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Case worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Florence DiGennaro Reed Ph.D.,
Michelle Kelley Shuler Ph.D.
Case worker example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical case worker skills. We ranked the top skills for case workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 19.5% of case worker resumes contained social work as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a case worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 case worker skills for your resume and career

1. Social Work

Here's how case workers use social work:
  • Monitored and documented weekly progression of participant's goals while communicating with physicians and social workers.
  • Completed detailed confidential paperwork regarding visits, case notes, and contacted social workers/agencies/lawyers/judges.

2. Crisis Intervention

Here's how case workers use crisis intervention:
  • Provide crisis intervention, manage incidents and communicate information to the Corporate Compliance Department according to Agency policy.
  • Provided crisis intervention, case management, and emergency assistance to active duty military personnel and their families.

3. Patients

Here's how case workers use patients:
  • Consulted with interdisciplinary team in order to ensure appropriate referrals and discharge of homeless, psychiatric and geriatric patients.
  • Conduct follow-up investigations with patients and various agency representatives to ensure all necessary documents were obtained and submitted.

4. Substance Abuse

Here's how case workers use substance abuse:
  • Managed an intense caseload of mentally-ill clients at this nonprofit community organization providing innovative mental health and substance abuse services.
  • Preformed individual therapy sessions with residents who suffer from chronic psychotic and/or mood disorders and substance abuse.

5. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how case workers use community resources:
  • Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with homeless shelters, other community resources, and other supportive service providers.
  • Provide information and referral to other appropriate agencies as needed and identify community resources for consultation and referral.

6. Child Abuse

When a child who is under 18 is mistreated by an adult, it is considered child abuse. There are many forms of intentional harm and mistreatment for example physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, medical abuse, and neglect in providing adequate basic life necessities.

Here's how case workers use child abuse:
  • Investigate allegations of child abuse/neglect taking necessary actions to ensure child safety and well being.
  • Complete legal documentation for adjudication and disposition hearings for alleged child abuse cases.

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7. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how case workers use customer service:
  • Advanced functions related to customer service, conversion activities, data purification and special assistance projects as required statewide.
  • Executed focused customer service through problem resolution from telephone inquires; high volumes call management.

8. Foster Care

Here's how case workers use foster care:
  • Worked closely with Juvenile Justice, Department of Probation and Multi-Systematic Therapy involved with Administration for Children Services and Foster Care.
  • Facilitated visitation of children in foster care with parents and other significant family members.

9. Intake Assessments

Here's how case workers use intake assessments:
  • Provided intake assessment to potential clients seeking assistance with chemical dependency.
  • Perform intake assessments and maintain associated client and site documentation.

10. Medicaid

Here's how case workers use medicaid:
  • Collect and review patient information to determine patient's eligibility for Medicaid, Social Security Disability, and hospital charity programs.
  • Initiated and determine public assistance for Family and Children Medicaid and N.C. Health Check/Health Choice, eligibility for multicultural population.

11. Mental Illness

Here's how case workers use mental illness:
  • Provided ongoing case management services and rehabilitation services for adults with severe and persistent mental illness.
  • Investigated alleged abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of individuals with mental illness or disabled.

12. Public Assistance

Here's how case workers use public assistance:
  • Determined initial and continuing eligibility for applicants and recipients for Public Assistance which included Medi-Cal, Food-Stamps and General Relief Benefits.
  • Determine client eligibility for multiple public assistance benefits; provides basic employment services to clients; performs casework management duties.

13. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how case workers use mental health:
  • Educate consumers on medication management, mental health diagnoses and assist with behavioral management plans.
  • Consulted with other medical and mental health professionals and participated in clinical supervision once weekly.

14. Support Services

Support services are services that support the organization internally and are usually non-revenue generating. Examples include, IT, admin, HR, etc.

Here's how case workers use support services:
  • Provided affordable housing, economic support services to battered women, veterans or homeless population.
  • Processed intakes for the Support Services Department and applications for rent/utility assistance for Housing Program.

15. Social Security

Social security is a federal government program that offers benefits to those registered under it when they are retired or can't work because of some sort of disabilities.

Here's how case workers use social security:
  • Assisted Advocates (attorneys and non-attorney representatives) in the development of files for individuals denied of Social Security Disability benefits.
  • Advised clients of necessary medical appointments issued by the Social Security Administration as well as disability claim status.
top-skills

What skills help Case Workers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on case worker resumes?

Dr. Florence DiGennaro Reed Ph.D.Dr. Florence DiGennaro Reed Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor and Chairperson, Director of the Performance Management Laboratory, University of Kansas

In my experience, employers appreciate real-world experience where students/recent graduates can apply the knowledge they learned in their courses to actual work settings. Thus, graduates who have had service-learning practicum courses, internships, or other relevant experiences have resumes that tend to stand out to future employers.

What soft skills should all case workers possess?

Michelle Kelley Shuler Ph.D.

Department Chair: Human Services, Austin Community College

I would refer to this skill set as "essential" and consist of compassion, empathy, teamwork, the ability to listen, a sense of humor, and most importantly, the ability to practice self-care. I include self-care in this list because working in the human service field can be exhausting and emotionally overwhelming. Taking care of ourselves helps to prevent burnout and possibly leaving the profession.

What hard/technical skills are most important for case workers?

Michelle Kelley Shuler Ph.D.

Department Chair: Human Services, Austin Community College

a. Must have strong basic computer skills and knowledge of software such as excel spreadsheets, google docs, etc. Most, if not all, agencies use electronic health records and treatment planning, so it is necessary to be competent in this area.
b. A degree and additional certifications will assist you in seeking employment. It will also increase your level of competency and diversify the communities you serve. For example, at Austin Community College, we offer our students a chance to complete a certification in Mental Health First Aid Training. This increases their marketability and skill level.

What case worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.

Associate Dean, University of Nevada - Reno

The need for social workers with expertise in mental health care, school-based social work, health and substance misuse are particularly important. Sixty percent of mental health care in the US is provided by social workers and the need is growing.

What type of skills will young case workers need?

Dr. Joseph Constantine Ph.D.Dr. Joseph Constantine Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, California University of Pennsylvania

While adaptability has always been heralded as the key predictor of employment success in the future, rapid changes in the social and economic landscape also bring with them an increased need for more traditional skills such as building relationships, understanding specific community needs, networking with other professionals, and advocating for more intensive treatment protocols.

What technical skills for a case worker stand out to employers?

Dr. Abby Templer Rodrigues Ph.D.Dr. Abby Templer Rodrigues Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Missouri State University

Employers look for oral and written communication skills, the ability to work effectively in diverse teams, analytical and quantitative reasoning, and the ability to adapt to new technologies (Ciabattari et al. 2018). Employers specifically prefer college graduates who have experience applying these skills through internships, service learning, senior projects or collaborative research, field projects, or study abroad (Ciabattari et al. 2018).

References

Ciabattari Teresa, Lowney Kathleen S., Monson Renee A., Senter Mary Scheuer, and Chin
Jeffrey. 2018. "Linking Sociology Majors to Labor Market Success." Teaching Sociology 46 (3): 191-207.
Handwerker, Elizabeth Weber, Peter B. Meyer, and Joseph Piacentini. 2020. "Employment
Recovery in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic." Monthly Labor Review, December, 1-24.
Langin, Katie. 2020. "U.S. faculty job market tanks." Science 370(6514): 272-273.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about case worker

List of case worker skills to add to your resume

Case worker skills

The most important skills for a case worker resume and required skills for a case worker to have include:

  • Social Work
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Patients
  • Substance Abuse
  • Community Resources
  • Child Abuse
  • Customer Service
  • Foster Care
  • Intake Assessments
  • Medicaid
  • Mental Illness
  • Public Assistance
  • Mental Health
  • Support Services
  • Social Security
  • Developmental Disabilities
  • Protective Services
  • Law Enforcement
  • Financial Assistance
  • Child Care
  • Community Services
  • Community Agencies
  • Direct Services
  • Domestic Violence
  • Social Service Agencies
  • Probate
  • Court Reports
  • Medical Appointments
  • Court Hearings
  • Crisis Situations
  • Independent Living
  • State Regulations
  • Court Orders
  • Child Support
  • TANF
  • Medical Care
  • Family Court
  • DHS
  • Foster Children
  • Early Intervention
  • Housing Assistance
  • Court System
  • HIV
  • Computer System
  • IEP
  • Child Protective
  • Medical Facilities
  • Court Proceedings
  • Biological Parents

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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