Most people experience a constant theme or recurring presence in their life. For some, it may be fitness and for others, it may be the love of a grandparent. My constant has always been trauma. I can still hear the sound of screaming and my father’s fist on glass as I recall my first memory. I can still feel my grandfather’s breath on my neck and smell the tobacco on his breath as he molested me. I sometimes still feel a vise twisting my stomach into knots when I hear the familiar ding announcing a new text message because part of me wonders if it’s my stalker reaching out and violating my protective order against him. I have been bullied, abused physically, mentally, and sexually, been a victim of intimate partner violence and stalking, but I refuse to let these constant traumas define my life. Instead, I have chosen to reframe my experiences and to use them as a launching point for my career. I am going to become a social worker.
For most of my life, I have been embarrassed and ashamed of my personal trauma; however, that started to shift in 2012 when I wrote a personal narrative for my AP English class about the abuse I experienced at the hands of my father. For me, the writing process was extremely cathartic and my fears about telling my story extinguished. As I have moved through life since 2012, I have continued to talk to many different people about my experiences with trauma and I have found overwhelmingly that my story is not unique.
So many women can relate to one aspect of my story or another. I have especially found this to be the case in women from marginalized groups such as those with low socioeconomic status and those who are either Latin American or African American. The difference between those individuals and me is that because of the white color of my skin, the love of my mother, and having grown up in a middle-class household, I was privileged enough to have access to interventions such as therapy. This has led me to become interested in integrating and expanding Porges’ polyvagal theory within Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a treatment for trauma in marginalized women and children in the field of clinical social work.
In order to practice social work in a clinical setting, I will need to earn two degrees in the field. A Bachelor’s of Social Work (BSW) and Master’s of Social Work (MSW) are the educational requirements for a clinical social work career. I plan on graduating from USI in the spring of 2021 as a University Honors Scholar with a Bachelor’s of Social Work and a minor in Spanish Studies. From there, I plan on attending USI for my MSW due to the specialist nature of the program. Because I will already have my BSW, I will be eligible for the advanced standing program and will be able to graduate in the spring of 2022 with my MSW. Besides learning in the traditional class-room-setting, USI offers many other educational opportunities that will help me expand my horizons.
While studying at USI, I will be exposed to various facets of social work. I am interested in participating in USI’s global social work program in Mandeville, Jamaica as either an undergraduate or graduate student. The course will give me the opportunity to widen my horizons to a global perspective rather than the western-centric worldview I was brought up in. I believe that the course will serve as a launching point for taking interest in and attempting to understand unfamiliar cultures and the way the impact an individual. This is very important to me as I plan to work with marginalized communities whose cultural experiences vastly differ from my own. In addition to learning about other cultures and broadening my understanding of a multidimensional person-in-environment approach, the opportunity in Mandeville will help me to gain skills in clinical social work as part of the course includes assessing children at an orphanage. USI will also introduce me to other areas of clinical practice.
I will gain clinical experience from the field placements I partake in at both a graduate and undergraduate level. Because I am interested in becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will likely focus on clinical social work in all of my field placements. While my BSW education will provide a more generalist education than the MSW, I can still gain experience in a clinical setting during my undergraduate studies. As an undergraduate student, I will complete “a minimum of 150 hours in the field” in addition to “a minimum of 300 hours in the agency setting” (“Field”). Then, as a graduate student, I will complete “600 hours of supervised field experience” that is “related to advanced clinical work” (“Full-Time”). My field placements will greatly help me to incorporate what I learned in the classroom in a real-world setting and help prepare me for a career in social work. After completely my compulsory education at USI, I will focus on licensures and certifications.
First, I will need to obtain a basic license that will allow me to legally practice social work in the state of Indiana. Following obtaining my MSW, I will be eligible to sit for the Association of Social Work Board’s (ASWB) Maters Level exam offered by Indiana’s Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) (“Board Licensed Social Worker”). The exam is based on a pass/ no pass basis and once I pass the exam I will be a Licensed Social Worker (LSW). Next, I can focus on clinical licensing.
The second step in my formal career will be becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). After I become an LSW, I will need to complete two years or 3,000 hours of full-time work under the supervision of an LCSW and then pass the ASWB’s Clinical Level exam offered by Indiana’s PLA (“Board Licensed Clinical Social Worker”). Unlike my LSW license, I will not let my LCSW license expire as I want to maintain the LCSW credential in order to continue to practice social work at a clinical level. Licensing cycles consist of a 2 year period ending in even-numbered years. In order to renew my LCSW license, I will need to obtain a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education, taking at least 20 CEU’s per year. A minimum of 20 of the 40 CEU hours must be from Category I Continuing Education with two hours of ethics; Category I is defined as “formal programming” and includes opportunities such as workshops, seminars, and home study programs (“Continuing Education Information”). After I become an LCSW, I will be able to move into an even more specialized field of social work.
The next step will be to become certified in EMDR by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). I will likely work toward EMDR certification while I’m working to become an LCSW since both require two years of work in the field. In order to become EMDR certified, I must complete an EMDR training program, “20 hours of consultation by an EMDRIA Approved Consultant in EMDR,” and “12 hours of EMDRIA credits” (“Certification in EMDR”). Like state licensure, EMDR certification expires every two years. Therefore, one must complete 12 hours of EMDRIA approved continuing education (“EMDRIA Certification Renewal”). My specialist knowledge in clinical social work will allow me to practice in multiple settings.
I plan on practicing social work in two clinical, mental health settings within the state of Indiana. One such setting will be that of an agency. Not only will I encounter agency settings in field placement, but I will also be likely to begin my career working for an agency such as Deaconess Health System or Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare. While I work in the agency setting, I will receive supervision and become an LCSW and EMDR certified. From there, I will likely remain in an agency setting for 5 more years to gain additional experience in the field. Afterward, I will transition to private practice, where I will continue to practice for the remainder my career and work on expanding polyvagal theory within EMDR and applying that to marginalized communities.
Although I plan on providing my services to a broad client system, I am particularly interested in working with Latin American and African American women and children who have been victims of trauma and abuse. As I mentioned earlier, I want to work with these groups due to their marginalized status. For much of my life, I have witnessed institutional discrimination against women, which seems to multiply with those who are marginalized. I often feel that American society overlooks Latin American and African American women and children. Because of that, I have taken a special interest in these populations and want to be a positive impact for these often-ignored individuals. I believe that my background in Spanish Studies, as well as my interest in global social work, will benefit me in this venture. I will work to broaden my cultural competence and knowledge of the issues that face specific groups of individuals. In addition to exerting cultural competence, I will apply competencies regarding victims of trauma and abuse that I acquired during school and working in the agency setting to my private practice.
I am particularly interested in combining EMDR and Porges’ polyvagal theory. I want to use EMDR to bring my clients out of dorsal vagal shutdown and back into a homeostatic ventral vagal state. Also, I want to supply my clients with the tools to work through daily life and return to a vagal state when they may slip in dorsal vagal shutdown or begin to have unwarranted mobilization within the sympathetic nervous system. I believe that by practicing such work within a marginalized client system, I will be able to greatly impact the community I practice in.
I believe that I can make a major difference within the community. The Latino population is the fasted growing cohort in the U.S. and we are experiencing growth in the Evansville area in both the Latino and African American population due to a migration of groups from Chicago and other major cities. By making an effort to work with the African American and Latin American population within my practice, I will hopefully help my social work colleagues welcome a new, diverse era within the Evansville community. I’m not only interested in applying my expansion of polyvagal theory within EMDR on a one-on-one basis, but also in a group setting. The data on group therapy is very promising as it is not only cost-effective, but it provides an environment in which a client is able to express their expertise in their own life story and apply that to the lives of others to facilitate personal healing and insight.
As much as I try to educate myself about a particular group and their issues and as much as I can relate to certain aspects of those issues, there will be others that I can’t relate to. I believe that a group therapy setting will be illuminating for my clients and will provide me with educational opportunities to expand my competence. In addition to expanding opportunities for my clients, my work will likely expand opportunities for myself and others in the field.
The field of social work is expanding and will expand at a significantly high rate for the next 10 years. Thousands of baby boomers retire each day and this trend will continue for the next decade. As the boomers retire, the positions they once held will open up, which will provide many new jobs for those in the social work field. The majority of mental health care in the U.S. is currently provided by social workers so there is always going to be a need for social workers. As the destigmatization of the mental health continues, so will the field of social work.
The role of social workers will continue to evolve within the zeitgeist as the profession’s trajectory shifts and is accepted as the scientific discipline that it is. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of social workers nationally is expected to grow at an above average rate of 16% until 2026 and employment of social workers within the mental health field is estimated to increase by 19% during the same time period (“Social Workers”). While there will be an increase in jobs available to social workers, that may vary by location.
The is a notable discrepancy in the growth of social workers on a state-by-state basis. Congruent with the national average, Indiana will likely see 16% growth in the social work field between 2014 and 2024 (“Salaries and Hiring Outlook”). Other states will see much higher rates of growth, while others will see much lower rates. The social work profession in Utah is expected to increase at the rate of 32%, whereas Maine is only predicted to increase at a 4% rate. As I plan to practice in Indiana, my job outlook is very pleasing. In addition, because I will likely work in Evansville, which is an urban setting, I will probably see growth at a higher rate than rural areas, such as my hometown of Poseyville. Salaries for social workers are also very variable.
Salaries for social workers depend on what education one possesses, one’s field of practice, and one’s state. According to PayScale, the median salary for an LSW who has an MSW is $38,000 and the median salary for an LCSW is around $44,000 (“Social Worker”). Because one’s salary increases based on one’s level of experience, when I transition from an LSW to an LCSW, I will likely be making more than the median salary because I plan to be fluent in Spanish and EMDR certified. In addition, once I make the move to private practice and have more years of experience as an LCSW, my salary will likely increase. It is not uncommon for an LCSW in private practice in Evansville to make a six-figure salary. Salary also varies depending on location. Those working in states such as Connecticut make more than the national average, where social workers practicing in states such as Mississippi make less than the national average, which is around $43,000 for those who have an MSW and work as a mental health social worker (“Salaries and Hiring Outlook”). In addition to outlook and salary, there are many other important factors to consider about the social work profession.
One might argue that there are many downfalls to being a social worker. Social work can be emotionally exhaustive to the emotional labor aspect of the job. It is important to keep one’s emotions in check, which will especially be important for me as I will deal with clients who have suffered trauma and abuse. Due to the emotional load of a social worker, burnout is common. However, there are many steps to prevent burnout such as self-care and leaving one’s work at the office. Another common complaint about social work is salary. I’m not very concerned about the salary. With my educational background, I will make decent wages, which will grow as I transition to private practice and gain more experience in the field. In addition to the downfalls of the social work path, there are a number of risks involved.
Working as a social worker, particularly when I enter private practice, could be viewed as risky for a variety of reasons. Because I will work with patients with mental health issues, my safety could potentially be at risk. In order to mitigate such risks, it will be important for me to exercise common sense practices. Because I will work in an office setting both at an agency and private practice, it will be imperative to take precautions such as positioning myself close to an entrance that cannot be blocked by my client and having a colleague or staff member present in the office and nearby. I believe that this will be easy to maintain in an agency setting, but I should take special care to have someone on staff and in the building at all times when I am practicing such as an administrative assistant. Security will prove extremely important when I am working in my own practice and will need to prove a safe working environment for not only myself, but also my staff. There are additional concerns concerning practicing privately.
Beginning private practice comes with a degree of financial risk. Like with any other business, there is a chance for a private practice to fail. However, compared to other start-up costs, expenditures for a social worker are substantially lower. Expenses include leasing buying a space to practice, liability insurance, and advertising. Because I want to succeed, I will not go into private practice until I have saved enough that I feel financially secure doing so. This means investing only a small portion of my assets so that I can provide myself with a safety net against financial ruin. Careful planning and competence will help me to build a successful private practice. It is also important to explore the positive aspects of my future career.
In my opinion, the perks of being a social worker are what makes the job worth it. Positively impacting the lives of others is my ultimate aspiration. Thankfully, this aligns with the work that I will do as an LSW and then an LCSW. Many social workers are highly satisfied with their jobs because social work is a labor of love. Additionally, many social workers take great pride in their work. Not only will I be able to impact individuals because of my work, but also communities. I will encounter additional perks working in private practice.
Working as an LCSW in private practice will lend more autonomy to my career. As a private practitioner and my own boss, I will not be bound to certain aspects of the iron cage of bureaucracy that I might face in an agency setting. For example, I will be able to set my own hours. Additionally, I will be able to inform the rules of my practice. In an agency setting, I might be forced to end my services to a client after they have missed 2 sessions, but as a private practitioner, I will be able to take into account the extenuating circumstances that might have led a client to miss a session. Also, in private practice, I will have the opportunity to hone in on specialized modalities and population groups.
As someone who has a lot of personal history with trauma and abuse, I’m excited to go into a career that will combine not only my anecdotal knowledge, but a formal education in a specialized discipline. Because of my past experiences, I feel that I will be in a unique position to help others and serve as a positive force in their lives. I believe this to be especially important in my future work with those from marginalized communities. I look forward to my future career in social work and the many lessons that I will encounter along my journey.
Works Cited
- “Behavioral Health and Human Service Licensing Board Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Application for Licensure by Examination Information and Instructions.” State of Indiana, https://www.in.gov/pla/files/LCSW_by_Exam_Application_Instructions_2015.pdf .
- “Behavioral Health and Human Service Licensing Board Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Application for Licensure by Examination Master Degree Social Work (MSW) Information and Instructions.” State of Indiana, www.in.gov/pla/files/LSW_MSW_by_Exam_Application_Instructions_2015.pdf.
- “Certification in EMDR.” EMDR International Association, www.emdria.org/page/21.
- “Continuing Education Information.” State of Indiana, www.in.gov/pla/3472.htm.
- “EMDRIA Certification Renewal.” EMDR International Association, www.emdria.org/page/cert_renewal_audit.
- “Field Instruction.” University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts, www.usi.edu/liberal-arts/social-work/student-resources/field-instruction/.
- “Full-Time Advanced Standing Track.” University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts, www.usi.edu/liberal-arts/master-of-social-work/degrees-and-programs/full-time- advanced-standing-track/.
- “Social Worker (MSW).” PayScale, 2019, www.payscale.com/mypayscale.aspx?signedUp.
- “Social Workers.” United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 11 July 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm#tab-6.
- “Social Work Salary and Hiring Outlook by State.” Social Work Guide, 2016, www.socialworkguide.org/salaries/.
