spends most of oneÆs time in the field) and oneÆs experiences as a supervisor of other field workers (Meyer, 1983, p. 18).
Of course, social workers may be employed in varied settings, and the particular setting in which one works will affect the way in which one makes the shift from worker to manager. Social caseworkers deal directly with the individual or the family. They work in family-service agencies, medical and psychiatric hospitals and clinics, public agencies, substance-abuse clinics, and industrial settings. Such social workers will probably be better prepared for the shift to supervisory status since they are accustomed to the hierarchical structure of the office in which they work and have a good sense of what it is that their supervisor does (Brashears, 1995, p. 695).
However, in the last two decades, there has been a trend toward professionals working in private practice rather than in the nonprofit or public sector. These workers may find it somewhat harder to make the shift to supervisor due to the more independent nature of their daily work (Brashears, 1995, p. 695).
In recent years the areas of specialization within social work have increased greatly, and this also has an effect on how easily one can move into management, w
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