Working together: examples of social work collaboration

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Social work combines many related practice areas, including supporting adolescent health, finding care solutions for an aging population and working to improve behavioral health in communities.

For all of these, developing a deep knowledge of collaboration and connection is a great way to prepare for a role in the field of social work.

Earning a degree in social work can help you do just that. As you go through a social work degree program, you can discover ways to expand on your collaboration skills and abilities.

Collaboration opportunities for social workers

A person who holds a social work degree can potentially provide aid in a number of ways through collaboration. They can help strengthen community ties and work with individuals and groups with other professionals to help achieve common goals.

An example is how the efforts of social work and public health together can help aid in cultural responsiveness and community building, such as grief counseling or crisis stabilization, or responding to natural disasters or infectious disease outbreaks.

Promoting community safety offers another connection between public health and social work. They can team up to apply empowerment-based intervention and domestic violence support, including case management services, to connect people to crisis treatment services.

Community faith leaders can be another good resource for collaboration, building on their common goals of encouraging mutual understanding and trust throughout society. The resulting interdisciplinary relationships are often beneficial to communities and individuals in need of physical, emotional, spiritual and social support.

Another interdisciplinary connection comes in the form of using the expertise of social workers in the field of education, partnering with organizations in various settings to help teens and young adults find their path to grow as lifelong learners.

Those who hold a social work degree can help connect these and other groups, developing a network of support professionals that can forge a collaborative future.

Learn more about social work degrees

If you’re interested in earning a degree in social work, you have a number of options at Capella. You can choose to pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees, all of which can help you become familiar with the various aspects of the field of social work.

• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) – Cultivate your passion for helping others and discover how you can connect people with the resources they need to thrive by learning the foundations of a generalist social work practice.
• Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Social Work, Advanced Standing – Gain advanced leadership skills and prepare to step into a general or clinical practice (in most states) in a management or supervisory role offering social work services. Already have a BSW? Select the MSW Advanced Standing option to build on your knowledge and find new opportunities to apply social work skills.
• Doctor of Social Work (DSW) – Prepare to be a leader, researcher or advanced practitioner with a curriculum focused on critical thinking, leadership, research and the use of technology in the context of social work. 

Capella cannot guarantee any specific job, promotion, salary increase or other career outcomes. You will need to conduct your own research to understand what opportunities may be available to you. Note that some career paths may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications or other designations along with a degree.

It is important to understand all educational and individual requirements for licensing. Capella University cannot guarantee licensure, certification, or endorsement. State regulations vary regarding professional licensure. It is your responsibility to understand and comply with requirements for your state.

Find out how Capella University’s online social work degrees can help you develop the skills you need to collaborate effectively and build your capacity for leadership in multidisciplinary teams.