Occupation Summary

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

O*NET 21-1021.00

Description:

Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.

Annual Wages:
$49,810.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 14.40%.
Education Level:
Bachelor's Degree. According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Public Service

  1. Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
  2. Counsel individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care.
  3. Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
  4. Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services.
  5. Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.
  6. Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.
  7. Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
  8. Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports.
  9. Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
  10. Provide, find, or arrange for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, or parenting classes to prevent more serious problems from developing.
  11. Refer clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply.
  12. Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
  13. Work in child and adolescent residential institutions.
  14. Administer welfare programs.
  15. Evaluate personal characteristics and home conditions of foster home or adoption applicants.
  16. Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty.
  17. Place children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers.
  18. Supervise other social workers.
  19. Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents.
  20. Determine clients' eligibility for financial assistance.
  21. Conduct social research.
  22. Lead group counseling sessions that provide support in such areas as grief, stress, or chemical dependency.
  23. Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Child, Family, and School Social Workers employed Annual Growth Rate
Individual and family services 25 2.60
Elementary and secondary schools 13.6 0.76
Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services 2.9 1.36
Other residential care facilities 2.3 -0.26
Outpatient care centers 2.1 1.57
Child care services 2.1 1.36


Labor Market Information


2022 Statewide average hourly wage $23.95
2022 National average hourly wage $27.25
2020 National employment 335,300
2020 Texas employment 20,869
Texas projected employment by 2030 23,875
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2030 2,342




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
86.40%
Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
82.60%
Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
82.60%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
76.40%
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
72.60%
Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
68.20%
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
66.60%
Law and Government
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
62.80%
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
59.40%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
56.00%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
97.60%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
90.00%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
82.40%
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
82.40%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
80.00%
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
80.00%
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
80.00%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
77.60%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
77.60%
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
75.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
92.40%
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
87.60%
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
85.00%
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
82.40%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
82.40%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
80.00%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
77.60%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
77.60%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
77.60%
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
70.00%


  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    -- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Documenting/Recording Information
    -- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Relationships
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.



Tools

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Laser fax machine: Laser facsimile machines;

Laser printers: Computer laser printers;

Notebook computers: Laptop computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Photocopiers: Photocopying equipment;

Special purpose telephones: Multi-line telephone systems;


Technology

Computer based training software: EasyCBM;

Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access; Student information systems SIS;

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook;

Internet browser software: Web browser software;

Medical software: Patient electronic medical record EMR software;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Child, Family, and School Social Workers include:
  • 21-1094.00 Community Health Workers
  • 21-1012.00 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
  • 21-1091.00 Health Education Specialists
  • 21-1022.00 Healthcare Social Workers
  • 21-1013.00 Marriage and Family Therapists
  • 21-1023.00 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
  • 21-1092.00 Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
  • 21-1015.00 Rehabilitation Counselors
  • 11-9151.00 Social and Community Service Managers
  • 21-1093.00 Social and Human Service Assistants


Sources of Additional Information
  • For more information about social workers and clinical social workers, visit: Association for Community Organization and Social Administration
  • National Association of Social Workers
  • For more information about accredited social work degree programs, visit: Council on Social Work Education
  • For more information about licensure requirements, visit: Association of Social Work Boards
  • CareerOneStop

  • For a career video on mental health and substance abuse social workers, visit: Mental health and substance abuse social workers
  • Career Outlook: "Careers in social work: Outlook, pay, and more"
  • Child, Family, and School Social Workers
  • Healthcare Social Workers
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
  • Social Workers, All Other

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.