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[quote=Anonymous]Agree with PPs that you cannot do this online.  You need an MSW from an accredited program.  This involves two full time years, if you have all the necessary prerequisites first.  Unpaid supervised internship hours are substantial, as noted above.  Each state has its' own licensing requirements, and some do and some do not have reciprocity with other states (particularly relevant in the DC/MD/VA area).  In general nationally, the standard is to get the first level of license post-MSW; then to complete an additional 2,000 supervised hours before taking the test for the independent clinical license.

I worked for many years as a clinical social worker.  Many of those years were great.  But honestly, once I had nieces, nephews, and my own child, life changed.  Social work involves a lot of energy directed outward.  This has its' good and bad points.  Even with excellent supervision and peer support, and a great personal support system, you need to be prepared to be the professional responsible for addressing extremely intense and often unfixable life problems, and still have energy left over at the end of your day for your own family and life.

Not only should you set up informational interviews with social workers at different career stages, I would highly recommend seeking out some volunteer experiences in settings such as you are describing.  The field of social work is so diverse, and the areas of interest that you mentioned are among some of the most demanding and high-burnout in the profession.  Get a realistic view of what the work is like on a daily basis, and then decide if this is something you are willing to devote the next four years to full time before you can practice independently.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

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