Description
Social workers help individuals, couples, families, groups, communities and organizations develop the skills and resources they need to enhance social functioning and provide counselling, therapy and referral to other supportive social services. Social workers also respond to other social needs and issues such as unemployment, racism and poverty. They are employed by hospitals, school boards, social service agencies, child welfare organizations, correctional facilities, community agencies, employee assistance programs and Aboriginal band councils, or they may work in private practice.
Job Titles
- Addiction social worker
- Case management consultant – social work
- Case management social worker
- Case work consultant – social work
- Casework supervisor – social work
- Caseworker – social work
- Certified social worker
- Child welfare social worker
- Coordinator of social work
- Family social worker
- Geriatric social worker
- Group social worker
- Human relations officer – social work
- Intake worker – social services
- Medical social worker
- Psychiatric social worker
- Registered social worker
- School social worker
- Social casework consultant
- Social work coordinator
- Social work officer
- Social work officer – Canadian Armed Forces
- Social work supervisor
- Social worker
- Social workers supervisor
Main Duties
- Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, to assess their situation and problems and determine the types of services required
- Provide counsel and therapy to assist clients in developing skills to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems
- Plan programs of assistance for clients including referral to agencies that provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, medical treatment and other services
- Investigate cases of child abuse or neglect and take authorized protective action when necessary
- Serve as members on interdisciplinary teams of professionals working with client groups
- Act as advocates for client groups in the community, lobby for solutions to problems directly affecting client groups and develop prevention and intervention programs to meet community needs
- Develop or advise on social policy legislation, conduct social research and assist in community development
- Provide mediation services and psychosocial assessments
- Evaluate the effectiveness of counselling and social programs
- May provide public education and consultation to professionals or groups regarding counselling services, issues and methods
- May supervise other social workers.
Workplaces
- Aboriginal band councils
- Child welfare organizations
- Community agencies
- Correctional facilities
- Employee assistance programs
- Hospitals
- Private practice
- School boards
- Social service agencies
Skills
- Oral Communication: Active Listening
- Persuading
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordinating
- Critical Thinking
Abilities
- Speech Recognition
- Fluency of Ideas
- Inductive Reasoning
- Memorizing Pattern Organization Speed
Personal Attributes
- Speech Recognition
- Fluency of Ideas
- Inductive Reasoning
- Memorizing Pattern Organization Speed
Similar Occupations
- Managers in social, community and correctional services (40030)
- Educational counsellors (41320)
- Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (41301)
- Social and community service workers (42201)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be Good for social workers (NOC 41300) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
- Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Social workers in Prince Edward Island continue to face strong demand and good employment prospects, with opportunities created by both employment growth and retirements. The province’s aging population is increasing the need for palliative care, seniors’ services, and mental health supports, while government investments in healthcare and community programs are sustaining demand. In 2025, the P.E.I. government reaffirmed funding for mental health and addictions services in its budget, alongside new grant programs to strengthen community wellbeing. Despite these supports, the sector is challenged by unfilled vacancies, high caseloads, and staff burnout, with many new graduates starting in child protection before moving into other areas of practice. Labour needs are closely tied to public funding, and recent reports highlight the importance of expanding the workforce to reduce wait times and improve access to services.
For new graduates or career changers, this occupation offers stable employment, diverse career pathways, and opportunities to advance through higher education, though flexibility and resilience are essential given the pressures on the system.
Here are some key facts about Social workers in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 350 people work in this occupation.
- Social workers mainly work in the following sectors:
- Hospitals (NAICS 622): 51%
- Social assistance (NAICS 624): 32%
- Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 7%
- Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 6%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 88% compared to 84% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 13% compared to 16% for all occupations
- 75% of social workers work all year, while 25% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 13% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: 88% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: n/a
- high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: n/a
- bachelor’s degree: 43% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 54% compared to 8% for all occupations
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $25.33 | $40.00 | $46.56 |
| Canada | $25.00 | $38.46 | $50.26 |
Training
There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.
| TRAINING PROGRAM | INSTITUTION | CREDENTIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Family Science | UPEI | Undergraduate |
| Sociology / Anthropology | UPEI | Undergraduate |
| Psychology | UPEI | Undergraduate |
There are currently no job listings for this occupation on WorkPEI.