r/socialwork

Can I pick your brain for something? I'm doing a keynote speech at a Compassion Fatigue conference and I'd love your input for something I'm including! 

What are some things that would be on a Social Worker Bingo Card? Like day to day things that happen all the time. 

Could be things that are annoying or frustrating or just things that always happen (ex. An emergency happens in the last 5min of your day, documentation takes longer than the interaction, etc.)

Casually trying to understand why society in the US cannot except small communities of homeless to congregate and establish homesites that embrace these locations and the minimal input resources allow for these people to exist. If the amount of resources that are earmarked for here people exist then there should be plenty of funding for people to live the way they would like without restrictions placed upon them that would prevent said community. Help me understand what causes this behavior beyond NIMBYism?

I’ve been in the field for 6 years and landed a care manager role at an insurance company, it was my ideal role due to pay and being able to WFH. Fast forward, it’s been one of the worst jobs I’ve had.

The metrics are impossible, productivity expectations unrealistic & inhumane, they also micromanage us to hell, it’s insane. Oh, and they record our screens and track all movement throughout the day, again insane.

I’ve only been here a little while and I’m over it. Metrics and being watched 8 hours a day where any small time I take (water, bathroom, a breather between calls) is questioned is giving me anxiety.

Also, feel like I’m being gaslight some days because everyone else on my team has been here 10+ years and they’re so deep in the Kool-Aid that even after the company decided not to give us a raise this year due to “not meeting their bottom line”, people are still incredibly loyal and if you complain about the increased unrealistic expectations you’re bombarded with toxic porosity from managers and colleagues alike.

This is the most I’ve made in any SW role salary wise, I know I’m not stuck but with the job market how it is and the salaries I’m seeing in my area, I feel stuck af.

Hi everyone, I am 26 and obtained my BSW in 2020. I attempted a semester of MSW, that was going well, but then I had some family issues occur. I also was working full time and was in the program full time, it was remote. I want to clarify—I am ashamed I couldn’t keep up and was discharged from the program. I have been a good student in the past, I just… struggled this time around.

I would really love to further my education. I realize I am unsure if I can do this at the school I was at previously—I was discharged from the program and would have to appeal the decision, then the earliest I could get in is 2027.

What should I do? I am honestly scared to apply to new grad schools, have to reach out again to my previous field supervisor (who is now retired). I feel overwhelmed, and also scared. I want to be able to progress in this field and obtain licensure later on. I also desperately want to be successful and not stagnant in my current role. Should I consider taking the GRE and hope I score a good grade, to make any future MSW applications look appealing? Would any future schools have the record of my failed attempt at grad school? I’m so scared, I think I can do this though. I am just lost.

I currently work at a nonprofit where I process referrals and complete intakes, help make the person centered plans with goals, then submit that to Medicaid. I also am on a crisis call rotation monthly. I can’t help but to feel I’m currently lacking qualifications. There are “continuing education courses” I see, but these seem geared towards people needing these courses for their licensure, post masters.

What should I do?

Hi all, thanks for reading.

As the title says, I'm having trouble with my documentation. Tale as old as time.

I work in the field and drive a lot, and have a lot of in person appointments about an hour away from my home. I have 40 hours per week of work, half of which should be spent in direct client contact (including case conferences, family contacts, etc.).

I keep getting behind on my notes. So much so that I've been verbally warned at work twice, once in November and again yesterday. What I've been trying isn't working, but maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Any ideas to help a girl out? TIA!

hi everyone! i'm starting as a clinician providing therapy to police officers and their families. i have some experience working with law enforcement, but in a faster-paced setting, most recently in an ICU setting. i would love to hear from any clinicians working with this population (any tips, things to look out for, relevant trainings/CEs). i'm super excited but also really nervous (this is also my first full "therapist" type of role, where all my efforts are delegated to individual/family therapy). i have been reading some literature (books: counseling cops, i love a cop), and would love any other recs! also anything i should get for my office? sounds silly but simple things too like fidgets, etc. thanks so much!!

Hello friends, I hope y’all are well. I’m starting my MSW this Fall and am drawn to a few different specialities but especially palliative social work.

Understanding the difference between palliative and hospice care, I’m wondering about the sort of settings/positions someone aimed towards palliative social work. As someone who would certainly qualify for palliative care but does not have the resources, it feels like such a necessary field but one I’m unsure how to learn more about and engage with (as everything seems to lump palliative in with hospice).

Thank you so much for any insight!

Hello! I am currently working in Service Coordination for a managed care organization (insurance company) and have my Bachelor’s is Social Work. I was curious about possibly transitioning into the HR field. Any other SW’s that have made the switch into HR? What was your experience like? Did you get any certifications? What was it like applying for entry level roles? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I need to vent because I don’t have many social work friends IRL. I’m early in my career and already struggling with doubts about my job and my decision to become a social worker.

I graduated with my MSW last August. After applying to nearly 100 jobs and hearing nothing for four months, I finally accepted the first offer I received and started in January. I do case management for people who were previously homeless, helping them maintain housing stability. I really like the agency I work for. I get excellent benefits, generous PTO and sick leave, a healthy work–life balance, and supportive coworkers. It’s one of the best workplaces I’ve ever been at.

That said, the work itself is overwhelming and challenging. My main responsibility is monthly home visits with clients to ensure they maintain housing and follow program and lease requirements. People assume it’s easy but it really isn’t because often times, clients also experience mental health challenges, legal problems, family dysfunction, and substance use, all of which effect housing. And then there are some clients that can be very difficult to engage with, and others refuse services altogether.

What’s really wearing me down is the commute. I spend 2–3 hours round trip every day, and it’s become unbearable. I knew the commute would be tough when I took the job, but I was desperate. What makes it so bad is that no matter what time of day it is, there is always heavy traffic where I live and it makes it so difficult to get to and from work. I plan to move closer once my lease ends but I still have 4 more months to go. Right now I have emotional breakdowns almost every commute and this week I had a pretty bad meltdown in my car and spiraled into an existential crisis. Those moments amplify my doubts about whether this job and social work in general is worth it. Then I started thinking that even though I like my workplace, the pay is still abysmal for someone with an MSW. Social work as a field is so challenging and we barely have any control over what happens. We’re constantly being delegitimized, devalued, and underpaid. I got angry about how messed up the systems are and how consistently it fails and harms people. All of it overwhelmed me. I raged at everything. At being paid under $45k with a master’s degree and struggling to cover the cost of living, at systems that fail my clients, at terrible infrastructure and the car‑centered reality in the U.S., and at the state of the economy and the country. Then I wondered how I’m supposed to help my clients if I’m barely holding myself together.

I’ve been feeling a lot of doubt and uncertainty, but I know it should get better once I move. I honestly think half my stress will be gone then. I’m grateful my workplace is healthy and that my supervisors are supportive and understanding, and I genuinely like my colleagues. I actually get excited when I get to be in the office with them. That sense of community is a real saving grace and a major reason to stay. I also like most of my clients and enjoy working with them, though a few really test my patience. But really, it’s navigating the broken systems that tests my patience the most. Many of the difficult interactions I have stem from clients’ trauma responses, past negative experiences with caseworkers, and the lack of necessary support.

My main concern is how to stop spiraling during these doubt-filled episodes. If I’m having intense emotions early in my career, will I last? I’d appreciate any advice and I’d love to hear others’ experiences with burnout, doubt, and coping while working within broken systems.

Hi Reddit~

What are people's experiences moving into director roles from supervising intensive outpatient programs with on-call coverage? For context, rural area LCSW here in CMH - looking for a regular 'ole 9-5 and a little WFH flexibility, which is offered in this potential new role.

Did moving into a largely administrative role / program development feel like a sustainable change? Less? General thoughts?

Thanks!

Hi All,

What are the key things I should look for in liability insurance for a small private practice? Recommendations would be great. What should I reasonably expect to spend? Thank you!

Hi all! I’m an LCSW but I’ve always been macro. All my internships and work experience has been in macro roles - I’ve worked with adults with disabilities in the self-advocacy movement, interned at a foundation dispersing grants, worked with coalitions, and now I work in delivering psychoeducation for families.

I’m interested in moving into more clinical leaning work like parent coping skills groups or hospice social work. I’d love advice for how to make this shift. Do I need to look to shadow some clinical folks, take classes, or something else? I want to follow our code of ethics and don’t want to start applying for positions before I have the experience to practice.

Thoughts?