Comments on: Social Work: Low Pay, High Stress http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html NASW Communications Network - Social Workers speak out on television, movies and other media Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:45:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: seo http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-96455 seo Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:25:43 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-96455 I do love the manner in which you have framed this issue and it really does present me personally a lot of fodder for thought. On the other hand, because of what I have seen, I really hope when the opinions pile on that folks keep on issue and not embark upon a tirade associated with some other news du jour. Yet, thank you for this outstanding point and while I can not really agree with the idea in totality, I respect your standpoint. I do love the manner in which you have framed this issue and it really does present me personally a lot of fodder for thought. On the other hand, because of what I have seen, I really hope when the opinions pile on that folks keep on issue and not embark upon a tirade associated with some other news du jour. Yet, thank you for this outstanding point and while I can not really agree with the idea in totality, I respect your standpoint.

]]> By: Linda, LCSW http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-96175 Linda, LCSW Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:50:27 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-96175 I am a social worker in a local mental health clinic where all I do is see clients, and then have a laundry list of paperwork to do for "billing". I spend more time doing paperwork thanks to NYS and the OMH 599 regs than I get to see my clients and provide the necessary care that they require. One of "newest " tasks is to do concurrent documentation. Now, when I was in graduate school I was encouraged not to write my notes while I was seeiing a client becuase it might make them uneasy and I might miss some very important non verbal cues. Well, in NYS that is the expecation. shame on them.... I understand we all need to make money, at least to meet payroll and make the clinic run, but, at whose expense .... I went into social work to help people. I did expect that yes paperwork was a necessary evil, but this goes beynond that. Many of my colleuges feel they need to look at other professions or jobs using their MSW so they won't feel so drained.I spend almost 7 days a week at work, I do have a family whom I would like to see once and awhile, I want to provide good quality care and meet my obligations to my clients. But with a case load of 175 I find this very difficult. Soical workers are overworked, underpaid and most of them LOVE thier jobs, becuase they help make a difference to others, including me but, something needs to be done to protect the standard of care and make it more manageable to do the work that we are passionate about. The other problem is unlicensed para professionals doing the work of trained social workers, why did I get a Masters, take out student loans and end up go through ASWB tests if BA in who knows what can do my job. We need to have national standards about who can practice our craft to ensure good care for the public and to hold our profession to a high standard. I hope all social workers take time to look at how they are practing and try to make time for themselves, get ongoing education and continue to do the wonderful service they provide. I am a social worker in a local mental health clinic where all I do is see clients, and then have a laundry list of paperwork to do for “billing”. I spend more time doing paperwork thanks to NYS and the OMH 599 regs than I get to see my clients and provide the necessary care that they require. One of “newest ” tasks is to do concurrent documentation. Now, when I was in graduate school I was encouraged not to write my notes while I was seeiing a client becuase it might make them uneasy and I might miss some very important non verbal cues. Well, in NYS that is the expecation. shame on them…. I understand we all need to make money, at least to meet payroll and make the clinic run, but, at whose expense …. I went into social work to help people. I did expect that yes paperwork was a necessary evil, but this goes beynond that.
Many of my colleuges feel they need to look at other professions or jobs using their MSW so they won’t feel so drained.I spend almost 7 days a week at work, I do have a family whom I would like to see once and awhile, I want to provide good quality care and meet my obligations to my clients. But with a case load of 175 I find this very difficult.
Soical workers are overworked, underpaid and most of them LOVE thier jobs, becuase they help make a difference to others, including me but, something needs to be done to protect the standard of care and make it more manageable to do the work that we are passionate about.
The other problem is unlicensed para professionals doing the work of trained social workers, why did I get a Masters, take out student loans and end up go through ASWB tests if BA in who knows what can do my job. We need to have national standards about who can practice our craft to ensure good care for the public and to hold our profession to a high standard.
I hope all social workers take time to look at how they are practing and try to make time for themselves, get ongoing education and continue to do the wonderful service they provide.

]]> By: First Lieutenant http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-94647 First Lieutenant Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:39:53 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-94647 I have read several of the comments posted here, and am impressed by the passion expressed throughout. I think that it is this passion which makes social workers an integral party of societal change. However, we tend to neglect ourselves and our profession. Many stay in denial when experiencing compassion fatigue (also known as secondary trauma or burnout) because - in many agencies or among certain professionals - it is seen as weakness. And we are the helpers - we must stay strong for our clients. The fix? More self-care. It's not about making more money... it's about acknowledging what we need to fill the glass so that we aren't running on empty all the time. Besides, there are job opportunities as a social worker where you can make a pretty penny. As far as neglecting our profession... There are a lot of social work professionals who do not want to do research for whatever reason. However, social work is a business and in order to get funding you have to be able to provide results. Someone in this string of comments mentioned the need to protect our title - and that not everyone should be able to call themselves a social worker. I agree with that. A bachelor level SW cannot do the same duties as a Master's level SW who cannot do the same duties as a Licensed SW. I commend everyone for their strong opinions posted here, and encourage you all to put those thoughts into action. If you want to see change, then get off the couch and start a revolution :) I have read several of the comments posted here, and am impressed by the passion expressed throughout. I think that it is this passion which makes social workers an integral party of societal change. However, we tend to neglect ourselves and our profession. Many stay in denial when experiencing compassion fatigue (also known as secondary trauma or burnout) because – in many agencies or among certain professionals – it is seen as weakness. And we are the helpers – we must stay strong for our clients. The fix? More self-care. It’s not about making more money… it’s about acknowledging what we need to fill the glass so that we aren’t running on empty all the time. Besides, there are job opportunities as a social worker where you can make a pretty penny. As far as neglecting our profession… There are a lot of social work professionals who do not want to do research for whatever reason. However, social work is a business and in order to get funding you have to be able to provide results. Someone in this string of comments mentioned the need to protect our title – and that not everyone should be able to call themselves a social worker. I agree with that. A bachelor level SW cannot do the same duties as a Master’s level SW who cannot do the same duties as a Licensed SW. I commend everyone for their strong opinions posted here, and encourage you all to put those thoughts into action. If you want to see change, then get off the couch and start a revolution :)

]]> By: Grace http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-93440 Grace Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:02:45 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-93440 I decided it was time to leave social work. I am overwhelmed, not earning much money, and it seems like the economy has changed so that in order to even find a new job I have to magically become bilingual. I just do not enjoy doing this anymore, and I do not have it in me to put myself out to learn another language. Some of these job postings look downright dangerous to be in, as well. More and more home visit types of jobs. Is this a new trend or increasing? I have had the gamut of experiences from therapist to case manager, to settings ranging from non-profit agency to hospital to out patient services to senior care centers. The passion is gone and has been replaced by piles of documentation. The good news is that I am re-entering a former career that is now in high demand. This new career just requires several units of college credits to update my skills at the community college level, and that pay will most likely be better and the stress much less. It seems ridiculous to have put in all these years of education, along with clinical supervision, just to be in a low paying and stressful job. I have to care about what my retirement years are going to look like at this point,, and that means earning a good salary and having lower stress to maintain my good health. I decided it was time to leave social work. I am overwhelmed, not earning much money, and it seems like the economy has changed so that in order to even find a new job I have to magically become bilingual. I just do not enjoy doing this anymore, and I do not have it in me to put myself out to learn another language. Some of these job postings look downright dangerous to be in, as well. More and more home visit types of jobs. Is this a new trend or increasing? I have had the gamut of experiences from therapist to case manager, to settings ranging from non-profit agency to hospital to out patient services to senior care centers. The passion is gone and has been replaced by piles of documentation. The good news is that I am re-entering a former career that is now in high demand. This new career just requires several units of college credits to update my skills at the community college level, and that pay will most likely be better and the stress much less. It seems ridiculous to have put in all these years of education, along with clinical supervision, just to be in a low paying and stressful job. I have to care about what my retirement years are going to look like at this point,, and that means earning a good salary and having lower stress to maintain my good health.

]]> By: Cheap Social Worker http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-55695 Cheap Social Worker Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:04:32 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-55695 Holly, I can only theorize as to why nurses make more than social workers. While I don't necessarily agree with everything on this list, here's what I've brainstormed: -Liability: Perhaps nurses are paid more because they directly impact the lives of patients. Injecting the wrong medication dosage, not using proper sanitation methods, and other such mistakes can severely hurt of kill a patient. Furthermore, nurses face many occupational hazards such as direct exposure to diseases, bodily fluids, needlesticks, etc. I did not go to nursing school because I did not want to handle wounds, clean bodily waste and commodes, and whatnot. I'm willing to pay the nurses to let them deal with that. -Curriculum: My social worker friends me that they cannot handle nursing curriculum because it is too difficult and rigorous. I do not know if this is true, but I can attest that curriculum-wise, my MSW program was significantly easier than any science class I took as an undergrad (though my brain is probably just not wired for science). At work, I am frequently impressed by the breadth of knowledge the nurses have, even the ones with an AA degree. These nurses are individuals that make recommendations to doctors as to how to treat the patient. Even with an MSW, I find myself feeling like an idiot at work due to my utter lack of medical knowledge compared to nurses. Furthermore, I feel as if I apply very little of my grad school curriculum at work. Where I work, RN case managers lead the discharge planning process. This seems to make sense to me because RNs are capable of obtaining psychosocial information while also being knowledgeable about the medical aspects of the patient. It's much more efficient, as social workers like myself often have to defer to RN case managers when getting insurance authorizations, explaining why a patient needs a certain treatment, reading lab/PT/OT/x-ray results, and even determining if a patient is discharging. When coordinating care between the various allied health fields, I'd trust the nurse to do it over myself because I simply don't have the medical knowledge a nurse does. I feel I work best when brought in as a consultant to handle the psychosocial aspect of care affecting discharge. -Unions: Nurses have a very powerful union and are able to bargain for their wages. I know of hospitals with nurses that threaten to strike every year unless their demands are met. If social workers were to do the same, I'm sure the wages would go up. -Economics: Nursing schools are severely impacted. At some schools in my area, there is a 5 year wait list to get in. By keeping nursing schools capped, this keeps the number of nurses entering the workforce low. With such a high demand for nurses, these hospitals with snatch up these new nursing grads and pay pretty generous salaries too. Unfortunately the field is saturated with social science type majors who can get hired to perform "counseling" type work. Until social workers can ensure national title protection, we'll have high school/college grads doing our work for cheap and driving down our wages. Nursing does not have this problem. It seems like the high paying jobs these days are in health and hard sciences: engineering, computer programming, technology, medicine, etc. If you look at salary figures, those who studied the health/hard sciences tend to make more than humanities/social sciences. That's because those in the former tend to work in profit-driven companies. Most social workers on the other hand end up in the non-profit sector. I'm not trying to say that nursing is better than social work. However, I don't think we should be talking about an AA in nursing like it's cake. Many RNs I know with AA degrees are as knowledgeable than BSNs. Also, nurses should be our allies, not our rivals. At my job, the bedside nurse spends significantly more time with the patient than the social worker, and is hence an excellent resource when it comes to psychosocial issues. Instead of comparing ourselves to other professions, we should look without our own field and see how we can improve. If we must compare ourselves to nursing, remember than decades ago, nurses were as overworked underpaid as social workers. By unionizing, advocating, and empowering themselves, they have grown to be a powerful profession in the medical field. Nurses have worked their way up since the days of Florence Nightingale. Social worker have the capacity to do the same. Hope this explanation helps! Holly,

I can only theorize as to why nurses make more than social workers. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything on this list, here’s what I’ve brainstormed:

-Liability: Perhaps nurses are paid more because they directly impact the lives of patients. Injecting the wrong medication dosage, not using proper sanitation methods, and other such mistakes can severely hurt of kill a patient. Furthermore, nurses face many occupational hazards such as direct exposure to diseases, bodily fluids, needlesticks, etc. I did not go to nursing school because I did not want to handle wounds, clean bodily waste and commodes, and whatnot. I’m willing to pay the nurses to let them deal with that.

-Curriculum: My social worker friends me that they cannot handle nursing curriculum because it is too difficult and rigorous. I do not know if this is true, but I can attest that curriculum-wise, my MSW program was significantly easier than any science class I took as an undergrad (though my brain is probably just not wired for science). At work, I am frequently impressed by the breadth of knowledge the nurses have, even the ones with an AA degree. These nurses are individuals that make recommendations to doctors as to how to treat the patient. Even with an MSW, I find myself feeling like an idiot at work due to my utter lack of medical knowledge compared to nurses. Furthermore, I feel as if I apply very little of my grad school curriculum at work.
Where I work, RN case managers lead the discharge planning process. This seems to make sense to me because RNs are capable of obtaining psychosocial information while also being knowledgeable about the medical aspects of the patient. It’s much more efficient, as social workers like myself often have to defer to RN case managers when getting insurance authorizations, explaining why a patient needs a certain treatment, reading lab/PT/OT/x-ray results, and even determining if a patient is discharging. When coordinating care between the various allied health fields, I’d trust the nurse to do it over myself because I simply don’t have the medical knowledge a nurse does. I feel I work best when brought in as a consultant to handle the psychosocial aspect of care affecting discharge.

-Unions: Nurses have a very powerful union and are able to bargain for their wages. I know of hospitals with nurses that threaten to strike every year unless their demands are met. If social workers were to do the same, I’m sure the wages would go up.

-Economics: Nursing schools are severely impacted. At some schools in my area, there is a 5 year wait list to get in. By keeping nursing schools capped, this keeps the number of nurses entering the workforce low. With such a high demand for nurses, these hospitals with snatch up these new nursing grads and pay pretty generous salaries too.
Unfortunately the field is saturated with social science type majors who can get hired to perform “counseling” type work. Until social workers can ensure national title protection, we’ll have high school/college grads doing our work for cheap and driving down our wages. Nursing does not have this problem.
It seems like the high paying jobs these days are in health and hard sciences: engineering, computer programming, technology, medicine, etc. If you look at salary figures, those who studied the health/hard sciences tend to make more than humanities/social sciences. That’s because those in the former tend to work in profit-driven companies. Most social workers on the other hand end up in the non-profit sector.

I’m not trying to say that nursing is better than social work. However, I don’t think we should be talking about an AA in nursing like it’s cake. Many RNs I know with AA degrees are as knowledgeable than BSNs. Also, nurses should be our allies, not our rivals. At my job, the bedside nurse spends significantly more time with the patient than the social worker, and is hence an excellent resource when it comes to psychosocial issues.

Instead of comparing ourselves to other professions, we should look without our own field and see how we can improve. If we must compare ourselves to nursing, remember than decades ago, nurses were as overworked underpaid as social workers. By unionizing, advocating, and empowering themselves, they have grown to be a powerful profession in the medical field. Nurses have worked their way up since the days of Florence Nightingale. Social worker have the capacity to do the same.

Hope this explanation helps!

]]> By: Holly http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-55544 Holly Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:05:15 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-55544 I am currently going for my MSW. For now, I work as a counselor for an intensive home-based program. I make $24,500 (quite stressful). When I look for jobs that require a Master's level degree the salaries tend to be in the low $30,000 range. Why is it that people are earning ASSOCIATES degrees in nursing from community colleges with NO experience in the field and are making $40,000 to START??? To add, they only have to take ONE test to become a registered nurse!!! These are people who work directly with the health and lives of people!!! Why do social workers going for their master's level need 4,000 hour post-degree of supervised work plus pass an exam to become "licensed"??? Not only do they want to pay us low wages, but then they have to further extend the time we will be able to actually make a decent living be being "fully licensed". Can someone please explain this to me??? I am currently going for my MSW. For now, I work as a counselor for an intensive home-based program. I make $24,500 (quite stressful). When I look for jobs that require a Master’s level degree the salaries tend to be in the low $30,000 range. Why is it that people are earning ASSOCIATES degrees in nursing from community colleges with NO experience in the field and are making $40,000 to START??? To add, they only have to take ONE test to become a registered nurse!!! These are people who work directly with the health and lives of people!!! Why do social workers going for their master’s level need 4,000 hour post-degree of supervised work plus pass an exam to become “licensed”??? Not only do they want to pay us low wages, but then they have to further extend the time we will be able to actually make a decent living be being “fully licensed”. Can someone please explain this to me???

]]> By: SA http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-42688 SA Wed, 18 May 2011 14:28:30 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-42688 I really appreciate other social workers being honest about what they are feeling and experiencing. I often find we censure one another the most in this profession-that is most unfortunate. When I went into social work, I fully expected to not make as much money as other professionals. I grew up poor myself. I know how to live on less. I really felt called to the profession. I still do. I was not prepared however, for how much of a lightening rod/scapegoat I was going to be. I am amazed at how badly we are viewed and treated. I guess I was idealistic and naive. Part of what initially drew me to this profession was my introspective nature I think. I hardly ever got into trouble as a kid. I did not necessarily learn how to advocate for myself as a result-and developing these skills has been a struggle. I have learned, healed and developed a lot personally and professionally as a result of being a social worker-for this I am grateful. However, it can make it hard to accept the low pay when you now have the responsibility of supporting a family and you have to deal with these kind of working conditions. I often wonder if I could make more of a difference in the world by not being a social worker. This is not due to a lack of confidence in my skill set or ability to help others. I really do love my patients(I work in a for-profit health care setting at present) and I know they appreciate me and what I do for them.( I know I am the last stop for them and that they are being really exploited by the business I work for). It's because of the constraints placed on my role and how it is perceived, exploited, manipulated, controlled,oppressed and undervalued. I often wonder if we are really helping people-if we are truly empowering them. I think we are actually doing a lot of enabling much more than we want to face or admit. I am also amazed at how much this enabling has come to be expected from others(I think this is really bad in my present job) and I don't think this is a good thing. Growing up(truly) poor myself and understanding how hard it is to come out of poverty while valuing my struggle and achievements; this has become personal for me-not just professional. I hear a lot of people talking about how we need to develop a better business sense, better business skills, etc. I am the first to admit I don't have much of a business sense(but there should be a place for people like me in the world too!) I have a concern I need to bring up to the profession, however. I am seeing my profession and our ethics completely run over by the for profit business (dialysis) I work for at present. Maybe we are trying to have "good business sense." Honestly, I think we are letting ourselves be intimidated and run over by this business model, and we are not utilizing the power we do have. As good as we are at advocating for others, I wonder if we are unable to advocate for ourselves. What is happening is a total conflict of interest and we are not standing up to it. I am very disturbed by this(it is unethical and I don't see how we can rationalize this!) and wonder how much of this is our fault and why are we letting this happen. I so often feel my role is seen as being expected to maintain the dysfunction and do what everybody else does not want to do, and I am simply not able and willing to do this anymore because of my own journey toward health and well-being(which yes I can have and am worthy of having like anybody else). I can't sacrifice my mental and physical health (much more valuable to me than money) anymore-and there are ways to achieve this balance successfully I am learning. I am amazed at how hard this journey has been(and that I have ultimately survived and even thrived), but I am still grateful for it. I really appreciate other social workers being honest about what they are feeling and experiencing. I often find we censure one another the most in this profession-that is most unfortunate.
When I went into social work, I fully expected to not make as much money as other professionals. I grew up poor myself. I know how to live on less. I really felt called to the profession. I still do.
I was not prepared however, for how much of a lightening rod/scapegoat I was going to be. I am amazed at how badly we are viewed and treated. I guess I was idealistic and naive.
Part of what initially drew me to this profession was my introspective nature I think. I hardly ever got into trouble as a kid. I did not necessarily learn how to advocate for myself as a result-and developing these skills has been a struggle. I have learned, healed and developed a lot personally and professionally as a result of being a social worker-for this I am grateful.
However, it can make it hard to accept the low pay when you now have the responsibility of supporting a family and you have to deal with these kind of working conditions. I often wonder if I could make more of a difference in the world by not being a social worker. This is not due to a lack of confidence in my skill set or ability to help others. I really do love my patients(I work in a for-profit health care setting at present) and I know they appreciate me and what I do for them.( I know I am the last stop for them and that they are being really exploited by the business I work for). It’s because of the constraints placed on my role and how it is perceived, exploited, manipulated, controlled,oppressed and undervalued.
I often wonder if we are really helping people-if we are truly empowering them. I think we are actually doing a lot of enabling much more than we want to face or admit. I am also amazed at how much this enabling has come to be expected from others(I think this is really bad in my present job) and I don’t think this is a good thing. Growing up(truly) poor myself and understanding how hard it is to come out of poverty while valuing my struggle and achievements; this has become personal for me-not just professional.
I hear a lot of people talking about how we need to develop a better business sense, better business skills, etc. I am the first to admit I don’t have much of a business sense(but there should be a place for people like me in the world too!) I have a concern I need to bring up to the profession, however. I am seeing my profession and our ethics completely run over by the for profit business (dialysis) I work for at present. Maybe we are trying to have “good business sense.” Honestly, I think we are letting ourselves be intimidated and run over by this business model, and we are not utilizing the power we do have. As good as we are at advocating for others, I wonder if we are unable to advocate for ourselves. What is happening is a total conflict of interest and we are not standing up to it. I am very disturbed by this(it is unethical and I don’t see how we can rationalize this!) and wonder how much of this is our fault and why are we letting this happen.
I so often feel my role is seen as being expected to maintain the dysfunction and do what everybody else does not want to do, and I am simply not able and willing to do this anymore because of my own journey toward health and well-being(which yes I can have and am worthy of having like anybody else). I can’t sacrifice my mental and physical health (much more valuable to me than money) anymore-and there are ways to achieve this balance successfully I am learning. I am amazed at how hard this journey has been(and that I have ultimately survived and even thrived), but I am still grateful for it.

]]> By: Rick http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-42309 Rick Sun, 15 May 2011 02:35:58 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-42309 Interesting comments. I survived the treatment of inmates for 20 years and now I have a private practice, do consulting work and clinicalsupervision & training 2 days a week. Still going strong thanks to an intergrated self care approach that keeps my energy flowing and not holding as this promotes disease. My question to this group is what is your greatest frustration and if you had a majic wand what would be the solution that would solve your stated real problems. I found treatment was not valued in the correctional system so I learned to self-validate that it made my job all the more important to be there. A little light in a very dark place. My clients and later staff appreciated me and that was enough. As long as I looked for custody staff and the system to appreiciate me it was like looking for water in a dry well. I learned to take time off and enjoy my personal life or lose my sanity. Helping professionals are so great at caring for others but not themselves sounds like it could be a transference issue. touch jobs call for even tougher self care strategies. Remember to breath and stay in the moment. Your all inspiring me to stay focused, such an awesome group of professionals. take care. Rick, CT Interesting comments. I survived the treatment of inmates for 20 years and now I have a private practice, do consulting work and clinicalsupervision & training 2 days a week. Still going strong thanks to an intergrated self care approach that keeps my energy flowing and not holding as this promotes disease. My question to this group is what is your greatest frustration and if you had a majic wand what would be the solution that would solve your stated real problems.

I found treatment was not valued in the correctional system so I learned to self-validate that it made my job all the more important to be there. A little light in a very dark place. My clients and later staff appreciated me and that was enough. As long as I looked for custody staff and the system to appreiciate me it was like looking for water in a dry well. I learned to take time off and enjoy my personal life or lose my sanity.

Helping professionals are so great at caring for others but not themselves sounds like it could be a transference issue. touch jobs call for even tougher self care strategies. Remember to breath and stay in the moment. Your all inspiring me to stay focused, such an awesome group of professionals.
take care. Rick, CT

]]> By: Amber http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-41497 Amber Sun, 08 May 2011 22:05:26 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-41497 I am one of many who are leaving the field. There are many reasons including: incompetent and downright abusive supervisors, more and more we are being sent into dangerouse environments, contract work (resulting in income loss when each contract ends), part-time jobs, lousy hours, salaries going down, educated and experienced workers forced to take entry-level jobs ... Need I go on? I went into the field hoping to help people change their lives for the better and get to the root of their problems but it has turned into a bandaid profession, having a 20 minute talk with someone, referring, coordinating services, etc. Not surprisingly, the field fosters dependency and encourages bad behaviours and people remain clients for decades. Time to go back to school and get a REAL job. Amber I am one of many who are leaving the field. There are many reasons including: incompetent and downright abusive supervisors, more and more we are being sent into dangerouse environments, contract work (resulting in income loss when each contract ends), part-time jobs, lousy hours, salaries going down, educated and experienced workers forced to take entry-level jobs … Need I go on?

I went into the field hoping to help people change their lives for the better and get to the root of their problems but it has turned into a bandaid profession, having a 20 minute talk with someone, referring, coordinating services, etc. Not surprisingly, the field fosters dependency and encourages bad behaviours and people remain clients for decades.

Time to go back to school and get a REAL job.

Amber

]]> By: AlternativePerspective http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-39694 AlternativePerspective Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:35:01 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-39694 A friend moved back to her home state of Washington and happily discovered this: Governor Christine Gregoire signed SB 5020 on Friday, April 15, 2011, which will protect the professional Social Workers. NASW WA Chapter and it s members have worked for many years to enact this legislation. The legislation will prevent someone without a degree in Social Work from working in a job titled social work. Only those with a degree in Social Work from an accredited School of Social Work will be able to fill those positions. THE WEBSITE: http://www.nasw-wa.org/ A friend moved back to her home state of Washington and happily discovered this:

Governor Christine Gregoire signed SB 5020 on Friday, April 15, 2011, which will protect the professional Social Workers. NASW WA Chapter and it s members have worked for many years to enact this legislation.

The legislation will prevent someone without a degree in Social Work from working in a job titled social work. Only those with a degree in Social Work from an accredited School of Social Work will be able to fill those positions.

THE WEBSITE: http://www.nasw-wa.org/

]]> By: Patrece, MSW, LGSW http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-39560 Patrece, MSW, LGSW Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:52:39 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-39560 Mark-no one here is asking for sympathy. As college graduates and holders of advanced degrees we have invested a lot of time, hard work, and money in our education. It doesn't just stop there because being professionals, especially a profession subject to licensure, we have to be dedicated to life long learning and 3000 post-MSW hours of training & supervision so that we can advanced to independent practice--which requires that we invest even more money! It's not about entitlement, it is about equity in pay and respect in comparision to other professions that require the same amount of education! We are advocates for the working class, the poor, & the middle class, so I believe that counts for something and that we deserve more respect and better pay for our efforts. No one complains about doctors when they stand against health care reform because they believe it will put a "cap" on their earnings because the work that they do is held in higher regard and seen as worth any costs patients may have to occur--even if it means excluding some patients from recieving services! I am tired of being thought of as unreasonable or "entitled" because I want to earn a living wage, which means a salary that will allow me to pay of my student loans of $85,008.17 which steadily increase and grow due to interest & to be able to provide for my daughter and family. As a graduate student I was awarded a Hartford Partnership Practicum in Aging Education (HPPAE) Fellowship which required that I make a life long promise to being a leader in the field of aging. I took that promise seriously but I cannot fulfill it because our society does not care about the aging as much as it does other issues/groups. Our society's priorities and values are misplaced--social work can advocate & educate society in order to bring about change BUT we can only do so much! I cannot afford to wait for change to happen and am taking steps to improve my situation without compromising my dedication to the profession of social work. Mark-no one here is asking for sympathy. As college graduates and holders of advanced degrees we have invested a lot of time, hard work, and money in our education. It doesn’t just stop there because being professionals, especially a profession subject to licensure, we have to be dedicated to life long learning and 3000 post-MSW hours of training & supervision so that we can advanced to independent practice–which requires that we invest even more money! It’s not about entitlement, it is about equity in pay and respect in comparision to other professions that require the same amount of education! We are advocates for the working class, the poor, & the middle class, so I believe that counts for something and that we deserve more respect and better pay for our efforts. No one complains about doctors when they stand against health care reform because they believe it will put a “cap” on their earnings because the work that they do is held in higher regard and seen as worth any costs patients may have to occur–even if it means excluding some patients from recieving services!

I am tired of being thought of as unreasonable or “entitled” because I want to earn a living wage, which means a salary that will allow me to pay of my student loans of $85,008.17 which steadily increase and grow due to interest & to be able to provide for my daughter and family.

As a graduate student I was awarded a Hartford Partnership Practicum in Aging Education (HPPAE) Fellowship which required that I make a life long promise to being a leader in the field of aging. I took that promise seriously but I cannot fulfill it because our society does not care about the aging as much as it does other issues/groups. Our society’s priorities and values are misplaced–social work can advocate & educate society in order to bring about change BUT we can only do so much! I cannot afford to wait for change to happen and am taking steps to improve my situation without compromising my dedication to the profession of social work.

]]> By: Mark http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-38971 Mark Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:35:13 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-38971 There are many people with high-stress, low-paying jobs. Something tells me that this sense of entitlement stems from an intellectual elitism that many middle class, college graduates seem to have. THEY have a college degree so THEY deserve higher pay than the measly, uneducated, blue-collar masses. Pssh. How many professors told you in college that social work was a high-paid, low-stress profession? Why enter a low-paying profession that has a well-known reputation for being extremely stressful? This couldn't be something that you figured out the second you grabbed your diploma. Sadly, social workers have flooded the market and we are now experiencing a surplus. A MSW is almost entry-level requirement because they have a ton of BSW lining-up for the jobs. Therefore, agencies can afford to be more choosy, thus raising the bar. Welcome to what the working class has been dealing with for a very long time. Overworked, underpaid, unappreciated and debt-riddled. Not too mention that they are also expendable due to the large amount of people willing to do their jobs (surplus issue). I feel for you all, I really do. But most of my sympathy will always gravitate towards the working poor. It's really hard to feel sorry for college graduates. There are many people with high-stress, low-paying jobs. Something tells me that this sense of entitlement stems from an intellectual elitism that many middle class, college graduates seem to have. THEY have a college degree so THEY deserve higher pay than the measly, uneducated, blue-collar masses. Pssh.

How many professors told you in college that social work was a high-paid, low-stress profession? Why enter a low-paying profession that has a well-known reputation for being extremely stressful? This couldn’t be something that you figured out the second you grabbed your diploma.

Sadly, social workers have flooded the market and we are now experiencing a surplus. A MSW is almost entry-level requirement because they have a ton of BSW lining-up for the jobs. Therefore, agencies can afford to be more choosy, thus raising the bar.

Welcome to what the working class has been dealing with for a very long time. Overworked, underpaid, unappreciated and debt-riddled. Not too mention that they are also expendable due to the large amount of people willing to do their jobs (surplus issue).

I feel for you all, I really do. But most of my sympathy will always gravitate towards the working poor. It’s really hard to feel sorry for college graduates.

]]> By: Mari, LISW http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-37094 Mari, LISW Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:55:47 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-37094 I have been in social work for almost 10 years and I want out, like two years ago. I am tired of making little to no money with high stress and zero appreciation. Long gone are the days of " I want to change the world." Now I just want to be able to sustain my own family, give to my own kids emotionally, spiritually and financially. I no longer wish to give to others so much that I have nothing left over. I also want to be able to pay these high student loans back, go on vacations once in awhle and otherwise enjoy my life before I die. It used to be enough to know I was helping someone else...not anymore..not anymore. I am over it. Yes, I am. I am over giving my all and basically being undervalued and marginalized by administration AND the people I am helping. The one or two people that I may help are no longer making up for the 20 people who are attempting to beat the system, manipulate, feel the world owes them and generally wants me to jump over 40 moons and like it while getting paid nothing to do. The whole "I didn't get into this for the money" argument is null and void as well. No...I didn't. I didn't take a vow of poverty either. So, I am going back to school as soon as I can get there. I will continue to do therapy on the side to keep my clinical skills sharp and training to keep my license up to date..but that is it. It is time for me to move into an area where I can garner some respect and compensation to go along with the respect. I have 25 more years to work. Its time. Good Luck to all who choose to stay. I have been in social work for almost 10 years and I want out, like two years ago. I am tired of making little to no money with high stress and zero appreciation. Long gone are the days of ” I want to change the world.” Now I just want to be able to sustain my own family, give to my own kids emotionally, spiritually and financially. I no longer wish to give to others so much that I have nothing left over. I also want to be able to pay these high student loans back, go on vacations once in awhle and otherwise enjoy my life before I die. It used to be enough to know I was helping someone else…not anymore..not anymore. I am over it. Yes, I am. I am over giving my all and basically being undervalued and marginalized by administration AND the people I am helping. The one or two people that I may help are no longer making up for the 20 people who are attempting to beat the system, manipulate, feel the world owes them and generally wants me to jump over 40 moons and like it while getting paid nothing to do. The whole “I didn’t get into this for the money” argument is null and void as well. No…I didn’t. I didn’t take a vow of poverty either.

So, I am going back to school as soon as I can get there. I will continue to do therapy on the side to keep my clinical skills sharp and training to keep my license up to date..but that is it. It is time for me to move into an area where I can garner some respect and compensation to go along with the respect. I have 25 more years to work. Its time.

Good Luck to all who choose to stay.

]]> By: Frustrated Social Worker http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-34915 Frustrated Social Worker Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:52:33 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-34915 I too decided after graduating HS that I wanted to help disenfranchised people to empower themselves and live their best lives. I majored in social work in college and obtained an MSW thirteen years ago. I can still recall leaving my very first interview after completing my graduate degree, I went straight to a public phone (way before the days of cell phones) called my sister and began sobbing hysterically about how I had wasted my time and money majoring in a field that was not willing to pay me what I owed in student loans. I was lucky enough to obtain a supervisory position as my first post graduate employment and as a result earned a little more money than your typical line worker however the salaries even for social worker managers are a flat out disgrace. Most line social worker positions require that an employee do the work of at least two people and administrative positions offer more stress and aggravation than they are worth and the salaries are still not up to par. All of my social work friends are currently exploring other career options. None of them are willing to continue to be overworked and grossly underpaid. They are worried about the impact the field in having on their health and many of them have goals and aspirations that can not be fulfilled with the to put it midly "modest" salaries. Our friends with BA have been out earning us for years and we refuse to continue to use of skills and talents in a field that is obviously not respected. I would discourage anyone from majoring in sw. There are many other ways to help people that don't require one to be overworked and undercompensated. I too decided after graduating HS that I wanted to help disenfranchised people to empower themselves and live their best lives. I majored in social work in college and obtained an MSW thirteen years ago. I can still recall leaving my very first interview after completing my graduate degree, I went straight to a public phone (way before the days of cell phones) called my sister and began sobbing hysterically about how I had wasted my time and money majoring in a field that was not willing to pay me what I owed in student loans. I was lucky enough to obtain a supervisory position as my first post graduate employment and as a result earned a little more money than your typical line worker however the salaries even for social worker managers are a flat out disgrace. Most line social worker positions require that an employee do the work of at least two people and administrative positions offer more stress and aggravation than they are worth and the salaries are still not up to par. All of my social work friends are currently exploring other career options. None of them are willing to continue to be overworked and grossly underpaid. They are worried about the impact the field in having on their health and many of them have goals and aspirations that can not be fulfilled with the to put it midly “modest” salaries. Our friends with BA have been out earning us for years and we refuse to continue to use of skills and talents in a field that is obviously not respected. I would discourage anyone from majoring in sw. There are many other ways to help people that don’t require one to be overworked and undercompensated.

]]> By: louis http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-34603 louis Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:05:52 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-34603 I agree with advocating for the field. I believe that social workers should be paid equivalently to nurses. Nutritionists, nurses, MBA's and others alike have not gained the same training as social workers, therefore they should not be able to be called "social workers". They should not be allowed to be considered professional experts in the social work field either. Social workers should be allotted a decent wage comparable to all of the aforementioned fields, especially two year RN's. NASW standards, government policies, and agency practices need to be altered to reflect a higher salary. Also, this salary should allow for public service forgiveness options and other perks that other fields receive. Social workers bust their buts to make things work for clients, families, and others alike. Without their dedication to their work, which is absolutely indisputable, other practitioners (nurses, lawyers, doctors, businessmen, teacher, etc.) would not be able to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. I was in an MSW program in Buffalo, then I went for an online graduate degree in education and now leaving for an MSW program a few hours from home. I am nervous about my debts and potential to pay them off when I leave school. We are all in this boat. In the past, I was asked what I would suggest in order to improve the social work profession. I answered by saying that all social workers should peacefully strike, become unionized if necessary, and demand higher salaries, more respect, and more autonomy. One person mentioned empowerment in this post. This is empowerment in my eyes. I do not see any social worker protesting this action because I am not saying that we should give up, but come together and demand change. With change we will achieve our goals, which will in turn will allow us to best serve our clients. What do you all think? Does anyone have any suggestions or input? If you all favor this idea please let me know. I will work towards this goal in graduate school now to get the ball rolling. I agree with advocating for the field. I believe that social workers should be paid equivalently to nurses. Nutritionists, nurses, MBA’s and others alike have not gained the same training as social workers, therefore they should not be able to be called “social workers”. They should not be allowed to be considered professional experts in the social work field either. Social workers should be allotted a decent wage comparable to all of the aforementioned fields, especially two year RN’s. NASW standards, government policies, and agency practices need to be altered to reflect a higher salary. Also, this salary should allow for public service forgiveness options and other perks that other fields receive. Social workers bust their buts to make things work for clients, families, and others alike. Without their dedication to their work, which is absolutely indisputable, other practitioners (nurses, lawyers, doctors, businessmen, teacher, etc.) would not be able to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. I was in an MSW program in Buffalo, then I went for an online graduate degree in education and now leaving for an MSW program a few hours from home. I am nervous about my debts and potential to pay them off when I leave school. We are all in this boat. In the past, I was asked what I would suggest in order to improve the social work profession. I answered by saying that all social workers should peacefully strike, become unionized if necessary, and demand higher salaries, more respect, and more autonomy. One person mentioned empowerment in this post. This is empowerment in my eyes. I do not see any social worker protesting this action because I am not saying that we should give up, but come together and demand change. With change we will achieve our goals, which will in turn will allow us to best serve our clients. What do you all think? Does anyone have any suggestions or input? If you all favor this idea please let me know. I will work towards this goal in graduate school now to get the ball rolling.

]]> By: Cheap Social Worker http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-32652 Cheap Social Worker Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:59:10 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-32652 Unfortunately, things are not going to change until we unify as a profession and advocate as a profession. As a profession we need to stand up for ourselves and stop accepting these low pays, which are driving down out wages as a whole. Look at nurses for instance. They are able to collectively bargain for better wages and benefits thanks to being unionized. Many nurses I know credit their unions for their 3-4 day work weeks and six figure salaries (I live in California). One of the problems I have with this article is that the person in question is technically not a social worker, yet she calls herself one. Looking at other professions, non-nurses and doctors would probably be fined and jailed for referring to themselves as these jobs and acting accordingly. We need to fight for title protection for our fields so those without social work degrees cannot refer to themselves as social workers. Another thing driving down our wages are individuals without degrees working as "social workers". If one wanted to make better money in this field, there are options. Working in the medical field pays pretty well, though I will admit that my job duties are similar to the RN case managers with the exception of the RNs knowing exponentially more about medical diagnoses. If you look at the history of social work, social work in the hospital setting originated when a a nurse was asked to evaluate psychosocial areas in a patient's life that were making treatment difficult. Many times, I do feel that nurses are better able to relate to a patient because of their ability to discuss the intricacies of their medical diagnosis in addition to obtaining psychosocial information. I feel that medical social workers are responsible for not only social duties, but becoming competent in the complexities of medical diagnoses and terminology. Otherwise we run the risk of our profession being replaced by RN case managers and mental health nurses, and being relegated to discharge planning and other clerical type duties (which is already happening). Anyway, despite this, medical social work tends to pay better than social work in other settings. If you work per diem, you'll also make $5-7 more per hour, and have more job flexibility. However, the work is inconsistent (with most per diems working at multiple hospitals for full hours) and you don't get benefits. Another field that pays well is government. The highest jobs I have seen are those with the VA. In California, VA jobs start at $56K straight out of grad school. CPS workers also get paid pretty well, I know people who were hired at $70k/year straight out of the MSW program. Then again, everything is more expensive in California... Ultimately, things are not going to get better for us unless we start doing more. The NASW should really look at what the nursing unions have done the past few decades and perhaps follow their lead. However, if you're looking to make more money now, there are certainly options. They may not be the ideal job for some, but ultimately it's about balancing what you love to do with how much money you feel you need to live the type of life you want. Unfortunately, things are not going to change until we unify as a profession and advocate as a profession. As a profession we need to stand up for ourselves and stop accepting these low pays, which are driving down out wages as a whole. Look at nurses for instance. They are able to collectively bargain for better wages and benefits thanks to being unionized. Many nurses I know credit their unions for their 3-4 day work weeks and six figure salaries (I live in California).

One of the problems I have with this article is that the person in question is technically not a social worker, yet she calls herself one. Looking at other professions, non-nurses and doctors would probably be fined and jailed for referring to themselves as these jobs and acting accordingly. We need to fight for title protection for our fields so those without social work degrees cannot refer to themselves as social workers. Another thing driving down our wages are individuals without degrees working as “social workers”.

If one wanted to make better money in this field, there are options. Working in the medical field pays pretty well, though I will admit that my job duties are similar to the RN case managers with the exception of the RNs knowing exponentially more about medical diagnoses. If you look at the history of social work, social work in the hospital setting originated when a a nurse was asked to evaluate psychosocial areas in a patient’s life that were making treatment difficult. Many times, I do feel that nurses are better able to relate to a patient because of their ability to discuss the intricacies of their medical diagnosis in addition to obtaining psychosocial information. I feel that medical social workers are responsible for not only social duties, but becoming competent in the complexities of medical diagnoses and terminology. Otherwise we run the risk of our profession being replaced by RN case managers and mental health nurses, and being relegated to discharge planning and other clerical type duties (which is already happening). Anyway, despite this, medical social work tends to pay better than social work in other settings. If you work per diem, you’ll also make $5-7 more per hour, and have more job flexibility. However, the work is inconsistent (with most per diems working at multiple hospitals for full hours) and you don’t get benefits.

Another field that pays well is government. The highest jobs I have seen are those with the VA. In California, VA jobs start at $56K straight out of grad school. CPS workers also get paid pretty well, I know people who were hired at $70k/year straight out of the MSW program. Then again, everything is more expensive in California…

Ultimately, things are not going to get better for us unless we start doing more. The NASW should really look at what the nursing unions have done the past few decades and perhaps follow their lead. However, if you’re looking to make more money now, there are certainly options. They may not be the ideal job for some, but ultimately it’s about balancing what you love to do with how much money you feel you need to live the type of life you want.

]]> By: Liz Shanklin http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-32585 Liz Shanklin Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:52:42 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-32585 Statements about acceptance of the condition of financial stress and at the same time attending to the "business of social work", are all created in an economy within a culture of privilege. One of the hardest issues as a social worker is the continued political disparity in this country and the loss of the middle class. Social workers are at the bottom of the middle class and are sliding with most of their clients in into an every deepening abyss of loss of financial power. We originally conceived our profession as advocacy for the poor, then became part of the established education and governmental process of education and regulation. We are now unable to afford the education and are part of a governmental push to eliminate the programs that social workers helped to create, watching the despair increase around us. Eventually, we will become part of the sea in which we swim, and will become again grass roots organizers of the very poor and unpriviliged and now non existent middle class. Burn out for social workers is fueled by loss of the ability to remain in the middle class financially, the loss of affordable health care, the loss of ability to pay for our own education, loss of the hope of organizing with other workers, and the ever increasing push by local government and others to produce whatever results feed their agenda. When social workers are once again leaders, advocating against exploitative practices of international corporations and governments, then we'll move from burn out to burning with passion. Statements about acceptance of the condition of financial stress and at the same time attending to the “business of social work”, are all created in an economy within a culture of privilege. One of the hardest issues as a social worker is the continued political disparity in this country and the loss of the middle class. Social workers are at the bottom of the middle class and are sliding with most of their clients in into an every deepening abyss of loss of financial power. We originally conceived our profession as advocacy for the poor, then became part of the established education and governmental process of education and regulation. We are now unable to afford the education and are part of a governmental push to eliminate the programs that social workers helped to create, watching the despair increase around us. Eventually, we will become part of the sea in which we swim, and will become again grass roots organizers of the very poor and unpriviliged and now non existent middle class. Burn out for social workers is fueled by loss of the ability to remain in the middle class financially, the loss of affordable health care, the loss of ability to pay for our own education, loss of the hope of organizing with other workers, and the ever increasing push by local government and others to produce whatever results feed their agenda. When social workers are once again leaders, advocating against exploitative practices of international corporations and governments, then we’ll move from burn out to burning with passion.

]]> By: Carhy M http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-32303 Carhy M Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:33:47 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-32303 How can someone that spends time and money for a bachelors and masters degree end up making only $40.000 a year on average in the social work field? My mail carrier went to high school and makes a lot more and better benefits...........good for him..........bad for me.......... How can someone that spends time and money for a bachelors and masters degree end up making only $40.000 a year on average in the social work field? My mail carrier went to high school and makes a lot more and better benefits………..good for him……….bad for me……….

]]> By: looking to become a social worker http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-30651 looking to become a social worker Sat, 05 Feb 2011 22:06:57 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-30651 Hello all, Im very very confused as to what to do far a choosing my career,I just recently had a child,and im still a child myself. I'm very drivin and hard working. any decision I make right now will surly effect my child.Yes I enjoy the social work feild but I must live. I want a promising career first thing first. people are my passion from learning how humans operate to how I can be a positive helping light in there life. I've grown up in proverty and watched all my family grow up in the system. I want to change what I can.so i was thinking is there any other certificatins i can get towards this feild? is there any other profession I can have? that way I will study my second choice and get involed in some other way but have a degree that will garuntee some money,and my certification can be towards what I love. I'm only being honest. I dont want to end up like some of the people here 40-60 and.......PLEASE HELP EMAIL ME SUGGESTIONS ANYTHING BFOR I FINISH SCHOOL ashley.kanu@yahoo.com Hello all,

Im very very confused as to what to do far a choosing my career,I just recently had a child,and im still a child myself. I’m very drivin and hard working. any decision I make right now will surly effect my child.Yes I enjoy the social work feild but I must live. I want a promising career first thing first. people are my passion from learning how humans operate to how I can be a positive helping light in there life. I’ve grown up in proverty and watched all my family grow up in the system. I want to change what I can.so i was thinking is there any other certificatins i can get towards this feild? is there any other profession I can have? that way I will study my second choice and get involed in some other way but have a degree that will garuntee some money,and my certification can be towards what I love. I’m only being honest. I dont want to end up like some of the people here 40-60 and…….PLEASE HELP EMAIL ME SUGGESTIONS ANYTHING BFOR I FINISH SCHOOL ashley.kanu@yahoo.com

]]> By: Tammy Delbruegge, MSW, LCSW http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/cheers-and-jeers/social-work-low-pay-high-stress.html#comment-28637 Tammy Delbruegge, MSW, LCSW Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:18:17 +0000 http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/?p=196#comment-28637 I went into private practice because I could no longer tolerate the grueling and unrealistic demands of working for an agency. Even the agencies that employ social workers do not respect their skills, the demands of the job or the need for self-care. Fortunately, social work was my second career and my first career gave me considerable business management experience...everything from marketing to accounting, strategic planning and networking skills...so I'm managing pretty well. When I need time for self-care, I just schedule accordingly and I don't have some out-of-touch-with-reality supervisor breathing down my neck or holding me over a barrel with the threat of my annual performance evaluation. I love what I do and from my experience, doing it as a self-employed practitioner is the only healthy way to do it...even our professional helping systems are dysfunctional. I went into private practice because I could no longer tolerate the grueling and unrealistic demands of working for an agency. Even the agencies that employ social workers do not respect their skills, the demands of the job or the need for self-care. Fortunately, social work was my second career and my first career gave me considerable business management experience…everything from marketing to accounting, strategic planning and networking skills…so I’m managing pretty well. When I need time for self-care, I just schedule accordingly and I don’t have some out-of-touch-with-reality supervisor breathing down my neck or holding me over a barrel with the threat of my annual performance evaluation. I love what I do and from my experience, doing it as a self-employed practitioner is the only healthy way to do it…even our professional helping systems are dysfunctional.

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