There are a wide range of directions to pursue when you finish a bachelor’s degree in social work, Samantha Perales, University of Texas Permian Basin field director and lecturer, says.
A lot of people may think of Child Protective Services as the destination for social workers, but Perales said child welfare is a small subset of what they do.
Social workers can be found in the offices of district attorneys, the military, Veterans Affairs, policy creation and legislation, among other areas.
Asked if a master’s degree is needed, she said the more licensure certifications you can get the better because with higher level degrees, they are able to practice on their own or operate a clinic.
Because the social work team is small, Perales said they are trying to expand the bachelor of social work program and add a master’s degree. That idea has been proposed to the UT System.
“We currently have about 40-ish students,” Perales said.
Currently, there are two full-time faculty members and three adjuncts that teach remotely.
“The students will do classroom learning and then that final year is dedicated to field practice where they get that hands-on experience. However, myself and (Social Work Department Chair) Dr. (Samuel) Terrazas have begun piloting this really immersive hands-on, simulated learning inside of those traditional courses that they would take. For instance, they may take a class in social justice or cultural diversity and our goal, and what we’ve really … strived to do when we took over this program, is start that hands-on learning at the very beginning. That way that senior year is not filled with worries or fears that the student will have any sort of barriers to hands-on practice,” Perales said.
“Our philosophy is exposure at the earliest point will help develop their skills. Then by the time they’re in field practicum, they have a lot of those skill sets. … We want to make sure that they are confident, competent social work students going into the field, so we’ve blended the two.”
