社会工作是从业人员直接与个人，家庭和团体合作，帮助人们应对，改变和解决日常生活中各个方面的问题的专业。社会工作者还与社区利益相关者，组织，社区和社区以及社区组织与发展，政策和立法倡导等活动合作。他们受雇于各种机构，职位和服务领域，例如心理健康，衰老服务，家庭暴力，儿童福利，学校社会工作，医疗保健服务，老年社会工作以及药物滥用治疗和预防。此外，社会工作者可以晋升为社会服务机构的管理职位或建立自己的私人执业机构。社会工作作为一种职业的独特性包括强调环境中的人，对社会中最边缘化和最受压迫的认同以及对社会工作核心
Social work is a profession in which practitioners work directly with individuals, families, and groups, helping people cope, change, and solve problems in all facets of their daily lives. Social workers also work with community stakeholders, organizations, neighborhoods and communities, and in activities such as community organization and development, policy and legislative advocacy. They are employed in a wide variety of agencies, positions, and areas of service, such as mental health, aging services, domestic violence, child welfare, school social work, healthcare services, geriatric social work, and substance abuse treatment and prevention. In addition, social workers may advance to positions of management of social service agencies or establish their own private practice. The uniqueness of social work as a profession includes the emphasis on the person-in-environment, identification with the most marginalized and oppressed of society, and commitment to core values of social work'social and economic justice, respect for the worth of others, cultural diversity, and the principle of self-determination for individuals, families, and groups. At both the BSW and MSW level social workers may be licensed for social work practice within their state.