SUMMARY:
There's a shortage of social workers in America, as well as a discrepancy on where services are needed and where social workers can be found. Rural areas are the ones struggling the most with few or no social workers close by.
There are many reasons why we need more social workers now, here are some highlighted in the The Realtime Report:- The American population is aging
- There’s a sharp rise in social isolation
- Homelessness and Incarceration remain serious issues
- The opioid epidemic has dramatically increased demand for behavioral health workers.
Here are some factors explaining the shortage:
- Relatively high educational requirements required for the job
- Lack of funding and incentives for workers in rural areas
- Incredible professional demands
- The increasing complexity of challenges that social workers face
- The looming retirement wave hitting the profession