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Behavioral HealthTop JobColorado Talent Pipeline Report-aligned occupation with strong annual openings, growth, and wage signals.

Child, Family, and School Social Worker

Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.

Annual openings

873

Median wage

$63,720

Typical education

A Bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a program accredited by the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) is required.

Growth 2026–2032

+9%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

A Bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a program accredited by the Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) is required.

Credential requirement

No certification is required for this job. However, many employers value moving beyond this role to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker so you can operate independently without supervision.

Work experience

This does not require previous work experience; however, a person could work in a lower-level Behavioral Health role first.

Employer competency information

Feedback from employers identifies the following critical competencies and how they apply for this job

  • Customer Focus — Focusing on and understanding the client is the foundation for this job; for instance, planning group counseling sessions to address the different needs of each patient and adjusting treatments based on an individual’s needs.
  • Psychology, Therapy and Counseling — The knowledge and ability to understand a patient’s behavior, identify possible causes, and develop appropriate treatments and interventions.
  • Communication — The ability to quickly and concisely summarize and articulate the most pertinent patient-related information.
  • Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork — Examples are understanding a patient’s culture/background and how it impacts the treatment and the ability to an effectively run a group consisting of diverse backgrounds. In addition, treatment in a hospital setting is always a team effort.
  • Critical & Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving & Decision Making — The ability to look at multiple aspects of a patient objectively and subjectively and assessing, implementing and adjusting treatments.
  • Integrity — Ethical behavior to protect your patients and maintain appropriate boundaries are two key aspects of this job.
The Council on Social Work Education has information on different social work specialty areas. They also have more general information on the social work workforce.
Some jobs are posted informally as “social work”. However, to hold the title of Social Worker, a Bachelor's degree in Social Work is required.
To learn more about Victim Advocacy, visit the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Automation exposure

Low exposure

Tasks here lean on judgement and people skills that are hard to automate.

A typical day

  1. Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
  2. Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
  3. Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
  4. Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
  5. Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.
  6. Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.
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