Social Work Jobs in Atlanta, GA: Where to Find Them and How to Get Hired

Social work is deeply woven into Atlanta’s hospitals, schools, courts, and community organizations. If you’re looking for social work jobs in Atlanta, GA, you’ll find opportunities across metro Atlanta in government agencies, nonprofits, healthcare systems, and more.

This guide walks through where the jobs are, what employers look for, licensing in Georgia, and how to navigate the Atlanta job market as a current or aspiring social worker.

Types of Social Work Jobs in Atlanta

Social work roles in Atlanta span many settings. Here are some of the most common:

1. Healthcare & Hospital Social Work

Atlanta’s major hospitals and health systems regularly hire:

• Medical social workers (inpatient and outpatient)
• Discharge planners / care coordinators
• Oncology, palliative care, and hospice social workers
• Emergency department social workers

Typical employers include:

• Grady Memorial Hospital – 80 Jesse Hill Jr Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Emory Healthcare locations across metro Atlanta
• Piedmont Atlanta Hospital – 1968 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
• Wellstar Health System (various hospitals around metro Atlanta)

These jobs often involve care coordination, connecting patients to community resources, crisis intervention, and supporting families.

2. Child Welfare & Family Services

If you’re interested in protecting children and supporting families, look at:

• Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS)
  • State Office (Metro Atlanta): 2 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
• County DFCS offices in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, and other metro counties
• Child advocacy centers and family resource centers

Common roles:

• Child Protective Services (CPS) case manager
• Foster care case manager
• Family preservation worker
• Adoption specialist

These jobs tend to be fast-paced and demanding, with a heavy emphasis on home visits, court reports, and partnering with schools, courts, and community agencies.

3. School Social Work Jobs

Metro Atlanta’s public school systems employ school social workers and related roles:

• Atlanta Public Schools (APS) – 130 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Fulton County Schools, DeKalb County School District, Cobb County School District, Gwinnett County Public Schools

Roles may include:

• School social worker
• Attendance/social work specialist
• Family engagement coordinator

Work focuses on student support, attendance issues, crisis response, and connecting families to resources.

4. Mental Health & Substance Use Services

Atlanta has a dense network of community mental health and behavioral health providers. Common employers:

• Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) regional services
• Community Service Boards serving metro counties
• Nonprofit counseling centers and residential programs

Job titles might include:

• Behavioral health clinician
• Substance use counselor or case manager
• Mobile crisis team member
• Intensive in-home services worker

These positions often require comfort with crisis situations, interdisciplinary teamwork, and evening or weekend hours.

5. Criminal Justice, Courts & Reentry

Social workers in Atlanta’s justice system support people involved with the courts or corrections:

• Fulton County Juvenile Court – 395 Pryor St SW, Atlanta, GA 30312
• Fulton County Jail and county probation offices
• Reentry and diversion programs run by nonprofits and faith-based organizations

Potential roles:

• Court social worker / case manager
• Reentry program coordinator
• Victim advocate
• Probation/parole support specialist (sometimes open to social work backgrounds)

6. Community & Nonprofit Social Work

Metro Atlanta is home to many nonprofits focused on:

• Homelessness and housing support
• Refugee and immigrant services
• Domestic violence services
• HIV/AIDS services
• Senior services

Roles can include:

• Case manager
• Program coordinator or director
• Outreach worker
• Housing navigator

These jobs may offer flexibility and mission-driven work, but salaries and benefits can vary widely depending on the organization.

Entry-Level vs. Advanced Social Work Roles in Atlanta

Your education and Georgia license level will strongly influence the jobs available to you.

Common Entry-Level Roles (Often BSW or Non-Licensed)

• Case manager
• Family support worker
• Residential counselor
• Client advocate
• Intake coordinator

These may be found at:

• DFCS and other state agencies
• Shelters and transitional housing programs
• Community health and behavioral health agencies

Advanced Clinical & Leadership Roles (Typically MSW + License)

• Clinical social worker / therapist (LCSW)
• Hospital or medical social worker
• Clinical supervisor
• Program director or manager
• School social worker (often prefers or requires MSW)

In Atlanta, employers typically prioritize MSW graduates from accredited programs for clinical and supervisory roles.

Georgia Social Work Licensure: What Atlanta Employers Expect

To practice social work—especially clinical or independent practice—in Atlanta, you’ll work under Georgia’s licensing structure.

Licensure is handled by:

Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists
237 Coliseum Dr, Macon, GA 31217
Phone: (404) 424-9966 (via Professional Licensing Boards Division main line)

Main Georgia Social Work Licenses

1. LBSW – Licensed Bachelor Social Worker

   • Bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
   • Often used for basic case management roles
   • Some Atlanta employers allow BSWs in certain state and nonprofit jobs even while you work toward licensure, depending on the role

2. LMSW – Licensed Master Social Worker

   • Master of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
   • Required for many hospital, mental health, and school-based roles
   • Lets you work under supervision toward clinical licensure

3. LCSW – Licensed Clinical Social Worker

   • MSW plus supervised post-master’s clinical experience and passing the clinical exam
   • Required for independent clinical practice in Georgia (e.g., psychotherapy, certain assessments)
   • Often preferred for supervisor, clinical lead, and private practice roles in Atlanta

Atlanta employers frequently list license requirements clearly in job postings. If you are in the process of obtaining licensure, some will hire you contingent on passing the exam within a certain timeframe.

Social Work Education Options in the Atlanta Area

If you’re planning to build a social work career in Atlanta, studying locally can help you network with area agencies.

Examples of schools offering social work programs in or near Atlanta include:

• Georgia State University – School of Social Work (BSW and MSW)
  • 55 Park Place NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Clark Atlanta University – Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work (MSW)
  • 223 James P. Brawley Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30314
• Kennesaw State University (BSW and MSW) – Kennesaw, GA
• University of Georgia (BSW and MSW) – in Athens, but many grads work in metro Atlanta

Local programs often have field placements with Atlanta-area hospitals, DFCS offices, schools, and nonprofits, which can help lead to jobs after graduation.

What Atlanta Employers Look for in Social Workers

While every job is different, many Atlanta employers look for:

• Georgia-appropriate licensure (or eligibility)
• Cultural competence, especially with Atlanta’s diverse communities
• Experience or comfort with:
  • Urban poverty and housing instability
  • Multi-system involvement (schools, courts, DFCS, healthcare)
  • Trauma-informed care
• Strong documentation skills (electronic health records, case notes, court reports)
• Ability to travel across metro Atlanta (many jobs require reliable transportation and home visits)

Languages such as Spanish or languages spoken by refugee and immigrant communities can be a strong advantage in certain roles.

Where to Find Social Work Job Openings in Atlanta

When searching for social work jobs in Atlanta, GA, try a mix of strategies:

1. Major Employers’ Career Pages

Check the career sections of:

• Atlanta’s hospital systems (Grady, Emory, Piedmont, Wellstar)
• Georgia DFCS and other state agencies
• Atlanta Public Schools and surrounding county school systems
• Large nonprofits and community health agencies

Search by keywords such as “social worker,” “LMSW,” “LCSW,” “case manager,” and “behavioral health.”

2. General Job Boards

On large job sites, filter by:

• Location: “Atlanta, GA” or include nearby cities (Decatur, Marietta, Lawrenceville, etc.)
• Job type: Full-time, part-time, contract
• Title keywords: Social worker, social services, case manager, therapist, counselor (some jobs use alternate titles but accept social work degrees)

3. Professional Associations & Local Networks

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – Georgia Chapter
  2300 Henderson Mill Rd NE, Suite 125, Atlanta, GA 30345
  Often shares job postings and networking opportunities.

Local meetups, CEU events, and conferences in Atlanta can lead to informal referrals and insider information about upcoming openings.

Typical Work Settings and Schedules in Atlanta

Atlanta’s social work jobs vary widely in schedule and work environment.

Hospital & Healthcare Settings

• Often full-time with rotating shifts, some weekend and holiday coverage
• Fast-paced, team-based environment
• Heavy focus on discharge planning and community resource coordination

Government & DFCS

• Generally weekday schedules, though after-hours work and on-call rotations are common, especially in child welfare
• Travel across neighborhoods for home visits
• Structured documentation and performance standards

Schools

• Follows the school-year calendar, with breaks in summer and holidays
• Daytime hours but may include occasional evening family events or crisis response

Community Nonprofits & Mental Health Agencies

• Mix of traditional business hours and some evenings/weekends
• Work may be in office, community, or client homes
• Some roles allow hybrid or limited remote work for documentation and telehealth, depending on the agency

Pay and Benefits: What to Expect in Atlanta

Compensation varies based on:

• Degree and license level (BSW vs. MSW vs. LCSW)
• Type of employer (hospital, school, state agency, nonprofit)
• Years of experience and supervisory responsibilities

Patterns you’ll commonly see in Atlanta:

• Entry-level case management roles often pay less than hospital or clinical positions but can provide valuable experience.
• Hospitals and large health systems tend to offer more competitive salaries and benefits (health insurance, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement).
• Nonprofits may offer modest pay but sometimes provide flexible schedules, mission-driven work, or loan forgiveness-eligible employment.

Many Atlanta social workers explore Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) if they work full-time for qualifying public or nonprofit employers.

Skills That Help You Stand Out in the Atlanta Market

To be competitive for social work jobs in Atlanta, consider building:

• Local resource knowledge
  Understanding of Atlanta’s shelters, food banks, mental health services, and housing programs makes you more effective.

• Crisis intervention skills
  Many roles, especially in hospitals and child welfare, involve responding to crises.

• Trauma-informed practice
  Familiarity with trauma’s impact on behavior and functioning is valued in schools, juvenile justice, and community mental health.

• Documentation & technology comfort
  Electronic records and telehealth are increasingly common.

• Community collaboration
  Ability to work with Atlanta’s courts, schools, police, and community groups is important in many jobs.

Simple Overview: Common Social Work Job Paths in Atlanta

Practical First Steps if You Want a Social Work Job in Atlanta

1. Clarify your license path.

   • Already have an MSW? Decide whether to pursue LMSW or aim for LCSW.
   • Still in school? Talk with your program about Atlanta-area field placements.

2. Tailor your resume to Atlanta employers.

   • Highlight any experience with urban communities, diverse populations, or crisis work.
   • Emphasize Georgia or metro Atlanta experience if you have it.

3. Choose a focus area.

   • Interested in child welfare? Look at DFCS, juvenile courts, and family agencies.
   • Drawn to healthcare? Target the major hospital systems first.
   • Passionate about mental health? Explore community mental health centers and nonprofits.

4. Network locally.

   • Attend CEUs, workshops, or events hosted in Atlanta by social work programs or professional groups.
   • Connect with social workers already working in your desired setting.

5. Apply broadly, then narrow down.

   • Use Atlanta as a base (and include nearby cities like Decatur, Marietta, and Sandy Springs) to increase options, then refine based on fit, salary, and schedule.

By understanding how social work jobs are structured in Atlanta, GA, and how licensing, education, and local networks fit together, you can move more confidently toward roles that match your skills and interests in the city.