social worker

A professional with an advanced degree in social work who is assigned, usually by a government or medical agency, to help people and families who struggle with challenging social or environmental problems. Such problems can include poverty, unemployment, illness, disability, substance abuse, or domestic violence. The social worker's job is to help people access and make the most of resources, services, and programs that might be available to them in order to improve their living conditions and promote the welfare of her or his clients as well as society at large.