Ask Nicole: Using Social Work Skills as a Consultant
A few months ago, I mentioned that I’ll be limiting the content I create around starting and running a consulting practice.
But I had a conversation with social work colleague recently that I couldn’t want to share! So, this month’s Ask Nicole is about consulting, but from the context of social work.
My colleague asked how I’ve used my social work skills as a consultant. In hindsight, my transition from full time direct services social work to full time consulting was pretty seamless, due in part to how my time was structured.
There’s more than one way to be a social worker. This is important, particularly if you’re either social work student, a social worker new to the field, or a seasoned professional looking for something different.
Likewise, most social workers start out at the micro level, working directly with individuals, children, and families. An opportunity can arise where you can serve in a supervisory or leadership role, moving from micro social work into mezzo and macro social work, but the clinical social work skills you learned in school will always be applicable regardless of your role as a social worker.
Here’s how my old process for engaging direct services clients influences how I currently engage with consulting clients.
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