Thinking of a Career in Social Work - Don't Do It

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

After 15 years in the profession, my social worker friends are homeless, living in cars, losing homes and killing themselves. Last week I worked 40 hours and I was paid for 13 hours. That is the usual week on the billable hour.

I find it interesting that the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) does numerous articles and trainings on poverty, but nobody there is more unwilling to deal with the poverty of its own professionals than the NASW. The low pay, the billable hour wages that allow employers to work us for 40 hours a week and pay us only for the few we spend face-to-face with clients.

With 8 years of education and training No benefits, no health care, not even office furniture (buy your own), and no possibility of retirement is this a viable path to a career? No.

If you are thinking of social work, change your major.

I have been struggling and my family has been suffering for 15 years as a social worker on the billable hour. I'm an MSW,LCSW since 2000. I have tried to raise awareness and get something done about this for 10 years and I can only conclude nobody, especially the NASW, gives a damn.

I am leaving the profession and my job as a therapist and clinical supervisor
to buy a convenience store. It will be more money and far less heartache. My clients? - pray for them.

I intend to encourage every social worker I know to get out of the
profession or face a lifetime of poverty.

Thanks for all the compassion and help NASW. Thanks for nothing.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. My friend who has an MSW quit social work and went into private family therapy

She hated to leave CPS because god knows those kids need help but it's like you say: She couldn't make enough to eke out a living.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

6. Yes and in rural areas you can't even do that

Lots of poverty though
Thank you for telling me your stories

[Skittles]

2. I'm so sorry

it angers me when I read stories about how social workers somehow screwed up and allowed an abused kid to die - does anyone really comprehend how overworked and underpaid these social worker folk really are? The sheer amount of abuse they see and have to take themselves is overwhelming. Do people understand how the repuke emphasis on tax cuts really does kill people? It is appalling.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

5. We are the new working poor -

O8) Thank you

[Maat]

3. Retired social worker here - I'm glad I retired 8-1/2 years ago.

My sister is active CPS (I'm retired CPS), and is being furloughed for an hour a day; her caseload has gone up astronomically because they are laying off huge amounts of staff. They have severely cut services keeping families together (my favorite program was Family Maintenance).

We're both county workers; but, you're right - I wouldn't be going into the profession right now. I have an M.A. in Psych., and could be doing therapy, but I won't be.

Frankly, if I manage my savings correctly, I can stay home and continue homeschooling my daughter (she blossoms with one-on-one instruction), and am going to continue to do so.

I feel your pain. I empathize.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

8. Thank You - It is Killer Work With No Help

Who will help the helpers

Says a lot about our country and it's "family values" does it Not?

[Maat]

24. It does.

If it makes you feel any better, your knowledge will be useful anywhere and everywhere. In social work, you learn to size people up in a very short time. That helps you no matter what life you design for yourself.

For example, we have taken to living without driving much at all, and eating locally-grown produce. I manage the money we've saved rather carefully, investing and such, and the skills I learned as worker help me not only in business dealings, but in my volunteering.

I've never been sorry about the knowledge or experience I've gained.

That's for sure.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

27. Absoultely

I have gained a lot of perspective on people, society, systems, empathy, compassion, building community, respecting co workers and collegues, and global and local economics et. al. Thanks so much for the reminder. LIBERAL ARTS - I love that word Liberal and I love Progressive.
Peace
Mark

[mdmc]

4. It sure does suck unless you are in a UNION!

it is better then mental health direct care. And some CSW / MSW are in unions! That rocks and is worthwhile

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

7. I agree and Unions are illegal in Idaho a right to work state

How about it; we form a workers national union?

[Political Heretic]

11. Unions are not "illegal" - they are simply weakened by unfriendly laws

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

15. It's called "Right to Work" It means slavery for labor

[Political Heretic]

17. I'm quite familiar with right to work, I'm just pointing out that unions aren't illegal.

We might say that they are screwed into irrelevance by right to work provisions, which destroy their collective bargaining power. But they're not technically illegal.

Here's a website for the Idaho AFL-CIO

http://www.idaflcio.org/

Edit - changed "are" to "aren't" in the title - typo

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

28. Thank You - And I agree

I contacted the AFLCIO through e mail and by phone 3 times and they never even responded to me - 2 other unions did the same thing - big snub - They probably don't waste their time on people from right to work states. I am still and will always be PRO UNION
Thanks Friend

[Earth Bound Misfit]

22. "Right to Work"

for less

:kick: & R

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

29. Amen brother

:)

[mdmc]

13. I am sorry to hear that

I work for a non-union shop in NYS.. :(

[remember2000forever]

9. What I can't understand....

The Working Poor:

Teachers, to some extent along with Social Workers.

All with College Degrees. Yet a Fire Fighter has enough time off to have a job on the side and make extra money.

Help me out here. Not that I don't appreciate Fire Fighters and know it's very competitive to get in.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

12. Everything revolves around people

Teachers are another group of dedicated self sacrificing human beings but we don't treat mentors and guides and teachers like humans - we treat them like we treat maggots. We put them on the hook and drown them.

[Hardrada]

16. Teachers have good unions with clout however.

The NEA does a good job and in our state teachers are getting salary increases now the Dems have the state house and governorship in their hands. More could be done for beginning teachers however.

[2Design]

19. except in right to work states where they are marginalized

and make a lot less than other states - right to work states are red states who believe in only paying minimum wage - this is why they want to break up the teacher unions and get everyone against unions

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

32. That is indeed tyranny...

In Idaho people are faking mental disabilities and getting on Social Security because it is not possible to survive on local wages and working conditions. If the Repubs want a welfare state, they found the formula to create it - low wages, part time hours, and horrid working conditions.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

30. I will support teachers in any way I can

My wife has a doctorate in education and an MBA and teaches at the local college Lewis Clark State after 5 years there she makes $24K / YR. Hows that for rewarding the strong? LOL

[Political Heretic]

10. My friend graduated and immeidately started at 25$ / hr with full benefits.

Before she had her LMSW, just with her MSW degree, she went to work, doing what she hoped she would be doing.

I'm very sorry for your hardships. It sounds like you're really feeling at your wits ends when it comes to the profession, and it sounds like maybe you've gotten a very bad shake. But going on some sort of a crusade to dissuade everyone else from social work because of your experiences is a little bit off.

As a social worker in Idaho (by your handle it appears that you are in Idaho) all I can say is that I made peace with the fact that I'd likely struggle with poverty all my life long before I made the commitment to pursue a helping and social justice profession.

Finally, you're experiences in your state (I'm assuming Idaho, which is one of the worst states in the Union for social workers anyway - although its where my friend got her 25/hr job right out of school) are not representative of the rest of the country. So I don't know how much you're really serving other people with your crusade as much as you are expelling your own frustration over your situation.... ?

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

14. Most Social Workers are Poor

You have a lucky person there - wait a few years and watch the lines on her face grow and the budget collapse.

People get cut first In America People are nothing and property is everything

Its social Work 101 - but the profession does not follow it's own rules.

The powers that be don't care. The NASW doesn't care. And, you don't care unless it is you and yours. The only way to change the profession is to make them look in the mirror and see the ugliness reflected back.

[Political Heretic]

18. True, her job will be in danger with the current economic crisis

And even with the money she makes, there's not enough staff so that everyone is doing the work of four people. Burnout potential is obviously high. And the emotional toll can be harsh. We were all aware (or should have been aware) of this starting out.

There are probably many groups and people who deserve blame for social workers not getting treated the way they should in society. But I'm not sure if NASW is at the top of the list. If a social worker is working for a private agency, then the NASW doesn't have anything to do with that. They're private and they can pay whatever they want. The NASW isn't a labor union - its not its purpose or mission. There should be a social workers union. But the NASW isn't it.

If a social worker is working for the state, then the NASW should be a force for advocacy and lobbying - lobbying for more state and federal dollars into social service programs to fund workers and adequately staff programs.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

31. You are right 100%

You are right; NASW isn't the right target - But I would really like to see them show some discomfort for the way people in our profession are treated and they don't even talk about it. That is why I'll never send them another dime. And you are exactly right about teachers. They do the work of four people all the time and then they are told those who cant do teach - and that is tyranny - similar to the tyranny in social work. For her PhD and her 12 hours a day my wife gets $24K - Maybe some teachers should walk out with the social workers and see how society likes it. Personally I think radical activity is needed - Here in Orofino Idaho, we eliminated Friday School for kids because the schools can't afford it - nobody said anything about it. And the buildings are pathetic. There is no greater crime or criminal activity than the apathy of good men - thus my feelings about the NASW.

[2Design]

20. actually your friend making good money off the bat is not representative of all the states

the person reporting their truth is reporting what is happening in most parts of the usa - don't marginalize her

[Political Heretic]

23. I never said it was. Neither is the OPs experience.

The only difference is, I'm not the one trying to tell "all social workers" something based of my individual experience.

Thanks.

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

26. Bless You

;-)

[2Design]

21. twenty years ago duing the early 90's when the economy was the same after the first bush

I met people who were leaving teaching to go into social work and I thought you will make less in that job than teaching. The only Social workers who make money have their own practice and do counseling not the ones working for the government - since the government does not believe in helping people since they attack unions during reagan and spread lies about unions and welface and other things - helping professions are paid very little . The only strong union left is the teacher union and it is only strong in some states - the right to work states are marginalize the unions and trying to break them up. No child left behind and church schools are part of breaking up the unions

[Help_I_Live_In_Idaho]

25. Actually Working for the State is Best Because Privatization Killed Wages

The private sector is what I'm talking about. You get paid for Face to Face work and don't get paid for anything else. If you see 4 or 5 clients a day you spend the other four on paperwork and managing the caseload and you aren't paid for that. So, you get paid like a lawyer only you don't get paid like a lawyer. You get paid like a janitor.
Don't go into this profession. Let the guys in the statehouse go into houses full of guns, lice and psychotic suffering people. Let them manage the child molesters, criminals and drug addicts. Then see how much they will pay to get out of it.