Social Work Continuing Education Is Essential To Your Career

As a social worker, you likely already know the need for furthering your schooling and taking courses and seminars to help you hone your craft. The complex needs of the people you deal with on a daily basis and the issues that you are confronted with seem to change regularly, and the best way to stay current with the needs in the field is to pursue social work continuing education.

Almost all jurisdictions that license people in your industry also require further credits in order to maintain your licensure, making this more than just “something nice” to do, but a requirement to keep your job. As you are looking for programs, seminars, classes, or other such credits you can take to complete your requirements, there are some things you should look for to help you find the right ones.

First, consider your current interests. While it may sometimes be necessary to pursue a course or take a seminar that is not interesting to you to maintain your licensure, it is always better to pursue something that is of interest to you. This will allow you to get more out of it.

As you consider your interests, consider the struggles and situations you are facing in your work. Because you deal with people daily and people’s problems change, this can give you real insight into which social work continuing education programs will best benefit not only you, but also the people you serve. Consider making a list of problems or questions that you could benefit from finding the answer to as you pursue your course work.

Next, be sure to look into the accreditation or other technical qualifications of the course. Does it fulfill your needs? How many credits or units does it provide? Are these sufficient to justify the cost of the course? These types of questions will keep you from wasting money on a course or seminar that does not adequately benefit your licensure needs.

Another consideration would be the travel necessary to complete the coursework or attend the class or seminar. If you work in a remote area, your options may be limited. You might be better off looking for social work continuing education programs that are available online or provide a daylong lecture format that allows you to earn multiple credits with just one day of travel. An online resource that gives you the ability to search all such opportunities in your basic geographic area is invaluable in saving you time and energy as you look for your options.

Remember, social work continuing education is a requirement for you to continue practicing in your chosen career field, but it is also something invaluable to help you hone your skills and better serve the people you care for. They are relying on you to help them better their situations and understand their needs, both physical and emotional. Furthering your training through pursuing the best possible courses is essential to providing the best possible care for those who need it most.