talk to me about being a social worker

[Anonymous]

I'm yet another DCUM poster looking to transition out of law. I'm interested in the problem-solving aspects of being a social worker, but not much interested in being a counselor/underpaid psychologist. If you're a social worker, where and with whom do you work? Do you like it?

[Anonymous]

There are lots of kinds of social work. I do macro agency administration work in community mental health. Unless you are working in a management capacity, you will find that social work is underpaid relative to law. Hospitals, schools, govt, and child welfare tend to pay better. It really depends on where you want to work and who with--you can bea psychotherapist, run a team of paraprofessional a providing direct care, do discharge planning, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are lots of kinds of social work. I do macro agency administration work in community mental health. Unless you are working in a management capacity, you will find that social work is underpaid relative to law. Hospitals, schools, govt, and child welfare tend to pay better. It really depends on where you want to work and who with--you can bea psychotherapist, run a team of paraprofessional a providing direct care, do discharge planning, etc.

Thank you! I've been doing pro bono work, so anything will pay better

I would love to do child welfare work and/or work with families/children in poverty in some capacity.

[Anonymous]

I am a social worker at a local hospital and love it. Most of my patients are low income and are at risk so there is a great need.

What about using your law degree at the Children's Law Center? They deal specially with child welfare/children at risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a social worker at a local hospital and love it. Most of my patients are low income and are at risk so there is a great need.

What about using your law degree at the Children's Law Center? They deal specially with child welfare/children at risk.

That would be my dream job. But they haven't hired me.

What kinds of things doo you help your patients with? Discharge planning or something else? Is it overwhelming when they have needs you can't solve?

[Anonymous]

It sucks. Most administrators/supervisors are nasty and it trickles down to the staff. Many go into it with the rescue complex.

[Anonymous]

My friend was a social worker after she graduated with a degree in opera. She couldn't make a living, so went to law school and has been a lawyer ever since (18 or so years).

The social worker I had growing up only is an MSW. I don't know what her husband does, but they have three kids. She works in a private school for troubled girls. School hours. She did less problem-solving (except during a crisis) and more therapy. But when she stepped in to do the problem-solving she was efficient and her techniques were well-received. I officially stopped being her "patient" in the early/mid 90's and we loosely stay in touch.

[Anonymous]

To work as a social worker, you will need to go back to school for a Master's in Social Work from an accredited program. After that, you typically need about two years of supervised experience to get the independent level license.

There are many different specializations in social work, as others have mentioned. Some involve providing therapy, some involve providing practical supports, some are more macro/policy focused. Some social workers work in the government doing program management and grants management. In some fields the pay is awful, and in others such as health and school social work, or government work, the pay is better.

But with a JD, you will nearly always have the potential to make more money than you will with a MSW.

Have you thought about working in a Legal Aid clinic? Or as a guardian ad litem? Or with an agency such as CAIR coalition, or Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, or Catholic Charities, that provides helps to those who could not afford a private attorney? Or as general counsel for a hospital or not for profit?

I think there are lots of exciting routes to go with a JD that may give you the opportunity to feel like you are making more of a difference with families in need.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all these thoughts.

Another reason I want to leave the law is to have a less desk based job. My perception of social work is that it has more variety than law in terms of not sitting in front of a computer. Is that accurate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all these thoughts.

Another reason I want to leave the law is to have a less desk based job. My perception of social work is that it has more variety than law in terms of not sitting in front of a computer. Is that accurate?

I'm the one who had a social worker in the 90's. She definitely had paperwork to do, but probably met with 5 0r 6 kids a day, plus ran group therapy sessions a couple of times a week. She often sat at her desk to talk with me, but we also sometimes went for walks around the neighborhood, or played basketball or something.

You might like to watch the old tv show Judging Amy if you can find it - Amy was the judge in family court and her mother was a social worker for the city, always in court. I found it very interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all these thoughts.

Another reason I want to leave the law is to have a less desk based job. My perception of social work is that it has more variety than law in terms of not sitting in front of a computer. Is that accurate?

There is tons of documentation in most settings.

[Anonymous]

I'm a social worker turned lawyer. My favorite jobs have been my social work ones but they were also exhausting, underpaid and frustrating due to constantly seeing needs that you can't meet. Since becoming a lawyer, I have been only in jobs where there is sort of a meshing of the skills. I often feel like I accomplish more for people as a lawyer than a social worker but I don't have the direct contact with the people that I am helping. It works for me though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all these thoughts.

Another reason I want to leave the law is to have a less desk based job. My perception of social work is that it has more variety than law in terms of not sitting in front of a computer. Is that accurate?

child welfare worker here- lots of c.y.a documentation/paperwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a social worker at a local hospital and love it. Most of my patients are low income and are at risk so there is a great need.

What about using your law degree at the Children's Law Center? They deal specially with child welfare/children at risk.

That would be my dream job. But they haven't hired me.

What kinds of things doo you help your patients with? Discharge planning or something else? Is it overwhelming when they have needs you can't solve?

What about Legal Aid or Maryland Disability Law Center? I also think that being a CASA could help bolster your resume if you are interested in CLC.

I don't do d/c planning for rehab/nursing/equipment/etc - but issues about child abuse, housing (or lack thereof), families coping with a diagnosis/prolonged illness/unexpected trauma. I work a lot with child protection, law enforcement, attorneys, employers, etc. Getting into medical social work is a bit of a challenge in that places expect you to have experience coming in. You either have to get that from a 2nd year MSW field placement or start someplace like a dialysis unit (required by law to have SWers so there are a lot of jobs) and get experience that way.

I am up and around a lot (though do have a lot of charting to do daily.) But I don't leave the building very often. If you are looking to be out and about in the community, look at child protection, home based community services (ie. First Home Care, Community Connections) or Early Intervention.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

There are joint JD/social work programs. You might reach out to one of these (Catholic has one) and see what kinds of careers are available for people with both specialties. There are plenty of jobs for lawyers in human service agencies focusing on stuff like compliance.