Making it as a social worker/therapist

amother

Thu, Jan 23 2014, 10:00 am

I'm early in my career and just don't get how people actually make a living doing this. Right now I am at a clinic that is fee for service. Even when going out into private practice though, there isn't a set salary or insurance. What do people do who really want to do real counseling (not hospitals or case management or the like), but yet need a stable 9-5 job with a salary and benefits? I am considering leaving the field because right now I have tremendous student loans, and making very little money. At this rate it is virtually not worth it for me to work once I pay babysitting, but I have to do it so I can get by licensure.
Anonymous because people know me

amother

Thu, Jan 23 2014, 10:16 am

I have a friend who finished her masters in social work (I believe that is the degree).

She is working now for an employer who sends her into public schools and has to do a minimum number of workshops with the students\teachers\parents per year and see to see a minimum number of students for private counseling in the school. If she doesn't meet her minimum they can dock her salary. But the pay is steady.
Its on school schedule. Snow days, holidays and summers she still has to go into the office and meet students in their homes but the hours are much less and more relaxed.

I don't think it pays huge but the work is steady and hopefully she is getting better experience and working to be able to see patients without a supervisor.

amother

Thu, Jan 23 2014, 10:44 am

anon be people know me..
and I really hate to be the voice of doom and gloom, but that is the reason I cancelled my spot in social work school.
I was all set out to go to be social worker, I got my bachelors in sociology, did all the right things, and the summer be4 the first semester I worked in a clinic, and was asking around how much the salary was, and I was appalled.
at the time I was engaged, and my dh was about to start medical school, and we were both applying for loans and all that.
I panicked. I saw how we were never going to make it with all those loans and working in a clinic.

I know this doesnt help you, in fact it could be the worst advice. but I wud imagine a social worker who works in a clinic, their paycheck is not the main one of the household. or they get insurance through their dh.
I hope I didnt upset you, and I know you can't change the fact that you went to school and have loans.
good luck

amother

Thu, Jan 23 2014, 12:07 pm

School is the way to go. When I was working in a frum school in Ny I was getting paid about 42,000 working 10am-5pm. That was straight out of sw school. I also worked 1 night a week on a clinic. I think I got $25 an hour but I mostly did that for the free supervision that came with it.

Once you get enough experience, you can open a private practice. If you are good people will pay to see you. I moved to Israel so I don't know current rates in the US but I imagine it isin the $100/session range. Which is pretty decent.

amother

Thu, Jan 23 2014, 12:29 pm

Op here- thanks for the responses. I don't want to do school as my training and expertise is really with couples and adults, and from what I heard school is a lot of testing and paperwork. I know private can eventually make a lot, but even if you are good there is no guarantee how many clients you will have and you often have to work off hours to get people to come. I love the field but also really need to be making a decent salary. Is it working for anyone?

wife2

Thu, Jan 23 2014, 2:05 pm

I know many people with an MSW that quit the field.
It is hard to make it in a private practice. It can take years to build up a good name for yourself and get enough clients to see you. You usually have to work nights or weekends since those are times that people can see you as many adults work during the day. Even with good references, it can be hard to make a living from it.

If you don't do private practice, you can find a 9-5 job but the salary won't be so high and there may not be good benefits either. You may work in situations with people that are not so pleasant and can't choose your clientele.

Are there a lot of social workers that have private practices where you live? Is there a lot of competition in the frum community? Would you specialize in something specific that would set you apart from other LCSWs?

summer0808

Tue, Jan 28 2014, 11:04 am

It is so frustrating to hear IRL and here about people that go to school esp the frum programs without doing a cost benefit analysis. How much will school cost and how long will it take versus how much realistically the average career in this field will earn. And esp us ladies have to look at it practically because most of us do not want this to be an all consuming life even if we are the breadwinners.

amother

Tue, Jan 28 2014, 11:12 am

amother wrote:

My friend who is in the school doesn't do testing. She has to meet with a minimum number of students a week one on one.
She also has to create workshops for classes and parents and deal with 'crisis' such as a kindergarten child who didn't understand inappropriate touch.

her starting salary was in the $40,000 range. Plus they pay all her travel to the school's and the children's homes when applicable.

amother

Tue, Jan 28 2014, 11:24 am

summer0808 wrote:

op here- I'm offended.what makes you think I went to a "frum" program, and even if I did what's wrong if I got a good degree? I didn't btw, I went to a very expensive reputable school. And what makes you think I didn't do a cost benefit analysis? Firstly things were different in the job market when I was in school, and secondly you never know when you are going into it how it will turn out. I know some people work at xyz facilities and make xyz salary, I was just questioning what types of jobs others have and how they make it.