Hands-on
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Explore a possible path
Healthcare Social Workers
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
How does this connect to your interests? →A look at the work
- Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
- Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
- Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
- Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
- Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.
A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.
Interests involved in this work
These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.
2.0 / 7
Investigative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Creative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Helping people
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Enterprising
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Organizing
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Skills to explore
Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
2021-08
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
2021-08
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
2021-08
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2021-08
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
2021-08
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
2021-08
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
2021-08
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
2021-08
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
2021-08
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
2021-08
Plan a small next step
Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.
Source preparation category: Job Zone 5 of 5 · 2021-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.
Related study fields
Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.
Clinical/Medical Social Work →
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist →
Explore all related study fields →Source & methodology
O*NET-SOC code 21-1022.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.
How interest exploration matching works →Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.