What does it mean to be a licensed clinical social worker?
What does the job involve?
How far through your training are you?
What have you learned?
What would be useful practical advice for a client in a similar position?
Other than talk to your friends...and 'coast on the river of the unknown'...
Would you use any philosophical counselling? Refer to any other supportive specialist? — Amity
Great questions!
There are more positions than I can list of the careers of a LCSW. You can sit in an office of a hospital as a Social worker who consults with patients on a variety of areas. If you want to work as a therapist who listens to people's problems, with the dedicated time a LCSW can become specialized in say Marital therapy or singles therapy. Schools are over run with the need for LCSW's.
My particular niche is being created as we speak here in Phoenix. My final destination after obtaining my necessary education is to become a member of the CIT Crisis Intervention Team.
The city of Phoenix was awarded a grant over 10 million to be spent over three years in creating the CIT. At this point in time the "brass" of the Phoenix Fire Department and the Phoenix Police Department are receiving the training necessary to work on a three prong approach to responding to crisis that doesn't require a specific response but is still having a crisis. A blend of Fire, Police and a mental health representative is what is being created. My goal is to be eligible and capable of being that last of the three prongs.
I like brief, intense, emotional states that I can help descalate with the knowledge I am learning. I have no desire to sit and listen week after week about someone's ongoing problems.
I want to be the safe person for someone who is in a mental crisis, usually induced by taking drugs or not taking drugs, for people to call, still employed by the state, but being that safe zone to handle the calls.
In Oregon a group called CAHOOTS has been operating for 50 years without losing a volunteer.
Here in AZ we are building a paid team that should aleviate 20% of the calls coming into 911.
What that means is our specialized resources such as the Fire Department and the Police Department, will be available for dispatch instead of trying to mitigate a kid who took something that is causing a bad trip to the parents of a child who may not have taken his medication and is not thinking straight and is on the roof.
I could go on but the niche's are limitless and the nations need for mental health care workers is huge. I graduated in 2021 with dual Associates degrees and am ready for University. It's a matter of my inability to pay my tuition out of my *temporary spousal support*.
Yes, I am very supported professionally. I have been in and out of therapy since May 2020 when Nick had an aortic dissection.
I currently have a therapist who has her Masters and is a former instructor but has been hired on part time as a social worker and as a student, I am entitled to 10 visits but she is still taking care of my therapy needs. I am also certified with the fire department as a CERT member (Community Emergency Response Team) and have made connections within the fire house family and have utilized their offer of therapy as well.
My philosophy leanings have been shared publicly and that is the Karmic banking system that I believe in. I can make karmic deposits and karmic withdrawals, the goal is to make as many deposits as possible and as few withdrawals needed. I lean on that idea hard and know that I am not in control of anyone but me and I am choosing a trajectory of onward and upward.