Social Workers- Would you recommend social work as a field?

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lisa.z

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 7:13 am

I would like to get current social workers' opinions on whether or not they'd recommend the field. I know it doesn't pay a lot but I'm not asking from that perspective. I hear people get drained and sick of it very easily, and I was wondering if this is true for so many people.

wantavaca

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 8:14 am

Bumping this bec I have the same question.... Thanks op!

amother

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 8:47 am

I've been a geriatric social worker for 11 years now. I have moved around in the field a bit (started in a nursing home, then worked in an outpatient psych program, private practice geriatrics). Now I work in homecare which is very flexible and pays well. I have gotten burnt out of individual jobs but bec. the degree is very versatile, I have been able to move around to do different things. I have been thinking more about moving to kids bec. then I could be more on my kids schedule. So if you are good at what you do and have the appropriate license, I think its a good field with lots of different types of opportunities.
(I am still jealous of my OT friends who make a lot more money than me. If I had to do it again, I would do OT with a geriatric specialty. then I could be working with the population I love but at a higher pay scale).

lisa.z

Tue, Jul 08 2014, 6:45 pm

Thanks amother, really helpful info!
Bump

amother

Fri, Jul 18 2014, 2:04 pm

No. Payscale is low. Market is flooded. At least in Lakewood and NY.

shirtsandskirts

Fri, Jul 18 2014, 3:33 pm

Yes. I second what amother said. You may not be so concerned now about it being low pay, but that's a part of the cause of burnout. Work fee for service for so long, making peanuts. Or do case work with low pay. It's not fun. I love the field, I love the work, but I'm getting frutsrated and wish I understood the magnitude of how difficult it really is before I went into it.

amother

Fri, Jul 18 2014, 4:27 pm

Does anyone work as a social worker through the agencies like Yeled V'Yalda, Omni? meaning providing counseling services for the children approved by the Board of Ed. I am looking for info on this .

amother

Fri, Jul 18 2014, 4:43 pm

I'm the amother who posted why it's not a great field.
You get paid peanuts. If the kid doesn't show up that day, you travel all the way to the school and don't get paid. The school doesn't always provide you with space, so you're shlepping your therapy toys and whatnot to random hallways......It's not a walk in the park.

amother

Fri, Jul 18 2014, 4:46 pm

Thanks for the reply. Can you be more specific? What is the pay per hour? I understand what's involved in being a therapist in schools. I currently work as a Seit, and was considering expanding to social work. What is the availability of cases these days? Are they scarce or are there a lot of cases?

kahatya613

Fri, Jul 18 2014, 6:22 pm

I have to chime in on this. Be sure you get the appropriate degree for what it is that you want to do. I never wanted to do "social services" type of work, and only wanted to do counseling and psychotherapy. I chose NOT to get a degree in Social Work because MSW's are a dime a dozen (everywhere in the country), and the training is NOT strictly in therapy. I got a degree in mental health counseling, and I'm glad I did. ALL of my classes were geared towards counseling, and I didn't have to deal with a broad degree like social work.

SO, my advice is to figure out what your goals are first, then find the degree that matches those goals best.

lisa.z

Sat, Jul 19 2014, 8:32 pm

Thanks for the answers! The market is flooded, but isn't every field? What if I don't want to do the typical social work through an agency etc and want to work in a hospital or have a private practice?

kahatya613 wrote:

Thanks! But aren't there much fewer job options for MHC's versus LCSWs??

pesek zman

Sat, Jul 19 2014, 9:53 pm

lisa.z wrote:

I've spent my career as a social worker in a hospital and I do recommend it. Pay is much higher than social elsewhere, great hours and benefits . I do recommend the field. PM me for more info or with any other questions

amother

Sat, Jul 19 2014, 10:00 pm

I left social services without getting my MSW. I am not sorry I left. I know people getting $15/hr (not in NYC however) with an MSW. I have friends in medical social work crying because patients are choosing between medicine and food. Burnout rates are high.

There is a difficult culture in parts of social work that denigrates practitioners for asking for higher wages, because working for low pay in hard conditions demonstrates commitment. Couple that with lack of wider societal support for the work many SWs do and it's a reinforcing, defeating cycle that emphasizes personal sacrifice and promotes burnout.

amother

Sun, Jul 20 2014, 12:23 am

My mother does counseling and casework. She has an MSW. Her recommendation is to get a degree in psychology because of the pay.

out-of-towner

Sun, Jul 20 2014, 12:31 am

amother wrote:

Could you please PM me? I am working towards my MSW and want to specialize in geriatrics. It would be nice to connect to someone with the same passion as I have!

lisa.z

Sun, Jul 20 2014, 4:12 am

Oh no, this isn't sounding too good. What about being a child life specialist?

kahatya613

Sun, Jul 20 2014, 4:04 pm

lisa.z wrote:

Honestly, it depends on where you live and what you specialize in. Again, figure out what type of population you want to work with, research what is available in your area, network with some people who do that job and ask what their credentials/degree is in - and if they would do anything differently. Many job postings will advertise for a degree in "psychology, social work, counseling, social services, or a related field". These HR/hiring managers have no clue what the difference between these degrees are - and there is a HUGE difference between ALL of them - so you may find yourself in a position to advocate for yourself and the skills that you learned. For example, in my area, I boast that all 64 credits of my masters degree, with the exception of the required research and statistics class, where completely and totally in mental health counseling. Social Workers can't say that. But if that isn't completely what you want to do, then don't do it.

Also, if you are in this to make a lot of money, I advise you to think of other fields. While people who work in the helping profession can in fact make a good living, we aren't exactly known for being overpaid (no matter what your degree is in)! Typically, and hopefully, we tend to be kind and loving folks who actually enjoy helping other people. However, I do understand the need for parnasah at a reasonable rate. So now is the time to give yourself the best advantage in selecting your education and credentials before worrying about what the hourly rate will be 2, 5, or 10 years from now, or who might hire by the time you graduate.

If I can continue to advise you, or anyone else for that matter, please feel free to PM me. I'd be happy to help any way I can!

amother

Sun, Jul 20 2014, 4:37 pm

I would recommend this field if you are a person than enjoys helping others and would like to make a difference in others people s lives. I ve been in the field for over 12 years. Its true that it could be challenging, stressful sometimes. That's why self care is key!!!. I specialized in clinical work, and I love it, it also gives me flexibility to make my own hours and be able to be with my kids. As a lmsw, bilingual you can makr anywhere from 30-60 for 45" depending your experience and if u are bilingual, etc.good luck!

amother

Sat, Jul 26 2014, 11:11 pm

I've been thinking along these lines for awhile now. Have any of you completed your degrees recently and can recommend the best option for completing master's in psychology in Brooklyn? TIA

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