MSW Programs in Louisiana

Louisiana is known for hot sauce, crawfish, the blues scene and Mardi Gras celebrations. Anyone who has wandered the streets of New Orleans or puttered through the bayous knows Louisiana is a state like no other.

It is also a highly vulnerable state. Much of the state’s land was created out of silt washed down the Mississippi river, so a great portion of the real estate is marshy, low-lying and delicate. Louisiana is often affected by tropical cyclones and hurricanes, including the infamous Hurricane Katrina.

Louisiana is known for its good Southern cooking, but it’s also known for its obesity rates. Louisiana ranks third in the nation when it comes to obesity; 35.9 percent of the population is obese (1). Social workers are becoming more and more involved in the fight against obesity, whether working with a school to develop a healthy exercise program, or as a clinical social worker, advising a client on healthy habits (2) (3). The state of Louisiana has earnestly undertaken this challenge, creating multiple task forces to address this problem (4).

Louisiana also has the 15th highest drug overdose mortality rate in the country (5). While the state’s number of deaths attributed to drug overdoses has been declining steadily, the state only scores as a six out of a possible ten on the government’s policy report card for Promising Strategies to Curb Prescription Drug Abuse (6). Alcohol use typically begins at a younger age and juvenile alcohol use is higher than the national average in Louisiana (7). If you want to work in the area of adolescent substance abuse prevention or recovery, Louisiana is a state that could benefit from such an effort.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the state has a slightly higher than average percentage of people diagnosed with mental illness (20.63 percent, as compared to the national average of 19 percent), but a lower than average percentage of people diagnosed with severe mental illness (8).

Best MSW Programs in Louisiana: Studying Social Work

According to the 2019 US News & World Report graduate school rankings, Tulane University’s School of Social Work is ranked number 36 in the nation. Three other social work graduate schools in the state rank in the top 200 schools in the nation (9).

Tulane School of Social Work is unique in that it offers a dual-degree program that enables students to combine the study of social with disaster resilience leadership. The program requires five semesters of study to prepare social workers to provide disaster recovery services to vulnerable communities after natural or man-made disasters. Many students also choose to pursue certificates in global social work or disaster mental health social work (10).

You might want to check out the loan forgiveness programs available to social workers working in “Health Professional Shortage Areas” (HPSA). If you are willing to work in a position that supports an underserved population, you may be eligible for loan forgiveness of up to $20,000 a year for two years, for a total of $40,000 of loan forgiveness. Check out the requirements of both the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Louisiana State Loan Repayment Program (LSLRP).

A State in Need of Social Workers

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), healthcare social workers are going to be in the highest demand in Louisiana. In 2019, approximately 1770 healthcare social workers were employed in the state. Experts predict a job growth rate of 15% between 2016 and 2026 (11). Mental health and substance abuse social worker positions are also supposed to become increasingly available, with job growth predicted at a rate of 12 percent from 2016 to 2026 (12).

If you are interested in a job in academia, you may wish to seek out a position as a postsecondary social work educator. As of 2019, 80 people were working as professors of social work in Louisiana. It is predicted that this number will rise by 10 percent by the year 2026. Postsecondary social work teachers in Louisiana make an average of $78,050, which is higher than the national average of $77,520 (13).

Licensure and Professional Development Resources

• Social Work Licensure in Louisiana
• National Association of Social Workers, Louisiana Chapter
• Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners
• Louisiana Association of Clinical Social Workers

Universities with Master’s in Social Work Programs in Louisiana

• Grambling State University (MSW Program)
• Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (MSW Program)
• Southern University and A & M College (MSW Program)
• Southern University at New Orleans (MSW Program)
• Tulane University of Louisiana (MSW Program)

Sources Cited

1. State Data: Louisiana, 2018-19. America’s Health Rankings. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/Overall_a/state/LA
2. “Public Health Priorities: Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity — Social Work’s Strengths Can Help Meet Healthy People 2020” Social Work Today. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/SO18p24.shtml
3. “Addressing childhood obesity using a multidisciplinary approach with social workers” 2015. Health & Social Work. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26027424/
4. “Childhood Obesity Task Forces Established by State Legislatures, 2001-2010,” 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2013/12_0153.htm
5. “Louisiana has the 15th Highest Drug Overdose Mortality Rate in the United States,” 2019. Trust for America’s Health. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/louisiana/la.htm
6. “Louisiana has the 15th Highest Drug Overdose Mortality Rate in the United States,” 2019. Trust for America’s Health. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/louisiana/la.htm
7. State Prevalence and Ranks of Adolescent Substance Use, 2018. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2018/17_0345.htm
8. National Mental Health Services Survey, 2017-18. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt23235/2k18SAEExcelTabs/NSDUHsaePercents2018.pdf
9. Graduate School Social Work Programs: Louisiana, 2019. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/social-work-rankings?location=Louisiana
10. “TSSW to Offer Dual Masters Degree with Disaster Resilience Academy”, 2021. Tulane University School of Social Work. https://socialwork.tulane.edu/msw-programs/msw-dual-degree-programs-online/
11. Occupation Profile: Healthcare Social Workers: Louisiana, 2019. Career One Stop. https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/careers/occupations/Occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Healthcare%20Social%20Workers&onetcode=21102200&location=Louisiana
12. Occupation Profile: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers: Louisiana, 2019. Career One Stop. https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/careers/occupations/Occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Mental%20Health%20and%20Substance%20Abuse%20Social%20Workers&onetcode=21102300&location=Louisiana&lang=en
13. Occupation Profile: Social Work Teachers, Post-Secondary: Louisiana, 2019. Career One Stop. https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/careers/occupations/Occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Social%20Work%20Teachers,%20Postsecondary&onetcode=25111300&location=Louisiana