5 Unique Job Opportunities for Christian Social Workers

A career in social work can be exciting and rewarding. It is a path that allows people to earn livings by helping others.

Christian social workers infuse their faith within daily duties as well. Their value system is based on scripture, and these guidelines are used when counseling others. Christian social workers feel life is sacred, and they comprehend humans require spiritual, emotional, and intellectual fulfillment. Besides prayer, listening is the most effective tool they use to help others. Through empathy, they lead clients in a positive direction so that they live better lives.

Here are five unique job opportunities open to Christian social workers.

1. Pastoral Counselor

Pastoral counseling is an excellent career option for a Christian social worker who is trained as a minister, priest, or other religious leader to provide psychological therapy services. Pastoral counselors help people understand the connection between life and faith. These professionals use psychological and theological resources to develop training programs or to encourage cooperation among religious professionals and the medical community, especially while treating problems like drug addiction. Certified ministers who become pastoral counselors often find employment as chaplains in prisons or hospitals.

2. Adoption Consultant

Christian social workers understand the importance of having a strong family unit in place. To help children who are legally separated from their birth parents, many individuals work as adoption consultants. This field of employment unites children with parents who create a family setting filled with emotional support and unconditional love. To facilitate child placement, it is necessary to become licensed. This means an adoption consultant understands and follows the laws of the state. As a Christian adoption social worker, a person may find employment with a Christian adoption agency.

3. Community Service Manager

A Christian community service manager helps families dream big, invest in their future, and achieve success. It includes working for a church or similar organization to break economic barriers that hamper success and develop programs that help move families forward. Certain groups focus on helping veterans or the elderly deal with unemployment or mental health issues.

Resource: 35 Best Value Christian Colleges with CSWE-accredited Programs 2015

By collecting evaluation data, these managers are expected to prove the effectiveness of programs in practice. In a large agency, a manager will have a specialized duty. For instance, a person may supervise and implement one particular program. In a small organization, a manager may play multiple roles. This person may be vocal in community activities, including fundraising, and oversee numerous programs. A qualified individual must have administrative experience, financial knowledge, and good people skills.

4. Family Counselor

Christian social work places families in the spotlight. Family is considered the cornerstone of a person’s well being. In times of divorce, sickness, or death, families may need help remaining connected. A Christian family counselor must facilitate communication in a non-confrontational manner and must intervene to defuse volatile situations. For instance, when a person is dealing with drug or alcohol addiction, a social worker may recommend an effective course of treatment and organize therapy for the entire family. Also, this type of counselor may meet with a troubled child to get to the root of a behavioral problem. Through empathy, a Christian social worker helps families resolve conflicts and teaches how to better communicate and respect others.

5. Substance Abuse Social Worker

A Christian substance abuse counselor works to help addicts with conventional methods of treatment infused with religion. A patient learns to turn all burdens over to God. This is the core belief of all Christian counseling and creates a comfortable environment where a person never feels judged. When dealing with substance abuse, an addict may feel weak and vulnerable. A Christian counselor places this person at ease and focuses on returning this individual to the path of God.

Christian social work is a special part of the traditional social work profession. It places strong emphasis on God and how spirituality plays an important role in everyday society. The above jobs are just a few unique offerings for individuals interested in entering the field.