Social workers are specialists who help people make changes in their lives which can improve their well-being. Social workers can connect people with the agencies or programs they need. They often work as case managers, making sure that the agencies you are using are well coordinated and communicating with one another. A social worker is trained to look for issues that cause problems for an individual or family, and link them with the support they need, or provide information on what support is available. Examples of these types of issues are – parenting difficulties, mental health problems, addiction, unemployment, disability, and family violence. Social workers operate in a variety of settings including hospitals, community health, child support, early intervention, family services and in private clinics.