Hi social work community!

I am looking for some career advice and don't feel like many of my current mentors can provide great insight.

I recently started a Clinical Supervisor Position at a Residential Substance Use Treatment facility after 3 years of working in community mental health, in-patient psych/detox, and a behavioral health urgent care. I am dually licensed as a LCSW and LAC. I like being a supervisor and I like the company I am working for.

A local large hospital system re-recruited me for a Palliative Care CM position after declining their initial offer in my last hiring cycle. They are offering slightly less pay than what I am making as a clinical supervisor position with better benefits.

I have a young family and am in a place in my career where it feels imperative to set myself up for future growth/sustainability. There aren't that many SUD residentials in my immediate area and this hospital system is massive in my state. There is a lot of room to grow as a supervisor but I know that getting into a well established hospital setting would be beneficial.

I don't have any massively specific career goals other than wanting to be able to provide for my family, have good work life balance, and I know that I am not wanting to do private practice.

Any insight is appreciated! Thank you!

I am desperately trying to get out of my state. I found a practice in OR that feels so up my alley + it’s my dream to live in OR or WA.

The catch is, needing CSWA licensure. But to apply for that licensure specifically, you need a supervisor and a work site. Since I’d be coming from Texas, I wouldn’t have that until I find a workplace in OR. So I can’t have one without the other and vice versa 😭

To be fair, I have an LMSW and could try to apply for that and find work in that way but I am already in the process of getting my clinical license so I wanted to continue that development + this practice is focused on that kind of development.

My only guess is that I’d need to apply for my CSWA licensure only if and after I got a spot in this program, assuming that they’d hire me without it and trust I’d complete the process.

Anyway, this isn’t the only path obviously but I just felt so excited about this practice and opportunity specifically.

Anyone care to share their relocation stories? I’d love to hear that it’s even possible. Thank you 💞

I’m looking to learn as much as possible about the different types of Medicaid and application processes- Qualifications, eligibility requirements, work rules, etc. I live in NYS and hoping to find in-services or webinars? Thanks!!

I am in my fourth week of my first full-time role as a therapist in a college counseling setting. I started very excited to do the work, but I knew I would be quickly overcome with feelings of inadequacy.

I feel completely consumed by my own anxiety — which sometimes shows through in sessions. I want to be helpful but I know I need to meet clients where they are and I’m afraid of trying too hard or doing too much so sometimes I worry I’m not doing enough. I find the work endlessly fascinating but due to my own lack of experience and confidence, I’m really struggling mentally.

I know that nobody ever has it all figured out, but I’m curious for other social workers who are also therapists, how long did it take you to find your footing and develop your clinical identity?

Sometimes it’s a cliche on a poster. But today I had to say it out loud. I was getting sooooo much push back about a client needing to reengage with treatment. Because they “should” be doing better because after last time they were improving so how could they possibly need more therapy?

HEALING IS NOT LINEAR.

We are accepting of relapse or backslide or repeats in SUD but not MH

I also had to say out loud that someone can have a personality disorder and also be severely mentally ill so check yourself.

I stg if you don’t like patients then go home

I have crippling anxiety about every decision I make after a year in practice. I go around and around in circles, worried I have made a mistake or missed something. I work in Child Protection. Be honest, is it time for me to go?

I'm thinking about starting a nonprofit... providing therapy to clients with Medicaid insurance.

(I have read countless posts on Reddit... where therapists complain about how horrible their community behavioral health agency is run. I'm thinking of myself.. there has got to be a better way to run an agency!)

Any suggestions on podcasts I can watch, which talk about starting up a non-profit? Creating one from the ground up.

Hi everyone! I previously posted questions about what worked and didn’t work in your workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, and your responses were really helpful. Thank you!

I’m an intern working on a pandemic preparedness plan for a private practice with three locations, and I’d love to hear about your experiences when workplaces began returning to in-person work after restrictions were lifted.

A few questions:
Were you pressured to return before you felt safe or comfortable?
What did your employer do that made you feel supported? What could they have done better?
Were remote work, accommodations, or FMLA leave options available?
Did anyone feel forced to leave their job because they weren’t comfortable returning?
Looking back, what policies or practices would you recommend for handling a similar situation in the future?

Both positive and negative experiences are welcome!
Thanks for sharing! Your insights will help inform recommendations for supporting staff during future public health emergencies.

Quick clarification: I recognize that the pandemic is still ongoing and that COVID cases continue to flare up in different places. My questions are specifically about the period after mandates and restrictions were lifted and workplaces began returning to in-person operations.

We had a meeting recently where leadership was celebrating our incredibly high "successful referral" numbers.

I asked what exactly counts as a successful referral.

Apparently, it's when a caseworker gives someone a resource and checks a box in our system.

That's it.

Not when the person actually reaches the organization. Not when they're accepted into a program. Not when they receive any kind of service.

When we give them a phone number.

I've spent enough time doing direct service to know that half the places on our resource lists have six-month waitlists, disconnected numbers, or eligibility requirements that seem to change every week.

And yet our reports make it look like we're successfully connecting almost everyone to resources.

I want to be clear that I don't blame frontline workers for this. They're already drowning in documentation, and the last thing I want is another form for them to complete.

But our presentation literally said "families connected to services."

That's not what we measured. We measured families who were handed information about services.

I've suggested separating "referral provided" from "service accessed" and maybe following up on a small sample instead of making every caseworker track every referral.

The response was basically, "Well, the funder doesn't require that."

I understand that agencies have to report what funders ask for. I also understand that we can't magically create housing, therapists, or childcare slots that don't exist.

But shouldn't we at least be honest about what our numbers mean?

I'm curious how other people doing macro work, program evaluation, or administration handle this.

Have you successfully challenged an outcome measure that looked great on paper but told you almost nothing about whether people were actually getting help?

If this goes against the rules, I apologize.

A few years ago I was working as a therapist. I was falsely accused of ethical violations and left the job. My employer turned me into the board but it never went anywhere (there was nothing to find anyway!). However, I was just a few hours shy of my hours being completed. I didn’t submit any of the supervision reports from my supervisors, as they all checked “no/unsure” regarding the ethics question.
I’m not practicing currently, but I keep my LMSW active. I want to someday possibly get my LCSW, but I don’t want to have to start over. I don’t know what to do.
Would you submit the supervision and see if it’s accepted by the board? Or start over on supervision (probably by eventually getting a part-time job in addition to my current role)?

I’ve been working in community mental health for almost 10 years and recently accepted a full-time hospital social work/care management position.
I’m also really sad and anxious about the transition. I’ve gotten comfortable with therapy and community mental health, and I’m nervous about the learning curve, fast-paced environment, and possibility of not being able to adjust.
I’ve worked per diem before, so I have a little bit of experience doing hospital-based work, but I didn’t love it at the time. And doing full time hospital social work is a different beast from what I heard. That experience has made me even more nervous about whether this transition will be a good fit.
Part of the reason I’m switching is that my current workplace has cut my hours and we don’t know if the program will last past end of next year. I’m also constantly trying to keep up with documentation and often end up bringing work home these last several years and I feel really tired and burnt out from doing that, even though I tell myself maybe I can tolerate it longer.
I’m hoping hospital social work may offer more stability, structure, and a better separation between work and home, although I know it will come with its own challenges.
I’m also grieving leaving a job and clients I genuinely love, which has made me second-guess my decision.
For those who made a similar transition, how difficult was the adjustment? How long did it take before you felt comfortable and confident in your role? Did you eventually find a better work-life balance?
I’d really appreciate hearing some positive experiences, encouragement, or advice.

I’m hoping to hear that it gets easier 🥺 I don’t really know what to do as an associate if hospital doesn’t work out because I don’t think I can do private practice or go back to community mental health. I submitted my hours to BBS already so hoping I can sit for my exam in the next few months.

Heyyy, so I been considering getting a side hustle, maybe something for a few hours, maybe on the weekend/part time, preferably remote. What are some side hustles y’all have done, along with being a social worker?

I have been working in corporate for over 10 years and I have been feeling a calling to help people more in my day to day and considering going to get my MSW. I have read so many stories here on reddit about how the burnout is real and yet I feel like a part of me still really wants to pursue this, and also scratch the itch of my curiosity. My plans are to start clinical and maybe work at a nonprofit organization, somewhere where it may help translate from my corporate experience. I have been trying to get a job in nonprofit however that hasn’t worked out for me given my resume is so corporate heavy. Any thoughts, considerations or tips?

I really want to help people more in my day to day. Just as a note, I have been life coaching and reading tarot in my free time.

Reposting here:
I was hired on at an oncology clinic 2 months ago. The role went unfilled for 3 months. So I have been going off previous SW notes to formulate workflow etc and used my prior experience in other positions. Well the practice manager who hired me was let go a few weeks ago after 10 years. A new practice manager is in to clean up clinical work flows as well and fix money issues. So they are looking at me (honestly I feel like I'm already overpaid, so if they were looking at numbers I could be booted and be replaced by a cheaper MSW and I really love this job!). New practice manager says she has had LCSWs bill before. And sends me a list of psychotherapy and diagnostic codes for what I can bill for.

What have you been able to bill for and are you providing traditional psychotherapy. I have been doing more case management, brief crisis intervention, brief psychosocial support. I do not have previous experience in a billable position so this is all quite new (I came from care management in medicaid)So far none of the other social workers I have connected with in the hospital or outpatient clinics have figured out what to bill for, however I do not think they are licensed. The previous social workers here, were not licensed either, so it hasn't been done.

Does anyone have a model they are using that can shed some light on their work flows? Or are we all just providing case management and not billing? Or anyone willing to connect with me off Reddit or in messages? Or have any direction that can help me pull this together to make suggestions to management on what I can bill for and how I may need to tweak my current role/duties to meet the criteria for billing? Which I think is just make sure its all in my clinical notes? I have never thought of this role as billable however, I think with some out of the box thinking it can work, generate some income to justify my salary and... save my job 😜

I’ve recently taken on a side gig to be Director our our state LTC Social Workers Association. It in involves planning 2 conferences a year, setting up speakers, hotels, food, etc. Also, keeping a log of the states NF and addresses. I’m really looking forward to see where this goes. Just wondering if anyone else is involved with something like this. Looking to see what has worked and what hasn’t.

I’m in social work school and I really want to do school social work and private practice. I know many people just do private practice but suffer with loosing their benefits, Will I see a better ROI if I treated private practice like a part time job ?

Are any other moms considering re entering the workforce and struggling big time?

Not sure if this is the right place but I’ve been a stay at home mom for two years and I’m an LCSW exploring re entering the workforce - not quite sure at what capacity…. But I’ve got two kids and one is three months, almost four months old so childcare would be pricey. I’m sorely disappointed at the amount of jobs offering only 60k for a fully licensed professional and I would be in the hole with childcare for two at that salary. I’m wondering if I should try re entering by doing part time weekend therapy? I’ve never really wanted to be a therapist deep down and would love more of a macro level type job, but it seems like jobs have SO much competition - more than I’ve ever seen. I interviewed for a 15 hour a week job helping a nonprofit with social media today as well as donor operations etc and they made it seem like they were going to keep interviewing people all week and then wanted to do two more sets of interviews after that…..Like omg! It’s 15 hours a week?!! I’ve never had this much trouble landing interviews even. I also interviewed for a school that wanted to bring me on site and proposed two interview dates and then - literal crickets. I followed up today after almost three weeks and I’m not expecting to hear anything. I’m just sorely disappointed.

In my free time, I enjoy reading court opinions, especially cases involving child welfare, mental health, human rights, and government accountability. I’ve come across a few recently that I thought other social workers might find interesting.

Minnesota – Termination of Parental Rights (December 2025): A county sought to terminate both parents’ rights to their four children. The Court of Appeals upheld the mother’s termination but reversed the father’s because the county hadn’t made reasonable reunification efforts. I thought this raised an interesting question about whether services are truly individualized to each parent or whether agencies sometimes focus more on simply offering services.

Case: https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/2025/a25-1081.html

Minnesota – NAMI Protest and Assault Conviction (October 2026): A man protesting a NAMI fundraiser physically grabbed flyers from a woman who had removed them from vehicles. A jury convicted him of assault (fear), but the Court of Appeals overturned it in a 2–1 decision. The majority found that retrieving the flyers was a reasonable alternative explanation for his intent, while the dissent argued that he could have intended to retrieve them AND cause fear.

Case: https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/2026/a25-1929.html

Wisconsin – Termination of Parental Rights (June 2025):
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that once a parent has been found unfit, the state doesn’t have to meet a separate burden of proof to establish that termination is in the child’s best interests. Two justices disagreed with that reasoning, although all agreed with the termination itself. Considering how permanent TPR is, I found that distinction interesting.

Case: https://law.justia.com/cases/wisconsin/supreme-court/2025/2023ap001950.html

I’m curious what others think about these decisions!

I also recently created r/CaseDiscussions for sharing and discussing court cases of all types, including ongoing cases. I’d love to have more social workers involved and contributing their perspectives if you’re interested.

Textbook: Foundations of Social Policy Social Justice in Human Perspective 6th Edition (2018)

Author: Amanda Smith Baruch

Searching for this textbook for my social policy class.

(I'm so sorry if this is not the right sub reddit for this kinda post)

I've been a housing case manager for four years, I am not a licensed social worker and dont try to pass myself off as one ever lol. I am a peer specialist but dont have a formal degree. I work at a shelter ran by a nonprofit. We hired a new case manager about 4 weeks ago, shes a real therapist and licensed social worker, I was super excited when she started because her skill set is a huge need for our clients.

The day after she started she grilled me hard for saying I dont have a social workers license, telling me im not legally allowed to work with the homeless or be a case manager without one, I tried really hard to not be combative and just said that I would talk to our supervisor to make sure we were compliant with any laws. I did and he assured me I am fine and dont need any license. But ever since then it feels like this new girl doesn't like me ; she questions my judgement, my abilities and knowledge a lot and it feels like shes trying to ice me out from team building activities and outings. I am trying really hard remain open to feedback and stay positive, i have a lot of respect for this coworker and her experience, but since she started ive gone home every day questioning my ability to do this job and if im qualified to do this.

We have positive conversations when its not associated with work such as talking about fa.ily and personal lives, so it feels less like she dislikes me as a person and rooted more in an idea that im under qualified... how do I find a middle ground where she can see I do want to learn from her but where I also dont feel blatantly disrespected in the workplace...?

I feel like conferences make me feel excited about doing therapy again. I’ve been off work for the last few months since my husband and I moved and have been dragging my feet at starting a practice or joining a group practice. I’m going to the Addiction Medicine conference in April, but looking for others as well focusing on addiction, trauma, adults, therapy field in general, or even just social work ones. What ones have you all found interesting/fun or just highly recommended. Or ones to avoid?