Social Work focuses on helping people overcome difficult challenges in their life. These include poverty, addiction, unemployment, disability, abuse, mental illness, and many others. Social Work also places a strong emphasis on social justice and equality. Social Work degrees don't only focus on supporting people, but on training and cooperating with them in an effort to change their environments and create better living conditions. Social workers help community members to develop new skills or improve existing ones, which changes people's mindset and encourages them to embrace a proactive attitude.