What does a Social Work Assistant do?

A social work assistant performs many different tasks throughout the day, but first and foremost, they are the right hand of the certified social worker, helping them in any way that is needed. They work with various different types of groups, as well as people of all ages, including families in distress, handicapped people, seniors, and even children. Various different tasks can be assigned to the assistant, and they will vary from area to area, but they do have some basic job description requirements that need to be accomplished. The assistant is responsible to advise clients of resources available to help them, contact clients to set up meetings and interviews, and they follow up in the client's home after services have been provided to them.

Advising clients about the various resources available for them to use is one of the main jobs of a social work assistant. Each region has different options, so the assistant must be knowledgeable about all of the resources within their area, as well as any resources that can be found nearby. For instance, if a family moves into the district but is jobless and homeless, the assistant must know where to direct them in order to get the help that they need. They not only have to give them all of the options that are available to them, but must counsel them in what would be the best path for them to take in order to get more stable and financially secure.

Contacting current clients within the system to set up interviews and meetings with the certified social workers and various groups that can help is another main task that the social work assistant performs. Interviews and meetings allow the social worker to establish a need, and qualify the need to the available resources that they have. Even clients that are not new to the system are required to maintain contact with the workers, and to attend regular meetings. The assistant makes sure that everything is set up and that the appointments work with the schedules of the clients and the social workers, as well as with any local help groups that are willing to help.

Following up with clients that have received help, or are waiting to get help, is the final main aspect of the social work assistant job tasks. This requires them to travel to various locations and actually look into the problems of the clients first hand, and to assess how much the help offered to them has improved their current conditions. For instance, if an elderly couple came to them for help in cleaning the house, which they are unable to do, the assistant would be required to evaluate the situation at the home, contact the help groups that are needed, and then re-evaluate the home after the group has visited. This allows the assistant to document how well the system has worked for the particular client, which allows them to continue getting funding from the various sources that support the social workers and their assistants.