Your Guide to Social Work Abroad
Social work, here and abroad, is an occupation that provides people with the resources, experiences, and opportunities to help the people and world around them. From family social workers to policy makers advocating for social services, there are many different areas of specialization that are equally fulfilling.
The social work sector welcomes all those passionate in helping their local communities, and know that volunteering does not stop in your neighborhoods. You can travel to other countries and help less fortunate people in areas that do not have the same opportunities and technologies that you live with each day.
To help you with this mission, we have provided a good list of study abroad and internship programs centered around social work. You can also participate in programs abroad that allow you to receive a degree in social work, so that you can contribute more of your talents and interests in the field.
When these adventures push you to continue serving as a social worker, you may want to consider the possibilities of making social work your very livelihood. This article also features a number of job and career resources on social work. Check out all these links out and connect with other people who find such a calling in social services.
Popular Types - Volunteer - Study Abroad & Internships - Job & Career
Popular Types of Social Work Abroad
- Child Social Worker: Social workers with the right degrees and experience are needed to help children who are facing problems and challenges. Childhood foundations are a strong determinant of the lives that these future adults will live and hence social workers for children are important.
- Family Social Worker: Families play a significant role in all societies. What family social workers do is strengthen familial ties by counseling both parents and children. They take into account all aspects in the clients’ lives, from school to work, to figure out what the problems are and how to fix them.
- School Social Worker: Education plays a key role in workforce development, but more importantly in equipping children with the knowledge they need to compete in the employment environment that awaits them once they join the workforce. The importance of education puts a load of responsibilities on school social workers who counsel and help students with problems that are preventing them from receiving an education.
- Clinical Social Worker: Individuals from all over the globe are affected by disorders that leave them searching for clinical social workers to help them through the progression of the diseases. Countries that are lagging in medical research and technologies rely on social workers from more advanced nations to seek employment opportunities abroad.
- Medical Social Worker: What the medical social worker does is counsel and treat patients and their families who are affected by medical-related issues. Social workers in the field of medicine help victims of diseases and crimes by taking them to treatment centers that will provide for their needs.
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker: For those with mental illness and substance addictions, a social worker specializing in this line of care helps these treat and care for these people. Through therapy, medications and other forms of treatment, mental health and substance abuse social workers seek to bring these people to more healthy forms of living.
- Disability Social Worker: Development disabilities can be a challenging condition and the disability social worker comes in to help those affected with these disorders. The disability social worker also tries to comfort and provide families with the information and resources that they need.
- Senior Social Worker: Senior citizens make up a large segment of the population all over the world. Hence social workers providing elderly care become an important occupation. Senior social workers provide services to these senior citizens that aid to their well being.
- Social Work Administrator: Lead social work organizations as a social work administrator by planning, organizing, and coordinating events, procedures, and programs. Social work administrators must get more advanced degrees in order to be prepared to serve on these more responsibility-oriented, work intensive roles.
- Social Work Policy Maker: This specialized field focuses on creating policies in social worker and client interactions. Social work policy makers create rules and guidelines for all the areas of social work.
Volunteer Resources
- Voluntary Work: Got questions about voluntary work? Well this can be your go-to site on what the voluntary sector of the economy is all about. Taken from a United Kingdom perspective, this site guides readers to understanding the benefits of volunteering as well as the many opportunities to volunteer in England and other countries overseas.
- Volunteer Abroad: There are many opportunities to do social work abroad. This site features 440 organizations that offer over one thousand different kinds of volunteer programs all over the world.
- Global Volunteer Network: Connect with this large community of volunteers from all over the world to learn about programs abroad, share stories and experiences, as well as find out all the latest news that may affect you as a global volunteer.
- AMIGOS: High schoolers and college students can start engaging in community service projects specially for Latin American countries through this organization. AMIGOS volunteers participate in projects revolving around health, education, and the environment.
- Projects Abroad: This leading volunteer organization gets students as early as high school involved in meaningful projects to better the world around them. College students and professionals can also contribute their time by taking up teaching jobs in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the South Pacific.
- A Broader View: This is a nonprofit organization with the purpose of providing volunteers with an affordable means to travel and participate in community-based projects in countries that need help the most. Some projects volunteers have been involved with include: child care/orphanages, HIV/AIDS awareness, education, medical/dental, construction, environmental, and cultural immersion.
- Greenheart Travel: Sponsored by the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI), Greenheart Travel provides a myriad of volunteer opportunities abroad that focus its efforts on environmental and social initiatives.
- Ikando: Volunteer your talents to projects focused on improving and enhancing the life of those in Africa. Placements are organized according to a volunteer’s field of interest: teaching, arts, healthcare, disabilities, orphanages, sciences and more.
- International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): Safe, quality, affordable volunteering programs are what IVHQ is all about. It places around 3000 people annually to volunteer work in over 16 different countries in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
- ProWorld Service Corps: Volunteers can participate in a 2-48 week project in countries including: Peru, Belize, Brazil, Ghana, Mexico, India and Thailand. Living with host families and rich communities will provide volunteers with an experience that will change their lives.
- Travellers Worldwide: Start volunteering abroad as soon as you get an itch to travel. There are a variety of volunteering programs for people with a passion for service and learning new cultures.
- Global Volunteers: This nonprofit has been recruiting thousands of volunteers to service programs on six continents. From teaching to child care, Global Volunteers looks to turn its participants into community builders and leaders.
Study Abroad & Internships Resources
- Transitions Abroad: Become an international intern by checking out the opportunities organized on this site by continents and internship types.
- Social Work Study Abroad Programs: This site provides you with a look at study abroad programs sponsored by various organizations all across the globe. There are currently “142 organizations offering a total of 286 study abroad programs.”
- Intern Abroad: GoAbroad.com has a special site for social work internships abroad. Check out the “279 organizations offering a total of 729 intern abroad programs.”
- IIEPASSPORT: Filter what study abroad program you are looking for in this study abroad directory site. A search for programs centered on social work brings up over 70 results. The site will give you in-depth information on each program including dates, duration, eligibility, credit, cost, instruction, housing, and other basics that you need to know.
- Academic Study Abroad Opportunities in Social Work: Many universities are offering academic units and even degrees in their study abroad programs. Search this database of opportunities to find the right one of you.
- Diversity Abroad: This site connects people to organization-sponsored social work programs abroad. It describes the scholarships involved and the requirements students have to meet to be eligible for the awards.
- ISA Study Abroad: Internships and volunteer opportunities are both featured on this site. It organizes the information according to social service areas, mainly from social work, education, healthcare, and ecology.
- Study Abroad Funding: Wondering how to fund that study abroad trip? Well, this is the place to go to find scholarships, fellowships, grants, and internships for study abroad opportunities you want to take but need money for.
- Students Go Abroad: This site offers internships abroad, social projects, and voluntary travel for all those seeking adventure and work in new countries. This company has teams in different countries who are ready to give you the latest details in their programs.
- Cross Cultural Solutions: The internships sponsored by this organization also gives students the opportunity to gain an academic background in three main areas: education, health, or social services. Cross Cultural Solutions hopes to find dedicated students, willing to spend 3-12 weeks in one of the 11 countries that are home to their programs.
- United Planet: This is an international nonprofit organization that strives to give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in new cultures through voluntary work and internships. An opportunity to intern through this organization will give individuals a personalized itinerary and goal set that helps them grow in the fields of their choice.
- BUNAC: This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sending students to work abroad and volunteer abroad programs. It allows you to explore the world by adding to your resume too. Not only does it provide you with lifetime memories, it gives you lifetime experiences and abilities that will help you further your career goals.
- GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Educational Programs: Currently offering three educational programs abroad—AustraLearn, AsiaLearn, and EuroLearn—GlobaLinks Learning Abroad looks to provide college students with opportunities to find academic programs and internships internationally.
Job & Career Resources
- National Association of Social Workers: Get all the latest information about social work by becoming a member of this large organization for the profession. Members can also connect with a large network of social workers in their fields.
- NASW Job Link: Search jobs and post your resume to see if there are social work opportunities waiting for you. For those looking to hire, you can post job listings and search through resumes to find a qualified applicant.
- Social Work Blog: This blog is updated daily on all things social work. You may stumble across an entry that may speak directly to you, so check up on this site from time to time to see what you might find. All contribute to the conversation by adding your own comments.
- Social Work Chat: Not only are you able to chat, you can check out the bulletin boards and chat schedules on the calendar to talk about the topics that interest you most about social work. Talk it up on this organized, friendly site sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers.
- Social Workers: The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics offers an in-depth look at the job of social workers in its 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook. This site gives you facts about what social workers do, its employment ratings and earnings, and additional information on the occupation.
- A Student’s Guide in Social Work Career: Before you decide that social work is for you, check out this guide to help you self-reflect, research, plan, and find a position that fits with your expectations. This article is not here to discourage you to the cause but to assist you in finding a path that will lead you to the best working experience possible.
- Social Work Today: Check out this publication filled with articles all about social work related topics. Reading through Social Work Today will provide you with information, insight, and a good idea of what is currently going on in the field of social work.
- Degree Abroad: Start early on your abroad adventure and get a degree in social work before finding a job in social services in the international terrain. This site offers a wide array of resources available for all those seeking to make a difference in the world.
- George Warren Brown School of Social Work: You can also get your masters in social work at Washington University’s Brown School. Study here in America before you take your knowledge and abilities on the international scene.
- The Social Work Podcast: Need more information about what social work is all about? How about some inspirational and thought-provoking pieces of advice about the significance and impact of social work? Well this site offers information, guidance, and all things that have to do with social work.
- Social Work Jobs UK: The United Kingdom (UK) is welcoming social workers in a variety of fields to contribute their time and talents to the myriad of opportunities on its land. The country is looking for social workers in these following industry sectors: children’s services, elderly care, mental health, young offenders, drugs and alcohol, and adults/children with disabilities.
- UK Pro: Read the testimonials and browse through the pictures to be inspired to apply for a social service job abroad in the United Kingdom. UK Pro has been dubbed “an international leader in social service placement.”
- Council on Social Work Education: This site offers a huge collection of data on social work programs, conferences, and workshops all over the world. It gives readers resources to social work organizations, NGOs, agencies, and career opportunities.
- Jobs Abroad: Trying to find employment opportunities abroad in the social work sector? Look no further; GoAbroad.com has you covered with this special site that lists numbers of jobs in various countries.
