Erie County displays its commitment to at-risk and undeserved individuals and families through the creation and implementation of programs like Housing First, an organization that places the chronically homeless in Eerie County in permanent housing. But it’s just one of dozens of programs serving the people of Buffalo, Amherst, and beyond.
And at the heart of these efforts is where you’ll find social workers, advocating and championing for social justice and helping people overcome adversity and issues related to poverty, mental health, domestic violence, discrimination, addiction, and more.
“We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation.”
Social Worker Jobs: What Does a Social Worker Do in Erie County?
From Buffalo to Amherst, Erie County social workers are improving the lives of individuals and communities through advocacy, activism, counseling, and support. Their specialized skillset allows them to serve as valuable practitioners in a variety of settings ranging from hospitals to community programs to schools to correctional facilities.
School Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
Erie County is home to about 117,000 public students within 29 public school districts and 22 charter schools. These professionals often work within interdisciplinary teams of psychologists, nurses, guidance counselors, and educators to provide individual and group counseling and to respond to crisis situations.
For example, at the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School, social workers support students, families, and staff, with an overall focus on enhancing students’ academic success and overall well-being. They are responsible for providing support by identifying the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students through assessments, individualized intervention plans, counseling, and therapeutic services.
And in the Buffalo Public Schools, school social worker jobs are focused on establishing an environment that enhances the individual growth of all students. These professional facilitate services for students with disabilities and help them reach their educational and social potential.
Healthcare Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
Opportunities in social work are plentiful in healthcare settings throughout Erie County. Healthcare social work jobs are found in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health centers, and more.
For example, social workers at Fallon Health Weinberg’s Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) connect members with services and resources that address their social, health, and economic needs. Healthcare social workers here help patients and their families understand benefits and community resources, and they develop plans to coordinate a continuum of care that meets their needs and goals.
Healthcare social worker jobs in Erie County are also found at nursing home facilities like Elderwood at Amherst, where they are responsible for ensuring the health and well-being of residents. These professionals oversee the admission and discharge of residents and provide social service referrals.
Child Welfare Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
Social worker jobs in child welfare in Erie County are found in the court system and other governmental agencies, and in nonprofit organizations.
For example, they are an important part of the team at the Family Help Center, which serves as a wraparound services program that targets youth in the Erie County Children’s System of Care. Social workers here provide home-based services and serve as coordinators and monitors of services aimed at improving their educational experience and promoting family stability.
Erie County child welfare social workers also work for Catholic Charities of Buffalo, a major human services provider serving eight counties in Western New York with more than 40 locations. These professionals provide clinical services to clients in the child welfare system. They collaborate with the Erie County Department of Social Services to ensure child safety, permanency in school, and overall well-being. They also develop treatment plans, identify problem areas, create focused diagnoses, and make appropriate referrals and follow-ups.
Mental Health Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
Mental health social work jobs are an important part of the healthcare system in Erie County. For example, social workers at the Summit Center, Western New York’s leading provider of behavioral health and autism services, have a broad range of duties that include conducting behavioral assessments, creating behavior intervention plans, and providing crisis intervention and monitoring.
Social workers focused on mental health also work at OLV Human Services – WRAP Services in West Seneca, which provides coordinated youth and family-driven care to meet the needs of children, adolescents, and families struggling with serious mental or behavioral health challenges. Working with an interdisciplinary team, social workers here help coordinate supports and implement plans that help youth and families live fuller, happier lives.
Substance Abuse Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
Substance use disorder remains a major crisis, both nationally and throughout Erie County. In the first six months of 2024 alone, Erie County reported 105 drug overdose deaths and 106 suspected opioid-related deaths. From mobile crisis clinics to hospitals to community clinics, substance abuse social worker jobs are aimed at helping those with substance use disorder through case management, crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, and referrals.
For example, substance use social workers at Erie County Medical Center provide substance use treatment services that include establishing recovering plans, conducting activities and individual and group counseling, and developing a social work network.
Unhoused Outreach Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
Homeless outreach social work jobs in Erie County can be found through a variety of government and nonprofit organizations.
For example, social workers specializing in homeless outreach work for the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, a continuum of care agency for the five counties of Western New York. This agency coordinates homeless services and oversees the allocation of HUD funds.
They also work for shelters like My Place Home for the Homeless. Here, social workers advocating for individuals experiencing homelessness assess client needs, provide support and resources for clients by partnering with support networks and community and government resources, and research and refer clients in areas like health and childcare.
Military Veteran Social Worker Jobs in Erie County
In Erie County, social workers focused on the health and well-being of military service members and veterans are found at places like the VA’s Buffalo Vet Center, which offers confidential help at no cost in a non-medical setting. Social workers are part of interdisciplinary healthcare teams that provide counseling for issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and even military sexual trauma.
Also within the VA system, social workers provide valuable services for homeless veterans through the Buffalo Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program.
Social Worker Salary in Buffalo, Amherst, and Throughout Erie County
Erie County comes in strong as one of the least expensive counties to live in New York, which makes its average annual salaries for social workers on par with national averages. It’s likely that salaries for social workers are higher in Buffalo, the largest metro area in the county.
As of May 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that mental health and substance abuse social workers earned the highest average salary among social workers in the Buffalo metro area, although child, family and school social workers come in a close second —$67,400 and $64,120, respectively.
The higher salaries reported by the BLS (those in the 75th and 90th percentiles) account for LCSWs and LMSWs, while those closer to the median range likely represent those with undergraduate degrees in the field.
|
Occupation |
Employment |
Annual mean wage |
Annual median wage |
Annual 75th percentile wage |
Annual 90th percentile wage |
|
Child, Family, and School Social Workers |
1,380 |
$64,120 |
$64,210 |
$72,690 |
$82,660 |
|
Healthcare Social Workers |
1,240 |
$56,500 |
$52,000 |
$66,190 |
$77,860 |
|
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers |
500 |
$67,400 |
$67,330 |
$77,950 |
$84,970 |
|
Social Workers, All Other |
190 |
$75,210 |
$76,770 |
$88,770 |
$97,780 |
2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Social Workers reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2024.