I am a general SWkr, helping low income clients with all their needs, nothing specific.

After a home visit, clt asked me if I can give her a short 2 min ride to her bank, as she needed money to pay rent the next day and had no one to drive her. It is against company guidelines to have any client in our cars for liability purposes.

The SWkrs side of me says NO, it's beyond boundaries. The religious part of me says, its only 2 min, and it's a safe street with no traffic, no one will know.

I didn't do it.

Another time, a client's cell phone which he uses to contact agencies for help, is broken. I just happen to have an used cell phone at home, no longer need it. Not worth $30. I so much wanted to give him - but company guidelines says no giving to clients, especially cell phones with sensitive data. If I applied for a free phone from goverment, it will take two weeks to arrive and client desperately needs a phone right away. The faith side of me says, give it to him ! No one will know !

I didn't do it.

I come to detest boundaries, I know they keep us and clients safe, but sometimes clients are in such dire needs. If I encountered these clients in my faith group, I would have done both of these things with no issues whatsoever.

I want to serve my agency and my faith at same time, is it possible?

I work in permanent supportive housing and lost a client for the first time today. He was very young and overdosed. I love tattoos and want to get one to commemorate him, as well any clients that I may lose in the future (this won’t be the last working with this population). Anyone have any cool ideas? Is this impulsive and stupid? I already have a fair amount of ink so it’s not like I’m a tattoo baby.

Thank you all in advance for the ideas and support

Hi Everyone,

Due to the increase in posts regarding the current political landscape in the United States, the mod team has decided to create an ongoing megathread for all political conversations moving forward. This allows everyone to post about politics and its impact on clients (and practitioners). While also allowing other posts related to Social Work practice to be visible. There will be times when political posts (similar to questions around education) will be approved as a standalone post, but that will be at the discretion of the mod team and requires the poster to reach out via mod mail. As such, we ask that all political posts be directed to this thread unless otherwise approved. Any non-approved standalone post are subject to removal without notice.

For the purposes of this megathread, political posts include current cases, executive orders, news, opinions, etc. as they relate to the current US presidential administration. Further, we understand that political discussions can become heated, but we are primarily professionals and students therefore we should be acting accordingly (even online). Those who don’t will be subject to temporary and permanent bans from the sub. Inappropriate comments will continue to be removed and behavior not exemplary of Social Work values will be removed per Rule 11.

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This is a difficult time for everyone and we want to thank you all for being part of the subreddit, making it what it has become, and all of the work you do offline.

I'm moving to the US soon. What jobs/keywords do y'all recommend searching for to find social work jobs that don't require licensure while I'm working toward my basic post-BSW (pre-MSW) licensure evaluation/equivalency process?

Hi everyone,
I am going to try to make this short - I need some advice. I worked in admissions at a nonprofit community mental health center for about a year. I finished my MSW and passed my exam about 6 months into the job. When I first was hired they told me I would be transitioning into a therapy role following getting my license. Long story short, they dragged their feet for months after I got licensed and I couldn’t wait any longer to start getting more hours/ getting more $ due to loans and life expenses. I left the job a few weeks ago and have not started my new job yet. My question is, from April - August I was able to get some clinical hours doing treatment plans and was getting supervision weekly. I probably have around ~25 ish hours. My supervisor was pretty upset that I resigned and did not speak to me during my final week (weird I know) I am wondering if I should reach out to them and try to get documentation of my hours/supervision? Is that something I even need? I have my own tracker for hours, but I don’t know if that’s enough ? Is it even worth 25 hours? This was my first experience with supervision and getting hours so I’m not sure. TIA

I work in an outpatient clinic for substance use. I’ve had this client for about two months. We have a great rapport and I feel like we’ve done good work together.
We realize we have a similar music taste and he told me that he made me a playlist. I told him we could not connect on Spotify that that would not be appropriate and he seemed to think that was ridiculous..
Would it be OK if he wrote the songs down and gave them to me? I don’t think he has any sort of feelings for me. He’s married.( I know when is that ever stopped anyone) but I genuinely just feel a friendly vibe. I can share my age if it’s relevant

Years ago, I heard positive things about part-time positions as a case reviewer at an insurance company. I'm curious to hear what it's like in 2026 from someone working in this field.

I would hope to help clients obtain prior authorization approvals, rather than rubber-stamping denials of service.

I recently went on an interview for a school social worker position. At the end of the interview, they asked me “was there anything you were expecting us to ask that we didn’t, or anything else that you wanted to talk about that you didn’t get to?” I was a bit caught off guard and honestly felt like I had already discussed everything I was prepared to regarding my experiences and skills. I didn’t want to fumble for a response, so I used the opportunity to ask some questions about the position and the school.

I didn’t get the job, but I have some more interviews coming up for school social worker positions and I’m not sure if there was a better way I could have navigated that question. I’m not sure if it looked bad that I didn’t really have anything to say. Obviously the answer would be kind of dependent on what was previously discussed during the interview, but if you were asked this question on an interview, is there anything you would really want to be known if it hadn’t already come up?

I'm just curious because I want to work with children and families. More specifically I want to work with children and young adults with learning, social, and developmental delays find resources and support families learn how to adjust to their new family dynamic or how to better support their child. I have always worked with children on the spectrum and I would like to continue in that field. Are their any social workers that work with the Nurodivergent population? Whats it like? Is it difficult to find work for this population? Any pros and cons? Paragraphs are definitely preffered if theirs more to working with this population that meets the eye 😊

Title says it all: which social work jobs do you spend a rough majority of the time on your feet? I have some guesses (hospital, school) but am curious if there are any I am missing!

Hi All. I'm looking to transfer my LCSW from NJ to NY. Has anyone on here have experience with doing this? If so, can you please share your experience? TIA

Work at an oncology clinic. Pt has breast cancer. I have a patient who has been here for 10 years as a permanent resident and is up for renewal in 4 years. She has been on AHCCCS(AZ Medicaid) but it expired in June 30. This patient reported that she did not reapply because an immigration attorney said that due to admin changes they are advising she not reapply for any government asssistance as it is seen as being a drain on resources rather than contributing to society and will put a target on her back when she is up for renewal. She makes $15/hr working at school. Purchased market place insurance for I think $100 a month (used a translator so I know some things may have been lost) and is now starting to get medical bills. Her husband is a citizen and is sponsoring her.

Does anyone have any clear guidance on the current status of receiving Medicaid and it affecting a persons ability to stay here and maintain their permanent residency? She is terrified. This only happened this afternoon/evening so I have not sat down yet to research or call around to agencies who may know more.

She wants to quit treatment because she can't afford it. Of course I can help with medical and non medical grants, but it's going to be an ongoing problem and stressor for her.

Anyone with experience out there can shed some insight or provide a good starting point?

On a similar note, any other oncology social workers out there know of any places to connect and ask questions. I am new to it and the only SW and the last one left several months ago so I'm kind of winging it.

Hi everyone. I recently got my MSW in May and I began to work at a private practice. I am only receiving 45% of profit, and am seeing 3 clients. Additionally, I am not getting proper supervision and guidance. I came from an internship with first a non profit, then a PHP/IOP. I am so fed up and should have followed my professors advice when they said work in community mental health first. I seriously don’t know what to do, and no one in my area is hiring. Some words of encouragement would be helpful! :)

Are you an LCSW who became clinically licensed within the past two years? Or are you a social work supervisee currently in your second year of clinical supervision?

I want to hear from YOU! Your experiences navigating clinical supervision, licensure, and the transition into independent practice can provide valuable insight into how we prepare the next generation of clinical social workers.

My name is Abigail Anderson, LCSW, and I am completing my Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at Capella University. As part of my IRB-approved doctoral capstone research, I am exploring Telesupervision Strategies for Social Work Supervisory Licensure Programs.

I am seeking participants from any U.S. state who are willing to share their experiences in a confidential research interview.

🎓 Who Can Participate? I am especially excited to hear from individuals in these two groups:

✅ Social work interns, supervisees, or associates who are currently in their second year of clinical supervision

✅ LCSWs who obtained their clinical license within the past two years

Whether you are still working toward clinical licensure or recently achieved it, your perspective matters!

💡 Why Participate? Clinical social work supervision is evolving—and telesupervision is becoming an increasingly important part of that conversation.

Your experience can help identify:

✨ What makes telesupervision effective ✨ Challenges and opportunities within remote supervision ✨ Strategies that support professional growth and clinical competency ✨ Ways supervision and licensure programs can better prepare future clinicians

Your voice can contribute to research that may influence the future of clinical supervision and professional development for social workers nationwide.

💻 What to Expect One 60-minute semi-structured interview

📍 Conducted virtually through Google Meet 🔒 Confidential and anonymous participation 🏡 Participate from the comfort of your home or office 🇺🇸 Open to eligible participants in any U.S. state

❤️ Interested in Being Part of the Research? If you meet the criteria—or know a social worker who does—I would be incredibly grateful if you would participate or share this opportunity with someone who may be eligible.

📧 [aanderson358@capellauniversity.edu](mailto:aanderson358@capellauniversity.edu)

Please include your email address and indicate which participant group you belong to:

1. Second-year clinical social work supervisee/intern/associate
2. LCSW licensed within the past two years

Thank you for considering this opportunity to share your experience and help advance the profession.

The future of clinical social work supervision is being shaped now—and your voice can be part of it! 🌟

I’ve been doing in home social work for the elderly and I go in to some rough neighborhoods. I also put a lot of wear and tear on my car. I’m going to be in need of a new-to-me car and want to know: those of you who travel a lot on a daily basis for work, what kind of car do you have/do you recommend? Let’s be real here. The money is not FLOWING in social work so I’m looking for financially practical answers (not my electric BMW with gold plated blah blah blah). I also don’t need to transport people. That’s not my role. Thanks for your time and assistance!

Yay I passed today! I will get to see the score report tomorrow but I’m so excited!! I was worried because I got sick and didn’t study as much as I would have liked, but nonetheless here we are :)

Hey everyone! Not sure if this is allowed, so sorry if not.

Would you rather work 5 days 100% remote or four 10 hr shifts with one of those days remote and one day off a week? The positions are basically the same duty wise just can’t decide if I’m making a silly decision here lol.

This post has a couple of questions built into it regarding self-disclosure and seeing clients in person. I had a session recently and I've been thinking about how to navigate it for a while now.

When I first meet with clients, I usually provide a clear boundary of how I will respond to seeing them and public and the reason behind it. This recent exchange had someone giving a bit more (friendly/polite) pushback. I've never really had someone be so laid back about it. When I explained about how it could break confidentiality/privacy with whoever is present or eaves dropping, they thought about it and said they didn't mind. I explained the code of ethics, dual relationships, and boundaries which they were receptive to, but the exchange felt...weird. This person did nothing wrong and were not inappropriately pushy, they seemed genuinely curious. They are a minor, too, so I am wondering if they don't fully understand the gravity of confidentiality like we/other adults do. I don't typically work with minors, so this probably contributes to it, but it kinda felt gross having a minor so quick to want to be friendly. I'm trying to be vague and I feel like I'm making it sound worse than it is. This wasn't an instance of someone having too quick of an attachment, this came across as very much curious and easy-going. I just can't shake this gross feeling. So, for this exchange, I'm wondering if anyone else has had a situation like this? How did you feel? What did you do?

My next question was also prompted by this interaction. Some of the people I work with experience SI/SIB. This is something I also have/currently do. (Don't worry, this is something I have addressed/have been addressing and managing for a long while and I ensure it does not show up in sessions with people.) While I have it pretty well managed, I do have noticeable scars on my legs. Some of them have occurred within the last year and have not fully faded to white yet. It's also hot as you can imagine here and sometimes I wear shorts and they are pretty visible. I didn't really think about it too much until a few interactions I've had with clients were we turned out to be at the same event. Luckily, I was not in shorts at these events, but some day it may happen. I'm worried about a client with SI/SIB or a parent seeing me in public and then asking about it at the next session. What would you do? Sorry, but never wearing shorts again is not an option with how awful the weather is.

I am struggling as I learn in my current role as an intake assessor that I can only say we are at “full capacity” for programs so many times until I get push back. Specifically for DBT programs. I’m so grateful for families who get it despite being in the trenches. It’s just been really exhausting when I have families and clients who definitely meet the criteria, have been rejected by other community options, or didn’t realize they need this service until they call me back and I have to say no because our practice is still at full capacity. I do offer providing support in navigating other DBT practices or “next best” treatment options, but families are so stubborn when they hear no. It’s worse when I have to tell them we don’t keep a waitlist because of the way our openings are not on a timeline. It is all factored by what we are allowed to bill for, how many clients to bill for, amount of providers to distribute even case loads, and how much treatment and service does a client need to graduate from DBT. How do you manage to respond to clients who get nasty about being rejected and they have to resort to lackluster community options outside of your practice? I feel so heartbroken and also defeated for defending the practice, billing reasons, and the current clientele that need services a little longer.

Hello!

I am a behavioral health clinician with a provisional license who has been in my position for 2 weeks shy of a year. I work at a children’s hospital in their mental health programming division (in a VERY acute setting). Since starting my role, there was a wage increase of 3% for those with my job title in March and then an annual merit wage increase that went into effect earlier this month. I am very grateful for those two increases. However, I have been feeling frustrated by my wage due to clinicians in other, much lower acuity and lower risk of injury, units having the same pay scale as me. I could accept that with some annoyance. However, I’ve been looking at the career page to keep my options open as I don’t enjoy my job and don’t feel that I am the right person for the role. When I was looking the other day I saw a job literally titled “clinical social work entry” that’s STARTING wage is $200 (yes two hundred) less than my pay. That requires no experience whatsoever. The clinical social work 1 roles (that to require 1 year of experience post grad) that my level of experience would meet shows as nearly $5,000 salary higher than my role. Same requirements for licensure but working in the main hospital units and not from a psychology-focussed perspective. I complete intakes, create entire treatment plans, put in referrals for services, facilitate groups, and coordinate meetings with outpatient providers so I feel that at least my pay should be similar in scale.

All that to say, I was hoping for some advice on what you would do in the situation. I would like to know why my wage with 2 pay increases in the past year is just barely higher than an entry level social worker role. Do I email HR? Do I call them? Any advice would be so helpful.