Arizona Social Worker License
:: 2024 Guide
It takes a big heart to take on the challenging spectrum of social work. If you’ve decided to dedicate your career to becoming a licensed social worker in Arizona, you likely have a passion for people. Social work is crucial for helping children, families, and communities cope with difficult times. Common services that society looks to the social worker to provide include:
- Family services
- Addiction Help
- Mental health
- Counseling
- Referrals to other professionals
- Resource access
Arizona Social Work License Options
Social workers are there for people at their lowest points and help to create a plan to pull them back into a functional and hopefully thriving life. Social work happens for all stages and life situations including those related to childhood, family, school, public health, and addiction. The type of setting social workers gravitate toward include schools, hospitals, nursing homes, government, nonprofits, and private practices.
People who are in the midst of crisis are very fragile and it is imperative to receive proper training on how to delicately and effectively bring someone out of their despair. To practice this life-changing work in the Grand Canyon State, you must obtain a professional license that verifies that you have been adequately equipped to handle these difficult situations.
An LBSW, or licensed baccalaureate social worker, requires a bachelor’s degree which is the minimum amount of education allowed to become licensed as a social worker in the state. The role of the LBSW is non-clinical, meaning you cannot treat patients in a clinic setting.
Your job duties as an LBSW can include broader macro social work; this means you work with larger population groups rather than the individual. LBSWs are responsible for both the design and improvement of programs, services, and policies. You’ll work as an advocate for individuals and families. Other roles you can fill as an LBSW include:
- Activity Director
- Mental Health Assistant
- Habilitation Specialist
As an LBSW, you can expect the following on a day to day basis:
- Identifying community needs
- Assessing needs
- Developing support networks
- Helping people during difficult situations
- Advocate for community resources
- Maintain patient records
Additional responsibilities come with the more advanced social work licenses. Those include:
- Provide care during mental health emergencies
- Respond to crises
- Provide psychotherapy services
A master’s degree in social work is required for the other two license types: LMSW, or Licensed Master of Social Worker, and LCSW, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The difference between the LMSW and the LCSW is that the latter can diagnose and treat mental conditions independently.