2023 Job Aid | Social Welfare Administration in Social Work
2023 Guide for Social Work Administrators | How to Become One & What’s Involved. Everything You Need to Know
A social worker administrator oversees client care on a macro level. They guide other social workers, handle things like budgeting and other administrative tasks, and basically keep the gears of the organization turning and they often have a social work administration degree.
If you’ve been a social worker for several years, then moving into the role of social worker in social welfare administration is a logical next step to advance your career.
In this guide on social welfare administration in social work, we’ll review the main duties and functions of social work administration, look at social work administration jobs and pay, and other facets of social work and social administration.
Social Work and Administration
During the course of the day, a typical social worker will be interviewing new clients, conducting patient assessments, formulating care plan recommendations, working one-on-one with clients and their families, and much more.
How does that social worker know which client cases to take? Where do they get their guidelines for client treatment or referrals? How do they know about data privacy compliance standards for their organization?
All these things and much more are handled by social work administrators.
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Table of Contents: Social Work and Social Administration
Keep on scrolling down this page to read each section or click any link below to go directly to that section.
- What Is Social Work Administration? What Does a Social Administrator Do?
- Why Is Administration in Social Work Important?
- What Are the Key Functions of Social Work Administration?
- What is the Median Salary for Social Work Administration Jobs?
- Social Administration in Social Work Career Opportunities
- Degree Requirements for Social Worker Administrator Positions
- Conclusion | Best Guide for Administration in Social Work Careers
- FAQ | Social Worker Administrator Guide
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What Is Social Work Administration? What Does a Social Administrator Do?
Just like administrators in other fields of work, social work administrators handle the oversite of a department, organization, or program. On a high level, social welfare administration in social work is about bringing people, resources, and processes together to achieve the organization’s goals.
In any organization, certain administrative tasks need to be completed. Such as, putting systems in place that give employees guidance as to their duties, taking care of paperwork and budgetary considerations, and handling any organization licensing or reporting requirements. Social work administrators handle these types of duties.
Social work administration definition: An advanced social work position that oversees other social workers and programs/services, as well as assists in developing and enforcing policies that help the organization effectively achieve its goals to better its clients’ lives through social services.
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Do you have any questions about the importance of social administration or social work and social administration duties? If so, contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Why Is Administration in Social Work Important?
Social welfare administration in social work can have a significant impact on the quality of social work service delivery and client outcomes. When looking at the importance of social work administration, it’s important to understand that administrators help to transform social policies, goals, and ideas into tangible programs and services that help people.
In addition to helping create a framework for social work practice in teams, programs, and organizations, a social work administrator handles a wide variety of other functions that are vital to the smooth operations of the facility. Without administration social workers, most organizations would not be able to function.
Click here to find social work admin jobs near you.
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What Are the Key Functions of Social Work Administration?
An administrator social work professional will handle a wide variety of oversight functions as well as necessary operational activities. For example, for an organization to operate properly it needs to have budgets to fund the programs and services it offers.
Oversight over social workers and patient care delivery are important functions of the social work admin. Otherwise, the train can easily leave the tracks and lead to the organization falling short of fulfilling its mission or the standard of client care suffering.
Here are some of the main functions of social work and public administration:
- Develop and apply administrative ideas and processes.
- Ensure the philosophy, goals, and functions of the organization are carried out efficiently.
- Create processes that support the goal of providing assistance to individuals, groups, and communities.
- Guide, mentor, and coordinate with other social workers.
- Handle administrative duties, such as human resources, budgeting, etc.
- Ensure the ethics of the organization and social work code of ethics are upheld.
Typical Duties of Social Work Administrators
The specific characteristics of social work administration will vary according to the type of social work setting the administrator is working in. However, many general duties will be standard across different settings.
Social work administration jobs will typically have the following duties:
- Allocate cases and work between social workers
- Establish policies and procedures
- Evaluate programs and social work staff
- Address gaps in knowledge
- Handle human resources duties (hiring, firing, training, etc.)
- Make connections within the community and other health and mental health care organizations
- Participate in organization finance and funding activities (fundraising, grant writing, budgeting, etc.)
- Allocate resources to best serve the clients that the organization helps
- Write reports on the organization’s activities
- Oversee projects and programs
In addition to their administrative duties, many social work administrators also still handle client casework and actively assess, diagnose, and treat patients.
What Skills Does a Social Worker Administrator Need?
Social administration in social work is a leadership position, so you’ll note that many of the skills required of social work admins are the same that leaders in any industry need to have.
Typical skills needed by social work administrators include:
- Conflict resolution
- Problem-solving
- Interpersonal skills
- Excellent communications
- Identify and quantify performance indicators
- Organizational skills
- Understanding the needs of various individuals & groups
- Time management
- Supervisory skills
- General social worker skills
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Do you have any questions about the principles of social work administration, social welfare administration in social work, or social work administration meaning? If so, contact the Social Work Portal Team.
What Is the Median Salary for Social Work Administration Jobs?
The salary for Social Work Administrators is $74,000 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Social and Community Services Managers would be the category that social work administrators would fall under. It is defined as individuals that “coordinate and supervise programs and organizations that support public well-being.”
Managers with this social work administration definition had a median pay in the U.S. $74,000 per year.
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Social Administration in Social Work Career Opportunities
The job outlook is good for those that are interested in social work admin jobs and moving up to administration in social work practice. The BLS notes that this sector is expected to grow 12 percent over the next decade, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
Career opportunities exist for a social work administrator in many different areas of public, private, non-profit, and government work. Anywhere that social workers are needed, social work administrators are also needed to guide, supervise, and oversee.
Because of the importance of social work administration, job opportunities exist in:
- Schools
- Private therapy practices
- Non-profit agencies
- Hospitals & other healthcare organizations
- Government programs, like the Dept. of Social Services (DSS)
- Social research facilities
- Geriatric care facilities
- Substance abuse centers
- Psychiatric inpatient & outpatient facilities
- Prisons
- Military facilities
- For-profit companies
- And more
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Do you have any questions about social work and social administration career opportunities, social welfare administration in social work, or where to get a social work administration degree? If so, contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Degree Requirements for Social Worker Administrator Positions
Many social work administration jobs only require a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related business field. Another requirement you will often see advertised in social worker administrator job postings is to be a licensed social worker (LSW) in the appropriate state.
There will also typically be an experience requirement of three to five years (on average) of supervisory experience, program management experience, and/or social worker experience.
For some positions as a social worker administrator, you may need to have a master’s degree in social work and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) designation.
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Please let us know if you have any questions about the importance of social work administration or the requirements for social work administrators. Contact the Social Work Portal Team.
Conclusion | Best Guide for Administration in Social Work Careers
Being a social worker administrator holds a lot of responsibility, but also a lot of rewards. You can shape programs and services and assist the organization with its mission in helping people in a very tangible way.
The most effective supervisors and administrators are those that have worked in the job they are overseeing. That’s why it’s a smart career path to work as a social worker first, and then move up to administration in social work.
We hope that this social work and social administration guide is a helpful resource to you as you research social work resources and what’s involved in social administration in social work and the importance of social administration.
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FAQ | Social Worker Administrator Guide
What is social work administration?
Social work administration definition: An advanced social work position that oversees other social workers and programs/services, as well as helps develop and enforce policies that help the organization effectively achieve its goals to better its clients’ lives through social services.
Why is administration in social work important?
Social welfare administration in social work can have a significant impact on the quality of social work service delivery and client outcomes. When looking at the importance of social work administration, it’s important to understand that administrators help to transform social policies, goals, and ideas into tangible programs and services that help people.
What are the key functions of social work administration?
Here are some of the main functions of social work and public administration:
•Develop and apply administrative ideas and processes.
•Ensure the philosophy, goals, and functions of the organization are carried out efficiently.
•Create processes that support the goal of providing assistance to individuals, groups, and communities.
•Guide, mentor, and coordinate with other social workers.
•Handle administrative duties, such as human resources, budgeting, etc.
•Ensure the ethics of the organization and social work code of ethics are upheld.
What’s an example of social work administration skills?
Typical skills needed by social work administrators include:
•Conflict resolution
•Problem-solving
•Interpersonal skills
•Excellent communications
•Identify and quantify performance indicators
•Organizational skills
•Understanding the needs of various individuals & groups
•Time management
•Supervisory skills
•General social worker skills
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