March is Social Work Month! Social workers do a lot- whether it’s supporting individuals and communities, advocating for change at a state or national level, or working in administration at local nonprofits. The theme for 2026’s Social Work Month is “Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform.” The goal of this year’s theme is to honor social work’s mission to “enhance human well-being, meet the basic human needs of all people, and put special attention on the needs and empowerment of people are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.” Social work can be a vague term, so today’s blog post will explore the different types of social workers and the different jobs that social workers can perform.  

What is Social Work? 

The International Federation of Social Workers defines social work as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work.”

Types of Social Workers 

• Social work can be broken down into three overall levels- micro, mezzo, and macro social work.  
• Micro Social Work 
  • This is the person you probably think of when you think of social work. Micro social workers work one-on-one with clients and support them by teaching coping skills or other therapeutic interventions. Examples of micro social workers are therapists or school social workers.  
• Mezzo Social Work
  • These social workers are a steppingstone between micro and macro social workers. They tend to work with groups or systems (e.g., families, schools, etc.). Mezzo social workers work to support clients, similar to micro social workers, but are more likely to look at the systems around their clients. They’re also more likely to work in the community than micro social workers. Examples of mezzo social workers are school social workers, hospital social workers, or social workers who work within a prison system.  
• Macro Social Work 
  • These social workers focus on larger systems; in micro social work the client is the individual, but with macro social work, the community is the client. Macro social workers are more likely to be found doing advocacy work, working for a nonprofit, or working as a community organizer. Examples of macro social workers are program coordinators, grant writers, community organizers, and program evaluators. (Fun fact: the CCWC staff member who runs Senior Resource Connect is a macro social worker!) 

What do Social Workers Do? 

• Micro, Mezzo, and Macro social workers usually have different duties. Below is just a partial list of some of the things each type of social worker can do.  
• Micro 
  • Assessment 
  • Case management 
  • Conducting intakes/gathering information from clients 
  • Life skills training 
  • Telehealth 
  • Therapy (including individuals, couples, family, etc.) 
  • “Working with clients in accessing, coordinating, or developing resources to develop solutions for interpersonal or community problems” 
• Mezzo 
  • Research and evaluation 
  • Running educational groups or workshops  
  • Running therapy groups 
  • Serving on coalitions/coalition building  
  • Working in criminal justice reentry programs 
• Macro 
  • Administration  
  • Advocating at the local, regional, or national level 
  • Community organizing 
  • Evaluation  
  • Management 
  • Research and evaluation  
  • Serving on coalitions/coalition building 

All duties were taken from the State of Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).