What is a clinical social worker and how to become one

Q: Clinical social worker vs Therapist

A clinical social worker is a specific practice within social work that focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness, emotional, and other behavioral disturbances, while a therapist is a mental health professional focused on helping others using various practices and treatments.

Q: How long does it take to become a clinical social worker?

It can take up to six years to become a clinical social worker. Clinical social workers typically need to complete their master's, along with a couple of additional years of certification training.

Q: Is an LCSW better than a psychologist?

No, an LCSW is not better than a psychologist. Clinical psychologists have a doctoral education that leads to a higher salary than LCSWs, while LCSWs have slightly better career prospects regarding job growth and ease of entry into the occupation.

Q: What are the requirements for LCSW?

It's usually required that LCSWs obtain a master's degree. Master's programs prepare students for work in their chosen specialty by developing clinical assessment and management skills. All programs require students to complete a supervised practicum or an internship.

Q: What is the difference between a clinical social worker and a psychologist?

The difference between a clinical social worker and a psychologist is that clinical social workers hold a master's degree, while psychologists must obtain a doctorate. The human services field is full of overlapping professions that might seem pretty similar at first look. When it comes to psychologists vs. social workers, however, there are some pretty clear differences.

Q: What is the difference between a clinical social worker and a social worker?

The main difference between a clinical social worker and a social worker is that clinical social workers have to obtain a master's, while social workers must have just a bachelor's. Both clinical and direct services social workers perform duties that require one-on-one client interaction, but clinical social workers have more authority for diagnosing and treating.

Q: What is the difference between a social worker and a medical social worker?

The difference between a social worker and a medical social worker is how they help families cope and improve the quality of their lives. A medical social worker sometimes referred to as a health care social worker, helps patients and their families cope with illnesses.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Virginia Schwindt,

Sabrina Sullenberger Ph.D.

A clinical social worker is a licensed mental health professional who provides therapeutic services. They help people cope with and manage emotional and behavioral issues, including anxiety, depression, addiction, and trauma. Clinical social workers assess clients' needs, develop treatment plans, and provide counseling. They also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure comprehensive care. Clinical social workers work in hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, and private practices.

What general advice would you give to a clinical social worker?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreClinical Social WorkerUS Average

Salary

4.9

Avg. Salary $63,056

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.4

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.60%

Asian 3.32%

Black or African American 19.92%

Hispanic or Latino 12.27%

Unknown 5.43%

White 58.45%

Gender

female 78.35%

male 21.65%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a clinical social worker?

Pros

Opportunity for personal and professional growth through continuing education and training
Competitive salary and benefits
Collaborative work environment with other healthcare professionals
High demand for clinical social workers in the job market
Ability to specialize in a particular area of practice (e.g. mental health, substance abuse)

Cons

Limited resources and funding in some work settings
Potentially dangerous work environments (e.g. working with individuals who have a history of violence)
Challenging ethical dilemmas that require careful consideration and decision-making
Potential for burnout due to emotional exhaustion or compassion fatigue
Exposure to potential liability or malpractice lawsuits.

Key steps to become a clinical social worker

Explore clinical social worker education requirements

Most common clinical social worker degrees

Master's

54.1 %

Bachelor's

40.9 %

Associate

3.0 %

Start to develop specific clinical social worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	27.94%
Patients	16.85%
Behavioral Health	5.63%
Patient Care	4.87%
Community Resources	4.41%

Complete relevant clinical social worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical social workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical social worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical social worker resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed clinical social worker usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed clinical social worker in most of states. 32 states require clinical social workers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Kansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Master Social Worker
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Certified Social Worker
Hawaii	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Social Worker
Idaho	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Social Workers

Research clinical social worker duties and responsibilities

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide clinical services to patients in rehabilitation and oncology including assessment, crisis intervention, grief therapy, and discharge planning.
Provide individual, group, family therapy, team coordination, discharge planning, utilization review and MSW student supervision.

Prepare your clinical social worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical social worker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical social worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable clinical social worker resume templates

Build a professional clinical social worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical social worker resume.