Clinical vs. Non-Clinical Social Work

Clinical vs. Nonclinical 

When pursuing a career in social work, you might be wondering about the difference between social workers and psychologists, and the difference between clinical and nonclinical social work. Each occupation plays a specific role in social work, with a different degree of responsibilities, focus areas, and education requirements. 

Clinical Social Worker – What Does Clinical Mean? 

Clinical social workers provide immediate services to families, clients, and communities. They are assisting in addressing a variety of concerns, from domestic abuse to mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and more. Clinical by definition is focusing on the individual’s health and trying to help them cope with a living situation that is outside of their control. Some may then ask, “what’s the difference then between social workers vs. psychologists?” Many people mistakenly compare clinical social workers to psychologists, the difference is fairly large. Clinical social workers help their clients deal with a wide range of issues that the individual is facing, from personal problems to societal and economic, while psychologists usually deal with mental health issues. 

Non-Clinical Social Workers 

A non-clinical social worker (also known as macro social work) helps clients through programs or social work agencies. Usually, at the policy level, a non-clinical social worker usually focuses not on the individual's personal health, but on the external environment around them. Macro social workers get involved in pushing policies and examining systemic issues from the ground up. 

What do you Need to Become a Clinical Social Worker? 

A clinical social worker requires a higher level of education, either a master's or a doctoral degree. This higher threshold comes with higher stakes that have greater responsibilities. When comparing clinical vs. nonclinical, an important question to ask yourself is, “How do I want to make a difference?” While macro social workers are just as important, clinical social workers have their boots on the ground in a community, helping the individual. If you find the one-on-one connections you can make in social work to be invigorating and inspiring, a master's in clinical counseling allows clinical social workers to be qualified in guiding clients with the right support skills and counseling. And further on, a PhD in clinical social work from ICSW will help emphasize the importance that comes with healing and the use of the psychotherapeutic relationship to help clients improve their lives for the better.