ABSTRACT
Social work is a profession committed to the enhancement of human well-being, the alleviation of poverty and oppression, and the promotion of social justice (Council of Social Work Education [CSWE], 1994). Social work professionals practice in a wide variety of settings, including child welfare, family services, and corrections agencies, private and public hospitals, and community-based psychiatric and substance abuse treatment centers. Offering a 2-year professional degree, social work is a growing profession. The U.S. Labor Department projects that there will be close to 650,000 practicing social workers by the year 2005, more than a 30% increase over 1995 (O'Neill, 1999).
