospitals.
Master Level Social workers can start at $25hr in most roles. The work is across the board in non-profit and government work. Governmetn jobs tend to pay less, however the benefits and relaxed work schedule (remote work, Mondays and Fridays off in many instances) make up for this.
The Salary: Social Workers Make More
It’s more lucrative to work as a social worker. Social workers routinely make twice to three times what a case manger makes. Once you consider that a Licensed social worker is able to see patients and can bill Medicaid or private insurance companies over $100hr, you will see how lucrative it can be.
Licensed Social Workers can often have a private practice and can schedule clients to come in and pay for counseling sessions.
Government agencies who pay for social workers are even more likely to make good money. Social workers work at Hospitals, V.A. facilities, as well as nursing homes and shelters. The positions that social workers have when they work for the state of federal government are all well paid, pensioned, fully insured roles.
Social workers tend not to work much in the private sector, except when that work is in a private clinic who is treating people with private insurance, or when it is a contract to support the government.
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