Description
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Interests
- Social
- Investigative
Work Values
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Independence
Work Styles
- Concern for Others
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
Tasks
- Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
- Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
Work Activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Getting Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization
Detailed Work Activities
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Technology Skills
- Medical software
- Video conferencing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop publishing software
- Office suite software
Abilities
- Oral Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Clarity
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Coordination
Knowledge
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Customer and Personal Service
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Technician Certification in NeurofeedbackCertifying Organization
Biofeedback Certification International Alliance
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Home/Hospice Care ExecutiveCertifying Organization
National Association for Home Care & Hospice
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
Certified Sex TherapistCertifying Organization
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Fellow in ThanatologyCertifying Organization
Association for Death Education and Counseling
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Board Certified Autism ProfessionalCertifying Organization
Behavioral Intervention Certification Council
Type
Specialty
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $54,850 |
| Median (50%) | $68,357 |
| High (90%) | $107,452 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $69,534 |
| Mid Level | $75,932 |
| Senior Level | $78,852 |
| Expert Level | N/A |
Employability
There are currently 193,200 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 211,900 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 10%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 10%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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