Want To Be a Professional Social Worker? Make Sure Your Graduate Program Is CSWE-Accredited

I was just reading a discussion on a social media site that concerned me a great deal. The gist of the discussion was as follows:  "I just received my master's degree in human services, and I was turned down by the state social work licensing board. They said I have to have a master's degree that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education! But I have a master's degree, and I would make a great social worker."

Yes, original poster (OP), you do have a master's degree. And it may very well be that you received training in topics similar to those taught in an accredited social work program, and that you would be an excellent social worker. But your master's is not in social work, and it is not accredited by the social work education accrediting body, and therefore, you do not qualify to be licensed as a social worker.

There are several reasons this can happen. Among them:

1. Potential social work students do not have the information they need. They simply do not know to look for a program that is CSWE-accredited, or to find out from their state social work licensing boards what is required to be licensed and/or to practice social work in the state. Therefore, they may think that a program that "sounds like" social work IS social work. They only find out later (as in the above example) that this is not the case.
2. Schools are misleading potential students. There are schools that advertise on the Internet (and otherwise) that they offer "social work" programs. On further inspection, they in fact are not offering social work programs. These programs may have names like human services, social services, or something else related to the work social workers do. The education one receives in these programs may be good (or not), but the fact remains that they are not social work programs and will not provide one with the qualifications to be licensed in social work or to practice social work in states with practice protection.

The fact is that, as a future social worker, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure you know what you need to know to become a professional social worker.

In EVERY state in the U.S., you MUST have a Council on Social Work Education accredited degree to become licensed as a social worker. (There are exceptions for people with foreign social work degrees that have been evaluated and determined to be equivalent to a CSWE-accredited degree.)  

So, if you are looking at MSW programs right now, make sure the program you are considering is a CSWE-accredited program. If it is not, move on to another program, or go into it with the awareness that you will be receiving something other than a social work degree. (Some programs are "in candidacy" to become accredited. If this is the case, ask when they expect to be accredited, and ask yourself if you are willing to take the chance that they will indeed be accredited before you get your degree.)

I cannot stress this enough. Ask questions! If you see an ad on this or any other site (or on a billboard, in a newspaper, magazine, or anywhere else) claiming to offer a social work degree program, check it out thoroughly and ask whether it is accredited by CSWE and whether it will give you the credentials needed to be licensed in your state (or the state where you wish to practice social work, if that is your goal). Some schools will say they are accredited--make sure they are accredited by CSWE.

If you are currently in a master's program and you don't know if it is accredited by CSWE, and your goal is to practice professional social work, ask!

This previous post explains these issues further.

It is distressing to know that some students, for whatever reason, don't know that this is an issue until they are already in a program, or worse, have already completed a degree. It is more troublesome when some schools purposely deceive students into thinking that they are receiving social work degrees when they are not.

In the example above, upon further inspection, the OP's school stated right up front on its website that the program was not for people who wanted to become licensed, and this was not billed as a social work degree. And the OP admitted that s/he had not done the necessary research.

Before you go back to school, don't forget to do your homework!

For more information, see:

Council on Social Work Education: http://www.cswe.org
Association of Social Work Boards: http://www.aswb.org

Resources for Grad School Financial Aid

You want to go to graduate school to get your MSW, but how are you going to pay for it? Here are some recent articles and resources to help you navigate your way through grad school finances:

• 4 Tips for Getting More Graduate School Financial Aid
• Sallie Mae Announces Lower Interest Rates for Graduate Students
• Paying for Graduate School: Financial Aid for Grad Students
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Federal Student Aid: US Department of Education

These are just a few resources to get you started. What other resources have you found that you would like to share with our readers?

GUEST POST: So, You Want To Be a Social Worker?

by Lauren Dennelly, MSW, LSW

You’re a promising young 20-something, ready to forge ahead into grad school, or maybe you’re thinking about a second career. And you want to go to school for social work. Sure, you have your reasons--you have a passion for helping people, have some personal experiences that are guiding you toward the field, or you just think social work sounds interesting. Whatever your reasons, here’s a quick Top 5 guide to what you need to know before you dive in:

1. Social work is HARD work. Self-care is your new best friend. Make sure you save time for it! This article on burnout and self-care from The New Social Worker can help.  Also check out http://www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/ for some helpful resources.
2. You are NOT in this for the money. Salary varies based on what agency or specialty you choose, but overall, you will not be living the Donald Trump lifestyle. But you knew that already, right? Donald Trump is over rated anyway.
3. Not all MSW programs are created equal. Take the time to do some research on the course catalogs of various programs--what specialty coursework do they offer? What kinds of internship opportunities are there? What is the program’s reputation in the social work world? It is important that you choose a program that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and you can find a complete listing of these programs on the CSWE web site.
4. Choose your field experiences wisely. In this economy, when jobs are hard to come by for new graduates, your internship experiences are increasingly valuable. What have you always been interested in, and what kinds of jobs are out there in that specialty? Look at sites like www.indeed.com, www.idealist.com, and http://www.socialworkjobbank.com to see what kinds of positions agencies are posting.
5.  NETWORK. This process begins while you are in your graduate program and never stops once you leave it. Talk to other people in the field. Is there someone you know (or someone you would like to know) that has your ideal job? Talk to that person and ask how he/she got the position. What experiences does he/she have? Becoming an NASW member can help link you to other professionals in the field. This organization has a whole section on its web site just for students! (http://www.socialworkers.org/students/default.asp)

Of course, this list could go on. Perhaps the most important thing to remember if you are thinking of a career in social work is that you will meet some of the most interesting and amazing people, both as co-workers and in your work with clients. On my most trying days, refocusing on the work I do with clients helps to center and remind me of what’s truly important in life--the connections we have with one another.

A Graduate School Reference Letter from Your Therapist?

Dr. Tara Kuther, of About.Com's Graduate School site, recently addressed the question of whether or not to ask one's therapist for a reference letter for graduate school.

She said, in part:

A letter from a therapist is not a good idea. It will not help your application. Recommendation letters speak to the student's academic competence. Helpful letters are written by professionals who have worked with you in an academic capacity.

Read her full response here.

I am wondering...what do you think?  Is the answer to this question different for those applying to graduate school in the helping professions, or should it be?  What ethical issues might arise for the therapist who is asked by a client to write a graduate school reference letter?

Choosing the Right Social Work Graduate School for You!

Do you have questions about choosing the right social work graduate school?  Chances are, you do!  Your questions might include the following:

• Does the school have the right accreditation?
• What concentrations does the school offer?
• How long does it take to complete the degree?
• How much does it cost?
• When should I apply?

THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine published an article on these and other questions you may have.  The article was published several years ago and is still just as relevant today!

Read it HERE!

Tell us what other questions you have that are not addressed in the article, or tell us about your experience in getting your questions answered.

Models of Macro Social Work Education

by Jesús Reyes (excerpt from The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook)

    The approaches to macro social work education vary a great deal. They are often as unique as are the faculties of the various institutions. There are those programs that view social policy strictly from the perspective of social workers. In those programs, faculty are, for the most part, trained in social work. Other schools, however, have multiple disciplinary perspectives present on their faculties. Such schools are just as likely to have faculty trained in economics, public policy, public health, and law as they are to have faculty trained in social work.

    The policy course offerings will be a good reflection of the faculty’s training and interests. If you have particular interests in specific policy areas such as international social work policy, healthcare policy, immigration policy, or Latin American affairs, to name a few, a thorough review of the course offerings and faculty publications would serve you well.

    Another important area of exploration is, interestingly enough, the offerings of other graduate and professional schools that are also part of the host university of the social work program. If the university has programs in public policy, law, international studies, business, or other areas of your interest, there may be the opportunity to round out your education outside of the social work program. Of course, you need to find out how available classes outside of the school in other areas of the university will be to you and whether they will count as credits toward your degree. If the given university does not have programs in the particular areas of your interest, find out if cooperative arrangements exist with neighboring institutions. If this is the case, you definitely want to explore implications to cost, financial aid, and the total number of courses required for graduation.

    Examples of macro concentrations you are likely to come across in your search for a program are:

    •    Social and Economic Development
    •    Community Organization
    •    Management and Planning
    •    Fund Raising
    •    Research and Evaluation
    •    Social Welfare Administration
    •    Social Policy and Planning

Order THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK here.

Have you considered a graduate school fair?

Idealist.org is presenting several grad school fairs this Fall. Recruiters from a variety of schools, including schools of social work, will be available at these fairs to provide information to prospective students. The upcoming fairs  will be in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Houston, New Orleans, and Miami. You can get details at http://www.idealist.org/info/GradFairs.

If you have attended one of these fairs in the past, please comment and let us know about your experience!