All being well, I will be graduating at the end of September. This means that I will be available for both employment and the requisite LMSW licensing exam after September. To make the most of my time at school and gain the most experience, I had wanted to extend my current internship at the outpatient mental health clinic but alas this is not possible.
To my disappointment, both my school and the hospital have various bureaucratic and liability reasons that necessitate my completing my second year internship once my second year placement hours have been fulfilled.
An alternate option is for me to seek an internship at another agency for the summer while I am completing my MSW. However, I suspect that the fact that any internship that I participate in beyond the requisite hours for my MSW does not qualify for my school's liability policy may severely limit the type of work that I may do as a "volunteer" and not as a "social work intern." In any case, my plan is to put feelers out in this regard and see what would be available to me.
Another thing that I found out this week that was a bit surprising to me was that some jobs would not be open to me even after I graduate due to the LMSW licensing requirement. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the LMSW license, this is basically an exam that social workers may only take after they have graduated (at least within New York).
Fortunately, many jobs will be open to social workers during their first year post graduation sans the license under a special permit (one that you apply for once you have a job in hand), as long as you fulfill the licensing requirement within that first year.
However, for some positions, it's a catch 22 because you cannot be hired until you have this license in hand. This suggests that a graduating social work student should tailor one's initial job search to positions that do not have the LMSW prerequisite.
Moving back to the LMSW exam, this is something that is making all of us at school rather anxious and that is despite the fact that we have been told that our school has a high percentage of students who pass this exam on their first attempt.
Thankfully, my school is offering a number of workshops to help prepare us for this exam. In addition, we tend to cover a few LMSW exam type questions every week in our practice class.
To date, this review has demonstrated that we (social work students) tend to over-think these questions and choose the wrong answer as a result... This has NOT been reassuring. However, I hope that with time and continued practice, we will stop assuming that the questions are "trick" questions, not read so much into the questions and ultimately have a good chance at getting them right.
During one of my practice classes, we were handed and allowed to keep a couple of sample questions from the LMSW exam. To illustrate to you the confusing nature of these questions, I will share them with you below.
1. A client tells a social worker that he has recently participated in a violent criminal act and plans to repeat the offense. The social worker should:
A. Increase sessions with the client to monitor the situation more closely
B. Maintain client confidentiality
C. Obtain a written contract that the client will not act on thoughts
D. Report the intent according to jurisdictional law
2. A social worker recently sold a car to an individual. The social worker later discovers that the individual is the spouse of a current client. This is an example of:
A. Countertransference
B. Boundary crossing
C. Communication breakdown
D. Boundary violation
3. The social worker on a multidisciplinary team in a substance abuse treatment program learns that the psychiatrist is recommending a client be placed on antidepressant medication for depression. The client's scheduled discharge date is one week later and a halfway house has been arranged. The halfway house will not accept clients on antidepressants. In a discussion with the social worker, the client denies symptoms of depression before the beginning of the substance abuse. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Advise the client of the right to refuse the medication
B. Persuade the facility to accept the client on a trial basis
C. Discuss the referral problem with the psychiatrist and team
D. Request a conference with the halfway house administrator
Answers: 1D; 2B; 3C
As you can see, the answers can be a bit tricky...
Do you have any advice on how best to prepare for the LMSW exam? What are some things that you did to prepare for the licensing exam? Also, do you have any suggestions on where/how one may find a social work internship for the summer?
You May Also Enjoy:
Secrets for Passing the LMSW Exam
Career Advice from Editor of The New Social Worker
Career Advice from a Dean of Social Work
Social Work Licensing – Part I
Occupational Outlook for Social Workers 2010-2011
34 Social Work Career Development Resources
Photo Credits: Krikit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krikit/2755000478
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krikit/2665503217
Well said, Dorlee. The first step of any career-related dilemma is to recognize and articulate the problem. You've certainly cleared that hurdle.
ReplyDeleteEven with internships being so closely regulated and monitored in your field, there are many ways to learn, remain relevant and to network during your "stuck in limbo" summer. You're already doing three of them -- blogging, social media and volunteering.
I would also suggest putting your mentor-mentee hat on. For example, you could organize an online group -- perhaps a #LMSWTest Twitter chat -- to help yourself and others do well on the exam. To attract more followers/contributors, you might consider asking a consultant or industry expert to co-moderate or guest host.
Founding a grass-roots support-style group would show your passion, work-ethic and organizational skills. To potential employers, not a bad first impression at all!
By continuing to work with this group after graduation, and after you've passed the exam, you'll establish yourself as a consistent mentor and influencer in your industry -- another huge boost to your career.
Whether through this suggestion or others you'll receive, the key (as you already know) is to stay active -- and relevant!
Let me, and YouTern, know how we can further assist.
- Mark
Mark,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting and sharing some of your expert career knowledge :)
Starting up a chat around the subject of the LMSW exam...what a creative idea...
And yes, I totally agree with you, staying active and relevant is key.
With much appreciation,
Dorlee
I love Mark's idea about the exam chat. Overall, the best preparation I think is reviewing past questions and answers--practice tests basically. Also, it's best to take the exam as soon as you can after graduation--that tends to be when people do the best.
ReplyDeleteRe: additional internship experience: check the job board for your school--I know that we start to get some for summer internships-type experiences. Also, ask around and see if any faculty members have projects they are doing that would give you an experience...these types of things sometimes happen underneath the radar.
There are usually quite a few volunteer opportunities in our area--they may or may not use your full skill set, but they can be great experiences. United Ways sometimes track volunteer opps.
Yes, Mark's idea about the exam chat sounds like a very cool idea...
ReplyDeleteThanks - all your test preparation ideas sound like good ones :) I plan to take the exam as soon as I can after graduation. I've also registered for a test prep class in May to help me prepare.
Also, thanks for the ideas regarding potential internship opportunities - checking out the job board and touching base with faculty members at my school.
Yes, I think you're right - once I am willing to forgo the idea of my internship being a clinical one, I am likely to find some interesting volunteer opportunities for the summer.
Hi Dorlee,
ReplyDeleteI was happy to find that I answered the questions correctly! Good for my ego but other than that...meaningless.
I think all licensing tests are tricky and anxiety-producing. It sounds like you are doing all the right things, so I hope you have trust in yourself.
In regards to the job situation....aren't those Catch 22's so frustrating?
In my past, I have found that the beaurocratic intricacies of educational institutions and "rules" and job acquisition could wrap me around into a chaotic frenzy. Now I see that it is much easier to try to take a "roll with the punches approach".
I have great faith that it will all work out for you because you are so authentic in your passion and integrity.
Hi Terry,
ReplyDeleteYes, you are probably right in that all licensing exams are tricky and make everyone who needs to pass one at least a bit anxious...
And yes, I agree that taking a mindful "acceptance" approach would probably be the best way to go...I think that I am still in the sad/disappointed stage regarding the inability to extend my current placement and the limitations in the type of internship that would be open to me as a result of the "rules." Hence I'm not quite able to get there yet :)
I guess I need a little more time to absorb the news, the ramifications of the rules etc. but as I start exploring what is available as opposed to focusing on what is not, I think I will return to my normal optimistic setpoint.
Thanks so much for having so much faith...and for being of such wonderful support. It really means a lot to me.
Warmly,
Dorlee
I used the Social Work Examination Services book, and took all the tests over and over. My school offered a seminar, but I didn't attend. A friend of mine (who has a pretty similar outlook to me) went, and she said it was pretty useless. A lot of people seemed to be arguing their answers, instead of accepting that they needed to give the answer that the exam was looking for.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the licensing test wasn't that bad. I too was very anxious, but it wasn't a problem. A lot of the answers were fairly common sense. I think not over thinking, or assuming that they are trying to trick you, is good advice.
You seem to be in agreement with Nancy in terms how best to prepare for the exam :)
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting that the school seminar ended up being unhelpful because many students were arguing for their respective answers...actually, that's a bit of what happens during my practice class.
It sounds like you are saying it is more efficient use of one's time to just study straight from the book...
I'm relieved to hear that the exam wasn't that bad :)
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice,
Dorlee
re insurance: if you haven't already, check out the NASW's student rate. I had it a while back, and if I recall correctly, it went through to August, for an incredibly low price. I believe it was national, and not just for my state. Now might also be the time to check on other benefits available to students, some of which carry through to early career social workers. (For instance, I think the insurance rates might come with a discounted rate once you are out of school, if continuously maintained.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for raising this important topic. Do I need to get liability insurance at this point?
ReplyDeleteI thought that is something that a social worker needs when/if she/he goes into private practice...and that one is automatically covered by the agency for which one works until that time.
Thanks,
Dorlee
This is totally delayed, and, therefore, potentially totally irrelevant, but I think that you'll do fine on the LMSW exam--you're already thinking about it and starting to study, and you have certainly explored all corners of the profession more thoroughly than most! Independent liability insurance may, in fact, be required; it depends on what kind of policy your employing agency would carry--I had some for awhile. What are your career goals post-graduation? Given the direct practice experience you've had, might you consider spending some time this summer volunteering in a fundraising or volunteer management or program coordinator capacity, to add that aspect to your professional experience? Just an idea, but it might really set you apart from others with good clinical resumes when you go to seek a job.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Melinda, for all your support and the interesting ideas that you have proposed...
ReplyDeleteAnd not to worry, your response is not too late either :) All these issues are still fresh on my mind...
In terms of my career goals post graduation, my plan is to pursue a position at an outpatient mental health clinic at a teaching hospital or the VA.
Doing this would allow me to further develop my clinical and diagnostic skills, as well as provide me with access to in-house training opportunities.
Thanks again!