You will find social workers in variety of settings, including: community centres, family services agencies, children's aid agencies, general and psychiatric hospitals, school boards, correctional institutions, international development agencies, advocacy groups, solidarity and activist groups, welfare administration agencies, federal and provincial departments, and private practice. They work in the following typical organizations.

  Government
  Quasi or Semi-Governmental
  Voluntary or Private organizations
  Private Practice
  Advocacy Organizations
  Local Social Planning
  Private Industry

Government

Working with income security programs, establishing eligibility and providing financial services; and social services, offering help on a more individual basis. Community and Social Services (provincial), Unemployment Insurance Commission (federal), Youth Services Bureau, probation and parole, alcohol and drug addiction programs, child welfare, homes for special care.

 
Quasi or Semi-Governmental

Those that have a legal mandate (usually provincial) to carry out certain activities and are virtually 100 per cent government-funded, but nonetheless are guided by a privately-elected board of governors. Examples, hospitals, and the Children's Aid Societies in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

 
Voluntary or Private Organizations

Not-for-profit and for-profit agencies which receive government funding as well as private, but are guided by privately-elected boards of directors.

 
Private Practice

a very small percentage.

 
Advocacy Organizations

could be personal advocacy such as citizen advocacy which advocates on behalf of an individual; could be research or lobby group, such as Caledon Institute.

 
Local Social Planning

local, private Social Planning Council

 
Private Industry

employee assistance programs