Social workers are the professionals who help people help themselves.

More information National Association of Social Workers - New York State Chapter 188 Washington Ave. Albany, N.Y. 12210 (800) 724-6279

They provide services to individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations, not only as private practitioners but in public and private agencies as well. You can find social workers in schools, hospitals, offices, factories, or just about anywhere else people need guidance or support.

According to the National Assocation of Social Workers, more than half of all counseling and therapy services are provided by clinical social workers. Clinical social workers aid people in understanding the cause of emotional distress, develop methods of resolving their client's situation and find community resources which can help, such as programs for drug addicts.

There are a variety of social work specialties. A few include substance abuse and addictions, aging, justice/ corrections, employment, health care and school social work.

"We try to be a bridge between (the client) and the community," says Lenor Nesta, a certified social worker with No. 30 and No. 46 Schools in Rochester. Nesta helps kids in kindergarten through sixth grade who are having behavioral problems, come from abusive families, those with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity and a variety of other problems.

Nesta uses tools such as friendship groups, which help children having trouble making and keeping friends. She has meetings with parents and children together to help resolve problems as well. In addition, referrals to outside organizations, such as Hillside Children's Center, are made.

In corrections, social workers focus on rehabilitation, providing drug and alcohol addiction treatment, life skills and therapy to help offenders function in the community when released. Some work as probation and parole officers, helping inmates get job training or find a group home after their release.

In health care facilities social workers are needed to coordinate medical and emotional treatment by assessing patients' needs, managing services needed for recovery, planning after-hospitalization care and educating patients.

A bachelor's degree is the minimum educational requirement for entry-level jobs. However, clinical social workers must have a master's degree in social work and certification from the state they work in. Some states require continuing education to maintain certification.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the number of jobs in social work to grow by 21 to 35 percent in the period between 1996 and 2006.

According to a Hay Group survey of acute care hospitals, the median salary of social workers with master's degrees was $35,000 in 1997.