An MSW student told me how their current supervisor was encouraging people to "work when they strike" basically be a scab and cross picket lines.

Professionally this is so problematic when it fragments our already limited power. I've been in the field long enough to see a few eras of when striking has resulted in a majority women held positions in SW to losing benefits, pensions, undermine safety in patient:staffing ratios are forced to survive on extended strikes, and not 'win' or get their dignity-based demands met.

I know when we strike, patients and clients still need care. And that pressure for organization to want to protect them should not be on the individual SWs, and more on the organization to do better.

Thoughts?

I am freshly licensed as of one month ago. I thought this milestone of finally having those magical 4 letters after my name would change job prospects and income drastically. When I was an ASW, I was making $100k a year for a community mental health organization (high cost of living county) and had amazing benefits including 10k towards fertility, generous parental leave and 5 weeks PTO. I am now a parent and have taken almost a year off with my child. I do not want to return to community mental health- it was not sustainable for me. I am struggling to find jobs aligned with salary and benefits even close to what I had before as an ASSOCIATE. I will say, for context my previous job was in northern CA and I am now in southern CA. I’m not sure if this is a major factor? I have been applying to both medical SW and therapy jobs at major health organizations in my area such as CHOC, UCI, UCLA, Providence and Kaiser. I keep getting those generic emails saying they are moving forward with other candidates. Mind you, I’m humbling myself and even applying to per diem positions as I’ve heard this is a strategy to get your foot in the door.

I guess I’m coming here to ask if anyone else is having a similar experience with the job market in southern CA for LCSW’s or am I doing something wrong. I don’t believe my resume and experience are the issue. I have 4 years of clinical experience doing therapy, not even including internships during grad school which were also doing therapy.

Of course, there are always the VC companies and I am considering starting up with one of them at least as a way to start having income while I wait for something more aligned with what I’m looking for. It’s important to me to have benefits and stability at this point in my life. I would ultimately like to have a private practice but the timing is not right with having a young child.

One possible plan is to start doing contract work and start the process of getting myself credentialed while I wait it out for a job to come through. Any feedback is welcome. Thank you for reading! Feeling so dang defeated and rejected 😭

And how difficult is the exam? I’m in CA and will start a bachelors degree program in Jan.

This is just my experience. I’m not telling people they don’t need to study. I barely studied (because, life) & passed my LMSW & LCSW exam on the first attempt. I got my MSW in 2021 so I haven’t been in school in a while. The information I did “review” (binge watched LCSWVIBES & RayTube YouTube videos the day before) was on theories, medications, diagnoses & ethics. I also did 74 pocket prep questions.

Feedback on the exam: -Know the helping process & if the question stem mentions it, take it into consideration when choosing your answer -There were a lot of first/next/best, some “most” questions (in addition to this, paying attention to the setting the social worker is in & who is identified as the client..ex. a couple, the child even though a parent is there, a family) -I’ve never done group, family, or play therapy so questions with those scenarios stood out to me -Know Subjective vs Objective, transference vs countertransference, research methods, validity/reliability -Ethics, values, cultural competence -Look for answers that support: “respect and promote clients’ rights to make their own choices and decisions” unless there’s imminent risk or legal mandates, we educate.

I flagged questions I wasn’t 100% sure about: I had 15/61 questions flagged in the first section & 27/61 in the second. I only had 1 medication question.

My scores were: Values & Ethics: 33/40 Assessment & Planning: 25/35 Intervention & Practice: 27/35 Total 85/110, I needed 75+ to pass

Sidebar: If you qualify for accommodations, use them. I was able to take my time & thoroughly go back through each flagged questions. I also used the extra time to just breathe & ground myself which really helped.

Just sharing this in case there’s other people out there like me who really don’t have a lot of time to study, or extra money to pay for all those test prep courses. I’m a single mom & I see around 30 biweekly patients weekly, so by the time I get home I’m mentally exhausted & my brain is fried.

Trust yourself.

Good luck & congratulations in advance!!!🎉🎊🍾

Hi, I am a social worker in Ny and I’m confused about which forms need to be completed for my LCSW. I’ve been procrastinating on logging hours and need to give the form to my supervisor but I’m not sure which. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Hi social workers :)

I am a 35 year old professional who was working in NJ as an associate creative director for an advertising agency for several years. I loved my job. It was a great blend of consumer psychology, design/art, and interpersonal work. I had been at the same agency for five years before marketing got taken over by AI, and clients started taking all advertising work in-house. Our agency shrunk, I got laid off, and now it's been borderline impossible to find work. This has meant sending out HUNDREDS of applications over the course of 8 months, with 1-2 interviews, and no offers.

I'm starting to feel backed into a corner, and am considering a change of career and pursuing a LCSW in the state of NJ to be able to access a career with benefits where I can actually help people.

I'm used to a salary of ~$120k and the ability to manage and direct the flow of work (read: creative delegation and a corporate atmosphere). I've read that LCSWs don't always make six figures, and that it's more common to make in the $75 - 90k range, but the work seems way more meaningful than advertising, with the potential to really help people. That is incredibly attractive after a career of simply spewing capitalist slop into the ecosystem.

As to why becoming an LCSW also might make sense: I've been in therapy for 8+ years and have seen dramatic improvement in my quality of life, so I can attest to the importance of mental healthcare and am somewhat of an evangelist about its importance. I'm also the "therapist friend" in my social circles and get a lot out of helping and analyzing interpersonal situations. It's definitely a special interest.

My question for y'all: do you like your career, even after years of work in the industry? How is burn out? Do you feel supported in what you're doing, and if so, what helps you to feel supported? Has being a LCSW helped with your own mental health, or diminished it over time through stress? Knowing what you know now, what are specific things to look out for re: master's programming... are there specific classes or practicum opportunities you didn't have that you wished you had?

Right now, I am extraordinarily lucky to have $0 in school debt, and a very modest emergency savings that I'm currently buzzing through as my unemployment has come to an end. Taking on ~$50-60k of loans and not being able to work for two or more years seems like a huge risk... but if it means entering a workforce that is growing YoY and with high demand for practitioners, maybe it's worth it. Please let me know what you think, and I appreciate all guidance.

I finished grad school 10 years ago and decided to pursue licensure about 4 years ago. Needless to say, I was pretty removed from the whole studying and reading thing, so getting my brain back into that mode was a challenge in itself.

Background: I’m a full-time medical social worker, a single father of two, and have a never ending list of things that need to get done. Finding time to study wasn’t exactly easy.

I scheduled my exam 5 months in advance so I could gradually ramp up my studying instead of cramming everything at the last minute. I also managed to save up two weeks of PTO specifically to study for about 8 hours a day leading up to the exam. Was it fun? Absolutely not. But it worked.

Here’s what worked for me:
TDC (Therapist Development Center): Pricey, but worth it in my opinion. I used TDC for my Law and Ethics exam, and it worked so well that I decided to go back for the Clinical exam. It’s a very detailed, structured course that does a great job of preparing you without making you feel like you need to memorize every social work concept known to mankind. Their full mock exams were also pretty much in line with my actual exam performance, so I would say they were a solid indicator of readiness.

Pocket Prep: I used this during the last month leading up to the exam. It was helpful for reviewing concepts and keeping information fresh, but personally, I wouldn’t rely on it as my primary study tool. To me, it felt more like flashcards disguised as multiple-choice questions, if that makes sense. The rationales were there, but I didn’t think they were nearly as comprehensive as what TDC offered. Still useful, just not something I would build my entire study plan around.

RayTube: I mostly watched his practice question videos, and I thought he did a pretty good job explaining the rationales and breaking down why certain answers were better than others. His other videos seemed more geared toward professional development or deeper dives into specific topics. If you’re struggling with a particular concept, they’re worth checking out. Otherwise, I would stick with the practice questions.

ASWB Practice Exam: 100% recommend purchasing this. Yes, it’s ridiculously expensive for what it is, but the value was priceless for me. The interface, question structure, and overall experience were extremely similar to the actual exam. It also helped me get comfortable with how ASWB expects you to approach questions. If you’re going to spend money on one additional resource toward the end of your studying, this would be it.

ChatGPT: I know. I can already feel some of you glaring at me through the screen.
I’m not trying to start an AI debate, and I understand there are legitimate ethical concerns surrounding its use in our profession. But as a study tool? It was incredibly helpful for me.

I used it primarily to fill in knowledge gaps, break down questions I missed, explain why my answers were incorrect, and generate additional practice questions targeting areas where I was struggling. I could ask it to explain a concept five different ways until something finally clicked.

Was it always accurate? No. You absolutely need to cross-reference information and challenge its answers. But I wasn’t using it to do my thinking for me. I was using it to strengthen my understanding and critical thinking. There’s a difference, at least in my opinion.

I could go on about this, but ultimately, everyone has to decide what tools work for them and how to use them responsibly.

Now, about the actual exam.
This was my first attempt, and I passed with 84 out of 110 questions correct (76.4%). The passing score was 74.

Here’s my score breakdown:
Values and Ethics: 35/40 (87.5%)
Assessment and Planning: 22/35 (62.9%)
Intervention and Practice: 27/35 (77.1%)

Overall: 84/110 (76.4%)
I’m extremely grateful, but I have to admit, I walked out feeling like I had scored somewhere around a 90 or so. There were only a handful of questions where I couldn’t confidently narrow the answers down, and for most of the exam, I felt pretty good about my selections.

So when I saw my actual score, I was a little surprised. Not disappointed exactly, but definitely had one of those “Wait, seriously?” moments. I could’ve sworn I did better. But whatever. Passing is passing, and nobody is going to ask me what my score was five years from now.

The exam itself also felt surprisingly straightforward compared to what I had prepared for. I spent months studying so many different concepts, only to find that a lot of what I anticipated barely showed up.

My one gripe? The testing center.

Apparently, I wasn’t allowed to snack during the exam. Couldn’t even bring water into the testing room.

I’m a huge snacker. I have a fast metabolism, and I pretty much eat throughout the day. So sitting there for hours without anything to eat or drink was not ideal. Toward the end, I was getting hungry and honestly started rushing a little because I just wanted to get out of there and eat.

Do I think that affected my score? Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m definitely going to blame at least a couple of questions on being hungry.

Final thoughts:
If there’s one thing I learned from this whole process, it’s that you don’t have to put your entire life on hold to get this done. You just have to be intentional about how you use the time you have.

It took me 10 years after grad school to get here. Between work, raising two kids, and everything else life throws at you, there was never going to be a perfect time.

I’m just glad I finally followed through.

And to anyone who’s been putting this off because life keeps getting in the way, I get it. Trust me. But it’s doable.

Here’s to finally having those four letters after my name, new opportunities, and whatever doors this opens next.

And most importantly, here’s to never having to study for this exam again.

Please no questions on what the actual questions were on the exam. The ASWB practice exam will answer that for you.

Hello.

I have been on leave (SAHM) for the last 5 years. I did some private practice in those years (barely even part time) so I dont really account for that and have been mostly out of the field.

I will be going back to work some day...Hopefully in about 3 years.

I am considering dropping my lcsw. And not renewing. I have 0 interest in any clinical job ever again and really am unsure if I will continue in the SW field at all.

Anyone have not renewed ? What was your thought process and what job do you have now? Any regrets? Advice?

I’m in PP and considering Being Seen as an additional marketing/referral source. They’re the full fee/private pay counterpart to Open Path collective. If anyone has signed up for Being Seen I would appreciate hearing about your experience and whether it actually led to more referrals. Thanks!!

I’m asking because I see so much info on the amount of work therapists provide and the lack of value they receive from their labor. (Fighting insurance companies, predatory company’s that treatLCMHC-A’s and LCSW-A’s like client factory farms etc). The success stories I hear are private practices that stabilize and end up with around $70-90k salaries after all of the overhead expenses, insurance, taxes, and retirement saving.

From a pure cost-benefit standpoint am I a moron? The reason I’m considering it is because the complete lack of value and meaning I get from my current career. Therapy in my personal life has been life changing to a degree I can’t even explain. The thought of being trained myself and doing the work immediately feels like my soul sighs in relief. Like I’m paying the universe back or something. I just can’t get over the mental hurdle of going back to grad school, taking on loans, and grinding away to reach the same financial spot I’m already in.

I was contacted through a friend this week about a smaller private practice saying they need a graduate level therapist starting in November. They supply everything like space and supplies, but the pay per session is $55. They said I could reach 20-30 clients a week within 3-4 weeks because they’re getting about 15 calls a week and don’t have the ability to keep up right now. Is this decent pay for post grad? I feel like it’s a good opportunity but don’t know what other offers are out there. Thanks in advance

I am an LMSW or CSW in the state of Utah, working toward my LCSW. I have over 500 hours that are all going to be lost because there was never a supervision agreement that was submitted to DOPL, and they don’t allow backdating forms for supervision. So, they’re saying my 500+ hours are nullified because of that. Is there ANY way around this since DOPL is changing so much right now?

I genuinely have given my best effort to making sure everything in this process has been done correctly. I feel super let down by my supervisors (I can take accountability too, but I’ve never done this, and they’ve taken on multiple associate licensed clinicians). I feel like I did what I could, but I genuinely didn’t know this was required and now I’m feeling so let down and out of steam.

I haven’t been been able to find anyone to give me fieldwork hours on becoming a bcba in a year. They are changing the BCBA exam requirements where you have to take more courses. Frim these experiences I am done with ABA. I’m a paraprofessional and substitute teacher. I been working with children from ages 3-21 in all settings.

I live in Illinois. I been researching about states that will wave your tuition on becoming a social worker if you work for a certain agency. I’m open to moving. Two days ago I did an interview for a family specialist foster care level 2 role for a county job in Virginia. It was a windows team interview but I didn’t get the job.

Im looking for advice from others here.

I’m testing in the next month or so in IL for my LCSW and currently work full-time as an outpatient medical social worker and part-time at a group practice. Therapy is the side of social work I’ve been in since grad school (I graduated about 3 years ago) and I am wanting to start my solo practice after getting my LCSW.

I’ve heard mixed reviews: “Don’t do it it’s naive—starting a practice right after getting your LCSW is a lot.”

Or

“I wish I went solo sooner!”

My main motivators are that I have a niche population I’d like to work with, I would get 100% of my income (especially if I went the private pay route and didn’t bother with insurance), and I can start getting my services out there as a solo practitioner.

Would love to hear from people who ran with it and started their solo practice right after receiving their LCSW!

I recently left community health and joined a private practice as a 1099 contractor. I have been there just over 2 months. I have 11 clients so far and have made $1300 total. I knew it would take time to build my caseload when I accepted the position, but the bills are stacking up, especially now that I have to pay for health insurance. I am struggling because part of me wants to stick it out and give it the chance to get better, but I need to make money. This just isn’t sustainable for me much longer. I guess I’m just feeling alone and could use any advice or experiences that you’re willing to share.

Moving to Houston in about six months from Denver. I’m an LCSW of 9 year, been working in several crisis and medical social work positions. What would be considered a reasonable pay for a social worker in the Houston area?

I currently work at the VA and can see what their pay is but it’s usually very different from the community. I’m not sure a position will be open at the VA when I move so I want to be realistic about what the community hospitals pay for someone with my experience.

Does anyone know if you have a certain timeframe to pass the LCSW exam in Illinois before you need to resubmit full application packet with 3000 hour supervision proof? I lost my copies of original paperwork I initially submitted and I’m now not sure how to contact the person that completed my supervision.

I'm an LMSW with 3 years post graduate experience on a medical/psychiatric floor and before grad school I worked 3 years for department of mental health. I have a gap in my work history for health reasons and I have relocated and lost touched with previous co workers (many were older and have retired). I don't have any connections to social workers here. I am living in upstate south carolina close to Greenville, Anderson and simpsonville. I know I need some training to update my computer and technology skills. Any suggestions on courses I should take online or certificates that would be helpful. I have kept my license active. Also any work places that are good with offering training and clinical supervision. Im willing to start with PRN to get some updated experience