If you are taking the first steps in pursuing your social work education, it’s important to have extensive resources at your disposal so that you can understand the intricacies of the profession and get the lay of the land for the professional field you wish to enter. With this in mind, NorthCarolinaSocialWorkEDU has compiled numerous resource guides, each one focused on a different topic, to help address your most pressing concerns and loop you into the current conversations taking place in the social work field. Some of these guides may also be useful social work career resources for those already practicing who are interested in expanding their base of knowledge or staying current on evolving issues within the field.
Find our complete offering of resource guides below.
Best MSW Programs in North Carolina
This guide provides an index of the top accredited Master of Social Work programs in North Carolina, including a wide range of options from in-person to online, full-time to part-time. This includes information about tuition, credits required, expected duration of your program, and more. It is worth noting that many of these programs are private and therefore more costly than public programs. For those concerned about meeting the cost of graduate school, you may benefit more from reviewing the next guide (see below).
Most Affordable MSW Programs in North Carolina
This guide provides a directory to the most affordable Master of Social Work programs in North Carolina, all of which are CSWE accredited and will be able to equip you with the skills and certifications you need to pursue your social work license. Indeed, those who live in North Carolina are lucky to have many excellent options of affordable MSW programs to choose from. These also offer the full range of scheduling and logistical options to ensure that students who need to balance school with other obligations are able to do so.
Continuing Education in North Carolina
Though you may be focused on obtaining your graduate degree now, many social work students don’t realize that they will also be expected to complete continuing education courses every two years to maintain their North Carolina licensing status. This shouldn’t be cause for stress: most social workers find it easy to uphold their continuing education obligations, and there are many interesting opportunities that can help you expand your areas of specialization and stay up-to-date on key issues in the field of social work. This guide also provides useful social worker resources for those already working in the field who might be looking to fill their next round of C.E. requirements.
Scholarships and Grants in North Carolina
This is one of the most important resources for social work students. While many MSW programs offer scholarship or work-study opportunities, many students need additional financial support in order to truly take on the expense of graduate school. Fortunately, there are many excellent scholarship and grant opportunities in North Carolina – some public, some private – which can make all the difference in pursuing an advanced degree. If you are just beginning to look into Master of Social Work programs, take a look at this guide at the outset of your search to be sure that you are meeting application deadlines to make these funding opportunities possible.
Mental Health Resources for Social Workers in North Carolina
Though the social work profession is deeply rewarding, it can also be very emotionally demanding. Because of this, it’s imperative for social workers to build self-care and healthy work-life boundaries in order to maintain their energy and focus in the long term. Indeed, any social worker who’s practiced for a long time will agree that accounting for your own emotional well-being is a critical part of the job, without which one is at risk of burnout or the ever-dreaded “compassion fatigue.” To stave off these difficult and discouraging emotions, take a look at this guide.
DEI Resource Page
Many social workers provide their services to individuals, families, and communities that come from different demographics than their own. To provide the best, most compassionate care possible, it’s crucial for social workers to have extensive cultural competence – that is, the knowledge and understanding of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to ensure that people from all walks of life feel cared for in a context free of judgment or persecution. The diversity, equity, and inclusion resources provided in this guide address a wide range of issues, including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and more. These are critically important social work resources for students and practitioners alike.
Women in Social Work
It is an understatement to say that women have played an important role in the social work profession over its development; rather, they have been absolutely critical to its development. The social work profession was pioneered by a woman, Jane Addams, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and over the subsequent century the profession has had more female practitioners than male ones. Despite this, women in social work still face unique barriers to professional equity. This has given rise to numerous organizations and informal networking groups to help advance opportunities and create stronger supportive communities for women social workers in North Carolina and across the country.
Resources to Help Veterans Become Social Workers in North Carolina
After serving in the military, becoming a social worker can be an excellent career path for veterans, whether they are moved to focus on the veterans’ causes into which they have unique personal insight or to provide other forms of support to those in need. There are many ways that veterans can find funding opportunities and other social initiatives to help cover their education and professional development. This guide offers a list of resources in North Carolina and nationwide that exist specifically to help set up veterans with the best education possible after completing their service.
Note: This guide is designed for veterans seeking professional opportunities. It is not focused on social services for veterans. To learn more about social work with current and former military members, take a look at our guide to social work specializations here.