Hi There, here’s a short collection of some things I wish I knew sooner.
I would like to offer mentorship to young social workers, especially if they hold BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ identities. I’m happy to chat with you and provide any guidance about becoming a private practice therapist and how to incorporate your values into your work. Feel free to use my Contact Me form to request a phone or zoom call so we can chat about your career goals and next steps. This advice is freely given.
How to Pass the LSW and LCSW Exams
Everyone who has taken this advice has passed their exam. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, but this is a good starting place.
1) Read the NASW Code of Ethics several times
2) Pay for the online ASWB Practice Exam, take it and then read the explanation for the answer so you understand the “exam mindset.” Do this several times. The ASWB practice exam is the only source of practice with actual exam questions that have been previously used.
3) Remember that the exam questions are being written by elder Social Work Professors so try to answer as a Social Work textbook might not as you would based on your years of practice.
4) Learn the ASWB Test Acronyms https://www.socialwork.career/2015/03/the-two-secret-lmsw-exam-acronyms-you-must-know.html Write these on the white board as soon as you sit down, these acronyms will help you sort through the options.
5) Never send anyone to group.
6) If there is a team in the question, there is a team in the answer.
7) Be clear about the identified client and your ethical duty to them.
8) Do not worry about overstudying either diagnoses or drugs you will only have a couple of those questions.
9) If a question baffles you and makes no sense it might be one of the test questions they are trying out, so don’t get overly stressed about it.
10) Go with your first instincts on the questions.
That’s it Good luck!!
Mentors/Supervision/Certification Hours
Whenever you are starting down the path of needing supervision for licensing, growth, or certification, or any professional credential, meet with at least three possible mentors, & consider finding people outside your immediate geographical area. Take the time, spend the money, but make sure the match is right above all. These are relationships of consequence that will shape your practice as a person and clinician, so ask around for advice and recommendations as well.
Network: volunteer, join professional organizations, committees, social media
The two biggest assets in any profession are community and knowledge. Building your professional network gives you both. Join a volunteer organization that provides peer supervision to meet other professionals at different parts of their career, ask people out for coffee, go to seminars, and join committees. The more people know your name, the more people you can call upon at different professional junctures for support and insight. Belonging = growing your network. Do not neglect local and national professional membership organizations, annual conferences of interest and additional trainings as ways to grow community and a sense of fellowship. Join the listserv, it’s a great way of informally gathering knowledge and getting questions answered. At this point I primarily use Facebook for professional groups, and continue to grow my knowledge through professional Instagram posts. This serves me and my clients.
Private Practice Considerations
The best advice I received was “building a practice is an act of personal creativity.” Do not create the practice you can build. Create the practice you want to build. In my case this meant moving away from chronic illness and focusing on Highly Sensitive People, Artists, Healers, and Activists. These were the people I identified with and wanted to spend my time with.
You only get to keep 50% of the money you make all told, so calculate backwards from that goal.
Focus on building your own care team and support networks of professionals, friends, passions and hobbies that will help you refill your cup and protect you from burnout.
Develop a niche, get a professional certification in a therapeutic modality you feel passionate about.
When developing your schedule, consider that it needs to be sustainable for at least three years. If you wouldn’t want to work those hours in three years, don’t make that commitment now.
Consider how you want to give back and embody your values in your practice.