Social Work: Continuing Education Beyond The Classroom

In the field of social work, continuing education cannot be understated as an important component of professional growth and development. Whether you are working in a legal capacity or with the homeless or with the mentally ill, research and thoughts on therapy are changing all the time. What you learned in the classroom may be obsolete in ten years. If not obsolete, certainly outdated and improved upon. Those therapists who fail to keep up with these changes will find their clients are not getting the help they could be getting.

In social work, continuing education means taking classes of all types, geared towards a deeper understanding of the many problems a typical professional may encounter. These problems will vary according to the direct employment of the social worker, such as whether they work for the government, a legal institution, or elsewhere. Problems that classes may address could include drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, alcoholism, poverty, and much more. These classes and materials are designed to help the worker find and implement new and effective ways to communicate and counsel their charges.

In all forms of therapy, including social work, continuing education is important as the science of psychotherapy is constantly evolving and changing. What was common knowledge in one decade may be considered obsolete bunk in the next. This is, of course, true even of the hard sciences. While there are some basic tenants that any therapist can cling to, there is a wide diversity of opinion beyond that point. Studies and anecdotal evidence argue for various forms of treatment and counseling. This is why it is so vital for a therapist to further their learning at any opportunity. To do otherwise is to allow the more modern interpretations and theories to pass by unnoticed and unexamined.

For most people involved in social work, continuing education is about more than personal growth, however. Many states require this education as a matter of remaining certified to work in the field. Some classes and materials may be outlined by the state to cover specific problems facing the community. For instance, if the unemployment rate is particularly high, there may be an interest in having the state’s social workers concentrate on how to help the unemployed and job-seeking. The material one can use for re-certification purposes can be found not only at the state’s colleges and universities, but through online classes, books, and DVD courses as well, giving therapists and social workers a trove of possibilities from which to choose.