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Back when I doing direct practice client work, I had a client who was undergoing a housing issue. The issue was at the fault of the client, and the client asked for assistance in eviction prevention. 

One day while interacting with this client, the client blamed me for not doing enough to help fix the situation. I could feel the anger growing from within. When the client told me, “You don’t know what I’m going through,” I wanted so badly to remind the client that the situation was occurring because of the client’s own doing. More so, what I really wanted to say was…

“…And you don’t know what I’m going through!”

In addition to personal matters, I was dealing with the death of one of my favorite clients and the suicide of another client, of which I was asked for documentation that proved I did as much as I could to prevent the situation. I was on edge, to say the least, but luckily for the client, the situation worked itself out and the client was able to remain housed.

I’ve gotten a few emails from social workers and students over the few past months asking me share the aspects of social work I don’t like, specifically from a direct practice perspective, including dealing with difficult clients and how to stop caring about clients once the work day is over. There’s plenty of professional advice on this the you can do a quick Google search on.

But to answer the questions, my short answer is this: Establishing boundaries isn’t enough, empathy is everything until it isn’t, leaving your clients problems at the office is not easy, and clinical/direct practice social work ain’t for everybody. 

You’ll hear of social workers leaving the field for a variety of reasons, but for me the answer was pivoting to another aspect of social work that better suited me. 

As a disclaimer: Is what I’m about to share the case for all direct practice social workers and case managers? Not at all. In fact, everything you learn in clinical studies and practice—engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, termination, and follow-up—translates to most social work positions, and is the model I use with my consulting clients. So I did learn a thing or two while working in direct practice. 

When I landed my case management position 3 months after graduation from my masters program, I was just happy to be employed. When I first started, I had a caseload of around 25-30 clients. By the time I left nearly 6 years later, I had close to 90 clients. 

That may not seem like a lot, but having to engage with 90 clients (and their providers and emergency contacts) on a monthly basis was taxing. It did a literal number on my self care, self esteem, and my desire to remain in the this work. 

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Ebony, a social work graduate student, writes:

I just completed my first semester in [my social work graduate program] and I  have some questions which are not really being answered in my school. I’m not sure if it is because I am one of the few black women in [the program] or if the my advisor really does not have any answers for me.

I graduate in May of 2018 the the plan is for me to have my MSW along with a certification in child welfare. Shortly after graduation I plan to take the exam for me to get the LMSW. I really want to  get the LCSW because I eventually I would like to open up my own practice working with the youth and obtain my DSW. My dilemma is that I would like to relocate south to Georgia or Florida. I would like to move to a place where it does not snow and the cost of living is lower. I have been living in New York all my life. Do you have any tips or suggestions for me? I do not want to wait until the last minute of my graduate school career to have a concrete plan.

You may recall that I was asked a similar question by another student, only Ebony’s question is the opposite: leaving New York City to work elsewhere as a social worker. Here, I focus on what I felt was Ebony’s primary need: how preparing for the LMSW or LCSW exam (and transferring those scores and licensure) varies by state.

Many students wait until their second year (and sometimes the final semester) to think of the next steps in their social work path, so it’s great that Ebony is thinking about her trajectory while in her first year.

And yes, the cost of living in New York City is significantly higher compared to many southern cities, and that’s always been a major draw for many folks moving down south. While it provides lots of career opportunities, it can feel like a completely different world to a native New Yorker. As a Georgia native, it didn’t take long for me to adjust to life in New York, but many of my native New York City friends had to get used to the slower pace of southern life, even in major cities like Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami. That doesn’t mean the same will apply to Ebony (or to you if you’re planning to make a similar decision), but I just wanted to throw that out there.

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If you have a question that you’d like to share with the Raise Your Voice community , contact me.

I recently got an email from Stephanie, a graduating social work student:

I stumbled upon your Instagram today and was pleased to see that you are a social worker who currently resides in New York City; I graduate with my MSW in August and plan on moving to New York City from Florida, thereafter.  Living and working in New York has always been a dream of mine. In preparation for graduation I’ve been doing some online job searching, but  most positions that offer a viable wage require that you are licensed. My passion is working with children, families and women.

What advice would you give to a new social worker looking to move to New York City who isn’t licensed and wishes to work with children and families or women?  Are there any specific agencies you would recommend applying to?

Stephanie’s question is interesting because it encompasses many factors, of which I’ve come up with several questions that I hope can guide Stephanie (and you) in thinking more about the next steps in living as a a social worker in New York City:

What is your ideal social work role?

This question can be answered based on where you are currently (education-wise) as a social worker. Do you plan to work as a micro level social worker, mezzo level social worker, or macro level social worker? Do you plan to work at one level for your entire social work career, or do you have expectations of moving up or blending different levels of social work? If you’re interested in working with women, youth, and families, what does that mean? Reproductive or maternal health? Crisis management and prevention? Substance use? Mental illness?

How are you looking for social work positions?

This question ties into the first question. Stephanie mentions women, children, and families as potential populations she wants to work with. In addition to identifying if you want to work at the micro, mezzo, or macro level, are you looking for counseling positions versus case management, teaching versus facilitating workshops, etc?.  I was able to land a case management position within 3 months of graduating, working directly with adults impacted by HIV/AIDS and homelessness. As social workers, we’re conditioned to look for positions that explicitly have “social worker” in the title when there are plenty of organizations and agencies that recommend having the skills of a social worker but it may not be mentioned in the position requirements. I had lots of experience in conducting workshops around youth engagement, sexual/reproductive health and justice, and the like prior to grad school, but felt that I needed something that mentioned “social work” or “case management” in the title. If you find a position that interests you but doesn’t mention “social worker”, highlight in your cover letter and interview how being a social worker lends itself well to that position. The MSW degree is one of the most flexible degrees out there, and the skills we learn can translate to a variety of roles.

What setting do you want to work in?

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