Social Worker Resume Keywords (2026): 60+ ATS Skills to Land Interviews
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Not getting social work interviews? Your resume is missing critical keywords.
In 2026, over 97% of hospitals, nonprofits, and school districts use ATS to filter candidates before a human ever reads a resume. If your social work resume does not include terms like crisis intervention, case management, or your specific license (LCSW, LMSW), you are invisible even with years of meaningful experience.
Why Social Work Resume Keywords Matter
Social work positions attract hundreds of applicants per posting, and ATS systems are the first filter every application faces. Organizations from county health departments to hospitals to nonprofits all use the same technology to screen candidates.
A skilled MSW with 10 years of clinical experience can be filtered out because their resume says "supported clients through difficult transitions" instead of "crisis intervention and psychosocial assessment."
Social work resumes are keyword-dense because they must capture:
- Credentials and licenses: LCSW, LMSW, LSW, MSW, BSW
- Therapeutic modalities: CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing
- Functional specialties: case management, discharge planning, IEP coordination
- Population expertise: pediatric, geriatric, substance use, domestic violence
- Documentation systems: EHR, Epic, Cerner
A generic social work resume will not pass ATS. A tailored, keyword-matched resume will.
Table of Contents
- What Are Social Worker Resume Keywords?
- Core Keywords by Category
- Therapeutic Modalities
- Licenses and Credentials
- Setting-Specific Keywords
- Resume Bullet Examples
- How to Use These Keywords
- Related Articles
What Are Social Worker Resume Keywords?
Social worker resume keywords are the specific clinical terms, therapeutic techniques, population descriptors, and credentials that ATS systems and hiring managers search for when screening social work applicants. They reflect the actual language of job descriptions, licensing bodies, and the social work profession.
They fall into five categories:
- Clinical skills: Psychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, treatment planning, case management
- Therapeutic modalities: CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care
- Credentials: LCSW, LMSW, MSW, LSW, NASW membership
- Documentation: EHR, Epic, Cerner, progress notes, SOAP notes
- Population and setting: Pediatric, geriatric, substance use, school social work, hospital social work
When your resume includes these keywords in context, ATS systems score you higher and hiring managers see a practitioner who speaks their language.
Core Keywords by Category
Clinical Practice Skills
| Keyword | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Case Management | Appears in nearly every social work job description |
| Psychosocial Assessment | Core clinical skill; common ATS hard filter |
| Crisis Intervention | Required for mental health, hospital, and community roles |
| Treatment Planning | Common in clinical and behavioral health settings |
| Discharge Planning | Essential for hospital and healthcare social workers |
| Risk Assessment | Required for child welfare, inpatient, and crisis roles |
| Patient Advocacy | Appears in hospital and healthcare social work JDs |
| Care Coordination | Common in integrated health and managed care settings |
| Referral Management | Appears in case management and community health roles |
| Resource Navigation | Common in nonprofit and community social work |
Behavioral Health and Mental Health
| Keyword | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Behavioral Health | High-frequency keyword across mental health settings |
| Mental Health Counseling | Required for outpatient and clinical roles |
| Substance Use Disorder | Common in addiction services and dual-diagnosis roles |
| Dual Diagnosis | Filter for co-occurring disorder programs |
| Trauma-Informed Care | Increasingly required across all social work settings |
| Psychiatric Social Work | Specific to inpatient and acute psychiatric settings |
| Co-occurring Disorders | ATS filter for integrated behavioral health roles |
| Harm Reduction | Required for substance use and public health roles |
Administrative and Documentation
| Keyword | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Electronic Health Records (EHR) | Near-universal requirement; always spell out the acronym |
| SOAP Notes | Clinical documentation standard; common ATS filter |
| Progress Notes | Required for billing and clinical documentation roles |
| Case Documentation | Common in child welfare and community social work |
| HIPAA Compliance | Universal requirement for all healthcare-adjacent roles |
| DSM-5 | Required for clinical diagnosis and mental health roles |
| ICD-10 | Required for billing and clinical coding roles |
| Outcome Measurement | Common in program evaluation and grants-funded roles |
Therapeutic Modalities
These are among the most common ATS hard filters for clinical social work roles. Include the modalities you are trained in with context.
| Modality | Abbreviation | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | CBT | Mental health, outpatient, school |
| Dialectical Behavior Therapy | DBT | Borderline PD, eating disorders, adolescents |
| Motivational Interviewing | MI | Substance use, behavior change |
| Solution-Focused Brief Therapy | SFBT | School, short-term outpatient |
| Trauma-Focused CBT | TF-CBT | Child and adolescent trauma |
| Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing | EMDR | Trauma and PTSD treatment |
| Acceptance and Commitment Therapy | ACT | Anxiety, chronic pain |
| Play Therapy | Play Therapy | Pediatric and child welfare settings |
| Group Therapy Facilitation | Group Therapy | Inpatient, outpatient, addiction programs |
| Psychoeducation | Psychoeducation | Family support and caregiver programs |
Not sure which modalities the ATS is filtering for? Upload your resume and job description to ResumeAdapter and get your missing keywords in seconds.
Licenses and Credentials
Licenses function as both qualifications and ATS keywords. Always include both the acronym and the full title.
| License | Full Title | Level |
|---|---|---|
| BSW | Bachelor of Social Work | Entry-level |
| MSW | Master of Social Work | Graduate-level |
| LSW | Licensed Social Worker | Post-MSW, pre-clinical |
| LMSW | Licensed Master Social Worker | Clinical licensure |
| LCSW | Licensed Clinical Social Worker | Advanced clinical |
| LICSW | Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker | New England states |
| ACSW | Academy of Certified Social Workers | NASW credential |
| C-SWCM | Certified Social Work Case Manager | Case management specialty |
| CADC | Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor | Addiction specialty |
Setting-Specific Keywords
Hospital and Healthcare Social Work
| Category | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Core Functions | Discharge planning, care coordination, patient advocacy, length-of-stay management |
| Systems | Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Allscripts |
| Populations | Geriatric, pediatric, oncology, palliative care, ICU |
| Compliance | HIPAA, Joint Commission, CMS, Medicaid |
School Social Work
| Category | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Core Functions | IEP (Individualized Education Program), 504 plans, student advocacy, attendance intervention |
| Frameworks | MTSS, RTI (Response to Intervention), special education |
| Populations | At-risk youth, special needs students, English language learners |
| Collaboration | MDT (multidisciplinary team), school counselor, school psychologist |
Child Welfare and CPS
| Category | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Core Functions | Child protective services (CPS), family preservation, foster care, reunification |
| Legal | Mandated reporter, court testimony, child abuse investigation |
| Documentation | Case plans, court reports, SACWIS |
| Assessments | Safety assessment, risk assessment, parenting capacity evaluation |
Mental Health and Outpatient Clinic
| Category | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Core Functions | Individual therapy, group therapy, outpatient counseling, crisis stabilization |
| Modalities | CBT, DBT, MI, trauma-informed care, psychoeducation |
| Administrative | Prior authorization, managed care, Medicaid billing, outcome measurement |
| Population | Adults, adolescents, dual diagnosis, SMI (Serious Mental Illness) |
Substance Use and Addiction Services
| Category | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Core Functions | Substance use disorder counseling, recovery planning, harm reduction |
| Modalities | Motivational interviewing, 12-step facilitation |
| Regulatory | SAMHSA, MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment), ASAM criteria |
| Population | Co-occurring disorders, dual diagnosis, recovery housing |
Resume Bullet Examples
Case Management
Weak: "Helped clients access community resources."
Strong: "Managed a caseload of 45 clients, conducting psychosocial assessments and connecting individuals to housing, mental health, and substance use resources, reducing 30-day readmission rates by 22%."
Crisis Intervention
Weak: "Responded to clients in crisis."
Strong: "Provided crisis intervention and de-escalation for an inpatient psychiatric unit, conducting safety assessments and developing safety plans for 300+ high-acuity patients annually."
Clinical Therapy
Weak: "Worked with patients on their mental health goals."
Strong: "Facilitated individual and group CBT sessions for an outpatient clinic serving adults with depression and anxiety disorders, achieving 78% treatment goal attainment at 6-month follow-up."
School Social Work
Weak: "Supported students with behavioral issues."
Strong: "Coordinated IEP and 504 accommodations for 60+ students with disabilities, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to improve attendance rates by 31% across two academic years."
Discharge Planning
Weak: "Helped patients leave the hospital."
Strong: "Led discharge planning for complex medical patients on a 32-bed inpatient unit, reducing average length of stay by 1.4 days through post-acute placement coordination and community resource linkage."
How to Use These Keywords
5-Step Integration Strategy:
- Read the job description carefully. Identify exact clinical terms, modalities, populations, and credentials. These are your keyword targets.
- Match language precisely. If the JD says "trauma-informed care," do not write "sensitive to trauma." Mirror their vocabulary.
- Build a dedicated credentials and skills section. List: Licenses | Therapeutic Modalities | Documentation Systems | Population Specialties. ATS scans this section heavily.
- Embed keywords in experience bullets with outcomes. ATS needs the keyword. Hiring managers need the result. Give both.
- Tailor for every setting. Hospital social work does not equal school social work. Swap setting-specific keywords for each posting.
Skip the guesswork. Upload your resume to ResumeAdapter and get your ATS score with missing keywords highlighted instantly.
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- Mental Health Counselor Resume Keywords
- Home Health Aide Resume Keywords
- How to Optimize Resume Keywords for ATS
Your dedication to helping others deserves a resume that works as hard as you do.
Do not let ATS filter you out for a missing keyword when you have the skills and experience to change lives.
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