Gentlemommy Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Just thinking out loud here...if I were to get a degree in social work, what employment opportunities would I have? Are there jobs that have flexible hours where I could still be home with the kids for homeschooling? Are there opportunities for self employment/small business? Here's my background, just for reference. I have no higher education :( so I'd be starting from scratch. I finished high school and went directly into my (previous) profession. Travelled, settled, got married and had kids, and quit. I've always felt very very strongly about helping people, and also about adoption, both through the foster care system and internationally. We did do some short term foster care, and while so much of it broke my heart, it was immensely fulfilling. I'm feeling very...stuck lately. I'm not persuing anything 'bigger' than my own family unit, I'm not stretching and learning much other than methods of teaching lol, and my brain is fuzzy. I want to go to school, or start a business, or DO SOMETHING. Maybe it's a mid life crisis? I'm 33. Anyway, because I've always wanted to help children, my first thought was social work, but I don't want to rule anything else out. My biggest challenges would be- A degree I can earn online. Or at least the majority of it done from home. Dh travels too often for me to commit to outside things. A flexible career as far as working hours. I'd like to be in charge of how and when I spend my time. I figure by the time I get a degree, my kids will be old enough to be left alone (they'd be 14, 11, and 8) for a little while, but definitely not all day everyday. Plus I do not desire to be away from them that much. Can any of you help me flesh this out? Realistically, it would be a year before I was ready (IF financially we can do it) to do something. Any suggestions for degrees I should look into, or fields of study? Schools I can look into? Scholarships or financial aid? You ladies are a wealth of knowledge. I read everyday but don't post often, because quite frankly, I'm intimidated by the intelligence of you all. I'm so thankful for everyone here!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Is this something you want to do mainly because you want to help people, or is the money-earning potential important to you as well? I'm not trying to be discouraging, but if you need to make good money, social work may not be your best choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I have a BSW and an MSW. I also have an LCSW license (an advance clinical practice license). Social work is the lowest paying masters degree field I am aware of. Beginning teachers with only an undergraduate degree make more than most masters degreed social workers. It takes a minimum of 7 years of education (undergrad and grad) and experience to reach a point at which a social worker is licensed to practice independently. Until that point, your options are limited by the jobs you can find at an agency. Salaries vary widely. VA jobs pay an LCSW about $70,000 a year. Other agencies pay $45,000. Private practice can be more lucrative, but it is also demanding. That said, it is a field which is forgiving of employment gaps due to family/kids, and there are part-time or contract opportunities, particularly for an LCSW. I have done adjunct teaching at our local university in both the undergrad and grad programs. I've done contract therapy for a local agency. ($30 an hour as a contract employee needing to provide my own malpractice insurance and be responsible for the taxes) Malpractice insurance is a minimal cost for part-time work, though. I just renewed a policy for up to 15 hours of clinical work a week for $40 a year. I got both of my degrees and most of my advanced, supervised clinical experience prior to having children so it was relatively easy. My parents paid for my undergrad degree. The two years of full time supervised experience can be expensive if you have to pay for supervision. I am a board approved supervisor, and I charge $60 an hour for private supervision. Supervisees must have an hour a week so this cost adds up if you are making a minimal salary. Also, getting a degree or two with the plan of working only in one field (adoption) can be frustrating if you work all those years and are not able to find a position in that field. However, you can do volunteer work, seek internships, etc. to increase your chances of eventual employment in that field. No guarantees, though. If I were starting out, I would personally choose nursing. If I wanted to work with kids, I would choose pediatric nursing. There are also advanced nursing degrees in psychiatric pediatric nursing. That is a much more lucrative field which would justify taking on the cost of pursuing higher education, and it is also a field which offers part-time and flexible positions. I am currently working from home at a job in my field which requires an advanced clinical license but pays dismally. I have resigned this position and will go back to doing therapy, which will be better paying, more rewarding and fewer hours. I hope that is helpful information, and I wish you the best in your search for phase 2 of your life. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSweet Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 My sil has an MSW, her BA was in psychology and done mostly online but the MSW was a full time commitment at a university with lots of field work and internships. She now works for a non-profit helping kids/teens transition from foster care to independent living. She really likes it and finds it satisfying, she has some flexibility with her hours but she makes very little, which is pretty common in that field. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I have a BSW and MSW also. I have been out of the field for a while but I don't think, in terms of flexibility and income, it would be your best choice, especially if you are starting from scratch. I did some part-time work as a foster care worker with a BSW. With my MSW I did evaluations (adoption and custody) part-time. I have not done private practice so I am not able to advise you there. Most of the work I did as a social worker also involved being on-call at times. I think texasmama is right as far as nursing being a better option in the helping professions. I have a friend who works part-time as a visiting nurse and loves it. She makes her own schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuzor Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I have a BSW and an MSW. I also have an LCSW license (an advance clinical practice license). Social work is the lowest paying masters degree field I am aware of. Beginning teachers with only an undergraduate degree make more than most masters degreed social workers. It takes a minimum of 7 years of education (undergrad and grad) and experience to reach a point at which a social worker is licensed to practice independently. Until that point, your options are limited by the jobs you can find at an agency. Salaries vary widely. VA jobs pay an LCSW about $70,000 a year. Other agencies pay $45,000. Private practice can be more lucrative, but it is also demanding. That said, it is a field which is forgiving of employment gaps due to family/kids, and there are part-time or contract opportunities, particularly for an LCSW. I have done adjunct teaching at our local university in both the undergrad and grad programs. I've done contract therapy for a local agency. ($30 an hour as a contract employee needing to provide my own malpractice insurance and be responsible for the taxes) Malpractice insurance is a minimal cost for part-time work, though. I just renewed a policy for up to 15 hours of clinical work a week for $40 a year. I got both of my degrees and most of my advanced, supervised clinical experience prior to having children so it was relatively easy. My parents paid for my undergrad degree. The two years of full time supervised experience can be expensive if you have to pay for supervision. I am a board approved supervisor, and I charge $60 an hour for private supervision. Supervisees must have an hour a week so this cost adds up if you are making a minimal salary. Also, getting a degree or two with the plan of working only in one field (adoption) can be frustrating if you work all those years and are not able to find a position in that field. However, you can do volunteer work, seek internships, etc. to increase your chances of eventual employment in that field. No guarantees, though. If I were starting out, I would personally choose nursing. If I wanted to work with kids, I would choose pediatric nursing. There are also advanced nursing degrees in psychiatric pediatric nursing. That is a much more lucrative field which would justify taking on the cost of pursuing higher education, and it is also a field which offers part-time and flexible positions. I am currently working from home at a job in my field which requires an advanced clinical license but pays dismally. I have resigned this position and will go back to doing therapy, which will be better paying, more rewarding and fewer hours. I hope that is helpful information, and I wish you the best in your search for phase 2 of your life. :) Sending you a pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 It only takes a short course (like 6 weeks in most cases) to become a phlebotomist and they often get paid more for doing second or third shifts at a hospital. You can become a respiratory therapist with an associate's degree. Just some other thoughts, if you are looking for a job that could turn into more training and a career later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I also have an MSW. It is a very flexible degree and allows many types of helping: clinical social work (mental health), medical (helping people in hospital settings), school social work, child protective services, elder care, private practice, etc. You don't go into social work to make the big bucks, though if you end up in private practice or in an administrative role, it's higher. You'll need a 4 year degree first. (ETA---it doesn't have to be in social work, just a BA or BS in something. My BA was psych/Eng) Not sure what kinds of work a BSW can get. To earn an MSW, you'll need to do internships, which mean working 2-3 fulltime days per week and as Texasmama said, 2 years of supervised practice after that to get a clinical license (last I checked in our state.) The regulations will vary some by state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Limited opportunities at the undergrad level. And modest pay at the master's level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 My niece has a degree in social work and she's employed by a hospice center. Not exactly the most 'homeschool friendly' job but she absolutely LOVES her work. It's very rewarding for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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