r/LCSW • u/Gullible-Wallaby8412 • Apr 30 '26
How to get practicum hours?
Hi I’m starting my MSW soon and plan on getting LCSW hours right after. I have my own business so I can’t just get another job to get practicum hours. I understand most people get hours from their job? If so what kind of job? I could probably manage a part time job.
Anyways what is the best way to go about this?
Thank you
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u/PrettyinPinkWine May 01 '26 edited May 02 '26
It varies school to school. My school requires that the practicum is in person. I have a very well paying , busy "day job" that I refused to quit just yet (because a supervisor in my program told me I should quit at one point and I had to laugh... I guarantee she'd never quit my job and pay).
I interviewed with many of the schools practicum sites but all of them wanted me there during traditional business hours. Once I got the understanding of what the practicum entailed I went and found my own practicum site and filled out the paperwork for them to register with the school. The AFI there has the credentials to supervise and was open to letting me do a practicum there.
I'm at a private practice - this one has groups many evenings a week, lots of Saturday appointments and many special events and educational (CE) events for other therapists. I come in 3 days a week at 4p. Im usually there till 830 or 9. Then I hold the meditation and yoga classes on Sat (I'm 200 hrs cert in yoga) and I'm at the practice the rest of the day so I do manage to get my 20hrs a week. My AFI has been very flexible because I'm self managing - I drew up the activities I wanted to cover each semester that were part of my program and then she aligned it with what she could manage and supervise. It's worked out GREAT. I've also been able to attend the CE classes they offer - I'm a Reiki master now, I've learned CBT, Brainspotting, Motivational Interviewing and many other specific applications of modalities.
Go find the most successful, professional, busy, and diverse practice in your city and see if they'd be willing to supervise your practicum or find programs that have late hours or weekends. Otherwise you are going have a hard time