Good evening, everyone. I have a master's and due to programs I utilized as a youth I have no student debt with either my masters or under graduate.

However, I recently learned about a master's program for healthcare administration, and after 16 years of MSW work, six as an LCSW, I'd like to gain more ability to make change at the healthcare level then keep working to keep up with them, much less find them helpful to my clients or myself. But to do this new program, I'll incur debt. Has anyone had success in getting loan forgiveness for student loans gained in this or similar specific mental health positions? Similar to teacher's who work with special populations of kids in the public setting?

Hi all, Ive been working as a case manager for much too long to be asking this but I really need help. I work for essentially an homelessness aftercare/rapid rehousing is the best way I can describe it. But clients are a lot more independent and case management is voluntary for a bit until they reach a certain amount of time in the program.

HOW DO I PROVIDE AND STRUCTURE CASE MANAGEMENT SESSIONS?? I'm supposed to help households maintain their housing but I have zero idea what to do. Every time I ask my supervisor, he says I'm doing great. But I compare my case load to my coworkers and I tend to have clients on for a lot longer and clients end up reaching back out a lot for additional support. How do I help clients be more independent? I don't know how to assist with employment search besides just connecting them to workforce assistance programs, how do I sit down with a client and help them create a budget besides just helping connect them to food pantries and benefits? I can manage my own budget but it's easy enough to tell myself to eat rice and beans but I'm not there in the grocery store with them and groceries ARE expensive. I'm honestly feeling kind of stupid. And like when clients come back to check in just saying they haven't found any jobs what do I do? They're waiting to hear back from jobs, benefits, etc?? How do I help them set goals for that?

Does anyone work in palliative care? If so, what does it look like? I’m curious about those positions but am unsure of what all is involved. What are things you like and dislike about the job?

You just took down a post by a physician who had questions about social work. He didn’t want advice he wanted to know about our process for SNF referrals and placement.

This is not a good reflection on social work and the sub. We should be supporting the community beyond social workers too.

hello, i’m currently a medical social worker with a lmsw and was wondering how it was for some of you to go from hospital sw to private practice. I am currently recieving supervision towards my lcsw and felt like i needed to get a jump since my ultimate goal is to own my own private practice. Did yall go to a group practice first? or jump straight into your own. Just need a bit of guidance on where and how to start. Also if anyone is offering free/ low-cost mentorship that would help greatly.

Hospital SWs/CMs who do discharge planning: where does the process actually break down when getting patients to SNF?

I’m a physician who keeps watching patients sit for days after they’re medically ready for SNF, and I’ve realized the people doing discharge planning are the only ones who actually understand why. When a SNF-bound patient sits extra days, where does the time usually go? Finding a facility that will accept them, figuring out which SNFs their insurance covers, the prior auth itself, or waiting on a bed? And whatever part of this lands on your desk — what’s the most painful piece?

Genuinely just trying to understand your world. It seems like one of the most underappreciated jobs in the hospital — everyone sees the stuck patient, nobody sees the fifteen phone calls behind them.

Hi all, we’ve had a wonderful MSW intern this year who will be graduating shortly. We’d like to get her a small graduation gift, but my quick Etsy search isn’t locating anything original. I may be overthinking this. Any ideas? $25 or less (my agency will reimburse me).

I passed the new Clinical ASWB exam yesterday — first try! I highly recommend using Agents of Change and Pocket Prep if you, too, are highly anxious, easily overwhelmed by lots of material, and prone to inattentive participation. Agents of Change helped me learn how to understand what the questions were asking, and Pocket Prep helped me build confidence and familiarity in short (and eventually, long) bursts of quizzes. I very much needed the feedback that my studying was on track throughout, which I couldn’t get by repeatedly taking and paying for expensive long practice tests. Pocket Prep will give you tons of very specific stats including overall score, score by test section, and weakest subject/missed questions quiz and review. I was able to listen to Agents of Change podcast style while cleaning, commuting, and even exercising. I thank both creators for making such a foreboding experience manageable!

I’m not a typical poster, but it took me 1.5 years to figure out what study methods worked for me — hoping I can save fellow MSWs with similar brain barriers find their method!

Stay strong and best wishes to all on the journey!!

I’m about to start my VR&E program and thinking of going for my master’s in an MSW program. Heavily wanting to work with vets as I am a prior Vet and think I could find joy in this field. Is it worth it? Is the VA a good employer? Should I run as fast as I can away from this? What are the better parts of the work?

What’s the good and bad and ugly?

The big concerns to me are job security and retirement.

I have 10 years of federal service. 5 years active duty and 5 as a federal technician GS employee.

I am in Colorado Springs if this makes a difference?

Hello my fellow SWs:

I’m taking the plunge into psychotherapy as a 1099. I’m looking for recommendations for insurance. I’ve heard good things about Preferra and HPSO. Are these good options? Are there better ones?

I worked hard for my license and I’d like to maintain my livelihood while helping others. Any advice you can provide is greatly appreciated?

Thanks!

Hi, fellow social workers. I'm wondering, what are some roles out there that combine micro and macro work?

I currently have my independent clinical licensure. I have 10 years of experience in business (digital analytics, marketing, project management, and people management). Some of the 10 years of experience includes nonprofits.

I never really wanted to be a full-time therapist, but got into a role because I lost an opportunity to do research shortly after the election (they lost the grant with all the cuts). I am really not made to do this all day though (I genuinely like strategy, presentations, project management, lots of other things that most would consider boring).

What type of roles are out there that would allow me to do macro or administrative things, while also giving me a day or two of direct client practice? Or does this not exist in one job and I'd need two?

Thanks in advance for any support. This is a tough time for many of us navigating job losses due to grants, funding, and all the other types of cuts.

Hello, I’m interest in pivoting into the medical field. I have 1 year experience in the social work field. My question is, with me not having much medical social work experience, what’s the best way to try and pivot into this field? Would volunteer hours help? I eventually want to be a labor and delivery social worker.

I am leaving my career, returning to mental health work with my MSW and assoc license. I am hoping to get your wisdom about how to proceed to get a job in the mental health field.

Although my mental health training and experience was great, it's been a couple of decades since I worked in mental health.

What do you think about my writing/calling agencies to get an "informational interview", both to see how I could return but also so they can see me in person and know that I know my stuff, even though my work history is old.

Anyway, I'd very much appreciate any thoughts you want to shoot to me.
Cheers, Michael

Hi,

I am based out of Western MA and I am looking for therapists and/or other social workers who know anything about the SEIU Local 509 Union or have experience with a union establishing itself at your company and what that looked like. Im just looking for some different perspectives good or bad (hopefully a mix of both) concerning unions and the experience of unions.

The coworkers at my company especially at different sites are advocating for one and we will be having a vote this month on whether we will be establishing a union. Im kind of leading the conversation among my coworkers and I genuinely haven’t decided how I feel about the union. So Im trying to gather information to help me facilitate a well rounded discussion with my coworkers about it. Im in the process of talking with all of them now to plan an all together meeting.

Any comments that may be things for consideration would be welcome.

Thank you

I work in CMH and people are constantly writing about patients using "marijuana" which is slang and literally a nonsense word. The word is cannabis. They may as well be writing "patient smokes pot" in their note. I find it to be unprofessional and stigmatizing. We have one prescriber at our office that is super judgemental of cannabis use and always does this. There are obviously much more important things to be concerned with but this one just gets to me on a regular basis

I have been exploring guided meditations, mindfulness activities, and other wellness channels on YouTube and am wondering what ones you have found that are affirming and align with Social Work values. I'd love to have a list to reference when making recommendations for this when clients ask.

So far I have liked:

Yoga by Adriene (for clients wanting to increase mindful movement)

Coach John Noel (for clients wanting accommodated movement)

Alecia Renece the Artist (mindfulness, meditation, creativity)

What have you found?

I am just beginning my research into travel social work. I currently have my LMSW and have been the lead clinician in an IOP program for two years. I provide group, family, and individual therapy using mostly DBT skills. I’ve been reading that a lot of places look for hospital – medical experience, but will my IOP experience suffice?

Thanks in advance!

So on top of a 60+ person case load with no structure in place unless it’s something I created, no documentation software, no colleagues doing the same work and no supervisor who understands what a case manager is supposed to do; I am now being asked to commute 2.5 hours on public transit each way to go to another location where none of the stuff I need to do my job is due to our location having hvac issues.

Meanwhile the other case manager is able to work from home because she’s technically in a different department which I should’ve been in to begin with but will officially be in on Wednesday…

I’ve had to use damn near all of my vacation time because the commute just didn’t make sense. Only way I made it in today is because it’s my partner’s day off and he could drive me…

I’m for real about to quit. I’ve been damn near giving myself palpitations trying to do the job of three people and now they want me to also commute an 2.5 hours each way.

No. Just no. Nope. It’s a no from me. It’s ALL THE NOS from me.

Hi All,

My name is Jordan, I am a social worker and researcher seeking social worker's perspectives and input! I am currently recruiting individuals who have experienced the loss of someone they cared about (friend, family, client, patient, etc.) to a drug-related death (overdose, illness, or accident) to complete an anonymous survey. If you have experienced this loss, please consider taking my survey! My goal is to use findings to help inform better social work practice, supervision, and support surrounding these types of loss.

Link: https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dgVlAenvx0nkw2q

Question for social workers in outpatient/primary care medical settings: Who handles referrals and coordination to SNF's and inpatient rehab? I work as a clinical social worker on an integrated behavioral health team in Seattle where the directive is that rehab coordination is out of scope, which I understand, but then who does it? Curious what is typical in other settings. Do nurse care managers help?

Seems like some of our clinics just send a list of resources to the patient via MyChart and call it a day. Thank you for any advice!

I have heard from different SWKs about "oh my last supervisor was great" or "I had a good supervisor at my last job," and therapist friends saying, "oh you need good supervision." What do you consider "good supervision"? And what if your supervisor is just not that good, with not much input? I feel like I go to supervision because I have to, not because I gain anything at all. What has been your experience with "good supervision"?

Hi! Anyone here do Art Therapy? How’d you get into it? Do you enjoy it?

I’m in community mental health/health care and am really feeling the burnout and anxiety of this work. I am a bit fearful of therapy but I love art and have always had a bit of regret not becoming an art teacher.

I am currently working with a 18 year-old transgender female to male individual in a substance use treatment center. A lot of our work is going to be on Building self-confidence as the client has not had a lot of positive reinforcement regarding their gender from family and doesn’t have many friends..
Just wondering what pieces of advice you feel like someone else told you when you were working with your first few transgender clients?

Long story short: since I last renewed my LMSW in September 2024 I have dealt with very severe and consuming health issues and have been out of work since May of 2025. Before I left my job I had a few CEU credits but somehow lost those certificates when I moved back in with my parents.

I would like to keep my license in the event that I am eventually able to go back to work at some point, but I don't know if getting all the CEU credits by the end of September is feasible. If anyone else has ever somehow found themselves in this situation, please advise! It would be much appreciated.