Social workers have embedded themselves in communities of all sizes across the United States, acting as a critical lifeline for people who need assistance navigating complex social and personal challenges. When you work as a travel social worker, you’re bringing your skills to understaffed areas of the nation that desperately need your expertise. But did you know earning a social work certification can enhance your existing knowledge, make yourself a more desirable candidate, and ramp up your take home pay? Read on to discover six certifications you should consider obtaining so you can strengthen your clinical skills and maximize your travel social worker salary.
What is a social work certification?
A social work certification is a voluntary extracurricular credential social workers can earn that demonstrates to employers and clients a focus in a certain type of social work. Earning a social work certification ultimately illustrates a social workers’ dedication to a certain sub-field of social work.
Obtaining a social work certification proves to employers and other key stakeholders that you have advanced clinical skills in a certain aspect of social work, and can lead to more job opportunities and higher pay.
What is the average social worker salary?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for social workers in May 2023 was $58,380. These compensation numbers change depending on the type of social worker: for example, mental health and substance abuse social workers had a median annual wage in May 2023 of $55,960, while healthcare social workers had a median annual wage of $62,940 during the same year.
The average social worker salary also changes depending on the level of education a social worker has. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), people with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree often take home salaries that are $13,000 or more higher than those with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree.
While there isn’t any exact data on how a social work certification impacts a social worker salary, given the fact that those with more advanced degrees make more than others, it’s safe to assume that those with a certification could make more money than those who don’t because of their improved skill set and knowledge.
6 Social Work Certifications to Pursue
Social workers often specialize in a certain area of social work—guiding clients and their loved ones through everything from poverty, abuse, addiction, mental illness, old age, unemployment, or any of life’s other big obstacles. That means not every certification will make sense for every social worker. Regardless, here are some of the major social work certifications that you should look into:
1. Certified Social Work Case Manager (C-SWCM)
The C-SWCM specialty practice credential demonstrates a social worker’s proficiency in the basic tenets of case management, such as client engagement, assessment, planning, implementation/coordination, advocacy, reassessment/evaluation, and disengagement.
Primarily for social workers who specialize in case management, this certification is available to social workers with a BSW and above from an accredited program and is administered by the NASW.
To obtain the C-SWCM certification, social workers must give documentation of at least three years of paid and supervised professional experience in case management, as well as a current BSW-level license from the state in which they work or an Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) BSW-level exam passing grade.
There is also a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM) certification available to social workers who have received a MSW from an accredited degree program.
2. Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW)
The QCSW certification demonstrates a social worker’s knowledge and experience of clinical social work, which focuses on assessment, treatment, and prevention of mental illness and behavioral issues through personalized intervention.
This certification is administered by the NASW and requires a MSW from an accredited degree program, 30 hours of continuing education specific to clinical social work, and at least three years of paid and supervised clinical social work experience. It also requires a current clinical social work license from a state.
3. Certified Children, Youth & Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
The C-CYFSW social work certification illustrates a social worker’s proficiency in providing services to, or on behalf of, children, young adults, and their families. In general, these clinicians work to improve the psychosocial functioning of their clients in schools and at home.
Like the others on this list, this certification is administered by the NASW and requires a BSW from an accredited program. It also requires 20 hours of post-degree continuing education, at least one year of paid and supervised social work experience in the field, and a current state license.
Like the social work case manager certification, there is also a more advanced version of the children, youth & family social worker certification for those with a MSW or higher known as the Certified Advanced Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW) credential.
4. Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC)
The C-SWHC credential shows to employers and clients a social worker’s expertise in helping people function when dealing with health-related issues. According to the NASW, social workers in this field “are focused on the biopsychosocial components of health and/or mental health from a strengths perspective.”
This certification is administered by the NASW and is only available to social workers with an MSW from an accredited program. It also requires at least two years of paid and supervised employment in health care social work, and a current state license.
5. Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs Social Worker (C-CATODSW)
The C-CATODSW social work credential demonstrates a social worker’s experience and expertise in supporting those struggling with substance use.
Administered by the NASW, this credential requires a MSW, 180 hours of continuing education, at least two years of paid and supervised clinical experience working with clients with substance use disorders, and an active state license.
6. Social Worker in Gerontology (SW-G)
The SW-G certification shows a social worker’s proficiency in providing services and advocating for elderly clients and their families.
Also administered by the NASW, this credential only requires a BSW from an accredited university, at least three years of clinical experience, and 20 hours of continuing education.
There are other certifications for those with MSWs, such as Clinical Social Worker in Gerontology (CSW-G) and Advanced Social Worker in Gerontology (ASW-G) certifications.
Find Your Next Travel Social Worker Job with BHS
Looking to get started with leveraging your unique skill set to help people in need across the country? We have many open travel social worker positions available on our job board—apply today or reach out to one of our experienced recruiters to get started.