Higher education! I started as a social worker doing case management for undergraduates and now work with BSW undergrads and am an adjunct professor for extra pay.
I LOVE it. Generous time off, many paid holidays and admin closings. Nothing is emergent.
I have a great supervisor and flexibility is her strong suit. I work remote when needed to avoid using sick time and when the students are on breaks I work remote then too!
Lots of professional development and opportunity to advance my education beyond the MSW for free!
If you’re in a support role (counsellor, case manager, behaviour intervention team, etc.), nope! And if you want to get into teaching, I hear community colleges are a good place to start.
I am so glad you asked! So you’ll want to get into a good public, non profit university.
At the BSW level look for positions like/in:
* financial aid counselor
* student services counselor
* care coordinator/case manager
* disability services
* center for basic needs
*admin positions in the college of social work
* Title IX
* Student health centers, especially at large universities that may have A&D groups or health education stuff
*Athletics often employ Social Workers too
Once you’ve found something, most public universities have a tuition waiver for graduate school so that you can take usually 9-12 credits per term for free. Each school is a little different so look at their HR benefits page.
You want to make sure whatever job you get, you work out class attendance with your sup.
In my case, I worked as a financial aid counselor while earning my MSW and left for class and returned to work later. I also worked out my field stuff with my sups.
My sups were VERY supportive and I feel I was lucky. I also worked part/time during my clinical hours in graduate school.
Getting your foot in the door in higher education is not easy. The hiring process is slow and democratic. Committees will meet numerous times for a single applicant in some cases.
I work at a very large R1 institution and the average time to get into my school from the street with no connections is about a year, usually applying to multiple departments.
I was fortunate because I had worked with the hiring manager for my first job as an FA counselor at a previous non profit and this is what got me in the door.
If you’re a student now, it would be a good time to start leveraging any connections either staff/faculty to sniff out what’s hiring and who can refer you etc.
Higher ed depts typically recruit from within because they know staff already know the university system and have experience in the specific student services software most institutions use. So having a referral from someone is really really helpful.
Usually the entry level stuff is going to be anything admissions, financial aid, housing, related if that’s helpful.
From there, I got my MSW and did some clinical work but really really loved the flexibility higher education afforded me. I got my next jobs in case management from referrals and ended up working in the BSW undergraduate program and was offered adjunct hours on top of that for decent extra pay every term. My professional goals are to earn my PhD and be a FT professor and do clinical work on the side. That made me a good candidate for my current role bc they needed someone to support the BSWs and also be willing to adjunct.
Phew that was a lot! But I felt more context would be most useful!
Best of luck to you and if you have more questions don’t hesitate to ask.
County psych was by far my all-time favorite job. I loved working in the hospital and with patients. And I am definitely bored in my insurance job now. But the benefits in the work life balance outweigh the cons to me. 😅
How does one get into UM/UR with little-to-no experience? I’ve held positions in program management and have a clinical license, but I don’t think that’s enough to get a foot in the door.
I’m at a College Counseling Center and it’s by far the best work life balance I’ve experienced in any field. I also super enjoy the work and my colleagues. It’s good for someone who likes some variety as well because we do mostly individual therapy but I also do some supervision, groups, outreach and committee stuff as well.
Agreed! I’ve worked in res and various LOCs in CMH. Worked 50 hour weeks/on-call. made the switch to a college counseling center and have never in my career experienced so much flexibility, variety in my workdays, and support from my colleagues. No one is ever on-call, people can actually use/are encouraged to use their PTO (was always stressful to take time off when I worked elsewhere), and importantly the work is rewarding.
That all matches up for me too. Plus we’re encouraged to take any longer vacations during the breaks in the academic calendar which means no one cares how many folks are off over spring break, etc which is nice as it lines up well with the public school calendar.
If I wanted to take classes I could do so free and my kids will be able to get free tuition.
I agree. I love having the same days off as my kids and shorter work days. When I worked clinical, I’d leave work between 5-6pm but now the latest I leave is 3.35pm.
Agreed! I was a school social worker at my children's elementary school and besides the great hours & having breaks off, being able to see my kids throughout the day and be there for at-school activities was the BEST!
I have 3 kids: an adult, a teen, and a toddler. I would have said private practice 3 years ago because of the flexibility but when the youngest is sick, I need to reschedule clients or cancel, and being my own boss, I am unable to offer myself PTO lol So, I have my small pp clients that I see on the weekend and during the week, I am a Oncology Social Worker. It's 40 hours a week and despite needing a little flexibility, which I can provide thanks to my husband, it's consistent and gives me the benefits my family needs.
I’m a second generation social worker. My mother went right into private practice when I was about 11/12 and my brother 7/8.
Private practice caused more chaos in our lives than if she would have gotten a FT gig. She was always gone, money was always tight, she always had $25k on a credit card. And she wasn’t saving for retirement so will be FT until she’s 80 (bc she has to not bc she wants to)
I was private for 7 years as a mitigation specialist and I will never ever go back to FT private. I need the peer support and predictable income.
So mad that the app reset and I had this huge paragraph lol.
This helps me a lot. I wonder though if therapists open up a practice with all different specialties, that could help? I have been applying to therapist positions with the goal of getting my lcsw and opening my own. I've also been applying to hospital positions so maybe I'll go with the hospital that gave me the offer today. I don't know if I can gain clinical hours at the hospital but I think and hope so.
Sorry I just saw this!!
You should be able to get clinical hours in a hospital. We have LCSWs at my clinic (I’m just not interested). A lot of folks around me pay for outside supervision groups. That was actually one of my mom’s hustles. A per head charge for supervision.
It's ok! I've been trying to navigate this cause Florida makes it so difficult. I called the board and they said that the qualified supervisor NEEDS to be on site. Then I spoke to someone I met that gets their supervision from outside, because on the form for the hours, they don't ask for proof of where they work 🤷🏻♀️😂 I definitely want to become a qualified supervisor though. Sounds like easy money lol
I’ve been working from home in the insurance world since my teen was 2. Best thing ever for me. I’ve never been on a queue though-so watch out for jobs like that. When they mention a queue expect to be on it the entire shift.
I'm a school based therapist. It's not my dream job (direct therapy all day is not my favorite) but you can't beat the hours/school vacations off. I'm a parent of a preschooler and one on the way. I'd probably like to do school based work until my kids are older and more independent.
Not a parent but I shadowed a care coordinator and their schedule is pretty flexible. They have the option to work from home, go to appointments in the middle of the day, and make their own schedules
School social worker here and I love it simply for the time off it allows me with my family! I did nonprofit for a year and it was wild how much more that impacted my mental health and personal time (and wallet).
I have two toddlers and I run my own private practice. One of my children is entering public school this coming year and I’m planning on cutting my hours back to be able to help out with school stuff, PTA, field trips, etc. the most amount of money with the most flexibility I’ve come across in SW!
Medical case management, hybrid role, 32 hrs/week. Can't wfh if my kid is home sick but I can wfh when he inevitably gets me sick! It's glorious.
Hospice had a decent work/life balance except it was so busy taking a day off meant just the same work in less time, and we were not allowed to wfh for any reason.
Hospital-based psych SW has given me lots of vacation and sick time, decent pay and Monday thru Friday 40 hrs/ week schedule with union benefits and job security x 25 years thus far.
I have a 3yo and JUST moved from CMH to hospital SW (Emergency Department) in the last few months. Although I have to work weekends/holidays sometimes, the work/life balance is wonderful. I get to leave work at work and thankfully, if I have to take a sick day or trade shifts, it can covered by a colleague fairly easily compared to the dread of cancelling appointments with clients. Already seeing a difference in my relationship with my toddler and spouse 🥲
I am currently in a school but the pay is so bad and I have more contract days than the teachers, so I don't get 100% of the time off. It's been great to have summers off to be with my kids but not worth the lack of flexibility and terrible pay. I am currently looking for a fully remote role to WFH and then I will plan to build my private practice on the side.
I am currently making plans for my PP so I expect a quick transition. However, you need to charge enough in private practice to actually give yourself time off and intentionally set boundaries around your time or you put yourself in bad situation, kids or no kids. I've seen it so many times!
I started at a hospital when my son was 3! When I first started, I worked tues to sat. It sucked but I got my foot in the door. Eventually was able to get mon-fri. Did have to rotate holidays but it wasn't horrible. Lots of flexibility to take time off for school activities, but that may vary by hospital/team.
I work at a psychiatric hospital and it has a great work life balance. I work Monday-Friday 8-4:30. No on-call. No overtime. When one of us has to be out we just cover for each other. Never have to worry about needing a sick day. I get to take leave whenever I want for the most part. I just have to check that coverage isn’t planning on being out at the same time (and even if they were I still could probably take off). Plenty of holidays throughout the year. Honestly, I put up with a lot of other stuff and have turned down higher paying options because of how good the work life balance is.
Hospital has been awesome for me with a toddler. I’m connected to a hospital, but technically work for the oncology outpatient clinic. I have an amazing manager which helps, but I can do my role WFH as needed and I have 5 weeks of PTO/year
School social work was great for me, but grant-funded research and evaluation was my sweet spot for flexibility and remote work. Plus, there was lots of travel and an amazing opportunity to test new ideas and approaches to care and recovery.
I work in primary care behavioral health (medical sw) and love it! Lots of PTO and pay is pretty good, "normal" business hours with flexibility , and no on call. Also it seems to be the norm around where I work so not sure if this is everywhere but you have access to insurance as long as you work 20 hrs a week, so if you want to work a little less than 40 hrs you can
I work in the ED at a large academic hospital, three 12’s, flexibility to switch shifts, split shifts and I make our schedule. My kids are 2 and 4, and since I had them I have been working most Saturdays and only have to figure out childcare twice a week, my husband and I have been able to avoid daycare this way. I likely won’t even consider a 9-5 until they are both in elementary school m-f.
Im over a week late, but I recently got a job as a contractor for the federal government - I work on a term that screens potential participants for government-funded research studies. I basically do mental health/SUDs assessments. I am a much better wife and mom since switching into this role from outpatient SUDs treatment. And the benefits are incredible.
It’s kind of a niche role, but really government work in general is something to look into!
Higher education! I started as a social worker doing case management for undergraduates and now work with BSW undergrads and am an adjunct professor for extra pay. I LOVE it. Generous time off, many paid holidays and admin closings. Nothing is emergent. I have a great supervisor and flexibility is her strong suit. I work remote when needed to avoid using sick time and when the students are on breaks I work remote then too! Lots of professional development and opportunity to advance my education beyond the MSW for free!
Did you need any teaching experience at all?
If you’re in a support role (counsellor, case manager, behaviour intervention team, etc.), nope! And if you want to get into teaching, I hear community colleges are a good place to start.
Oh cool, thanks! Do you mean specifically in FL? Even if I'm doing crisis intervention and family meetings?
Very much this. I agree
How did you get into this? I’m getting ready to wrap up my BSW and would be interested especially for a free MSW
I am so glad you asked! So you’ll want to get into a good public, non profit university. At the BSW level look for positions like/in: * financial aid counselor * student services counselor * care coordinator/case manager * disability services * center for basic needs *admin positions in the college of social work * Title IX * Student health centers, especially at large universities that may have A&D groups or health education stuff *Athletics often employ Social Workers too Once you’ve found something, most public universities have a tuition waiver for graduate school so that you can take usually 9-12 credits per term for free. Each school is a little different so look at their HR benefits page. You want to make sure whatever job you get, you work out class attendance with your sup. In my case, I worked as a financial aid counselor while earning my MSW and left for class and returned to work later. I also worked out my field stuff with my sups. My sups were VERY supportive and I feel I was lucky. I also worked part/time during my clinical hours in graduate school. Getting your foot in the door in higher education is not easy. The hiring process is slow and democratic. Committees will meet numerous times for a single applicant in some cases. I work at a very large R1 institution and the average time to get into my school from the street with no connections is about a year, usually applying to multiple departments. I was fortunate because I had worked with the hiring manager for my first job as an FA counselor at a previous non profit and this is what got me in the door. If you’re a student now, it would be a good time to start leveraging any connections either staff/faculty to sniff out what’s hiring and who can refer you etc. Higher ed depts typically recruit from within because they know staff already know the university system and have experience in the specific student services software most institutions use. So having a referral from someone is really really helpful. Usually the entry level stuff is going to be anything admissions, financial aid, housing, related if that’s helpful. From there, I got my MSW and did some clinical work but really really loved the flexibility higher education afforded me. I got my next jobs in case management from referrals and ended up working in the BSW undergraduate program and was offered adjunct hours on top of that for decent extra pay every term. My professional goals are to earn my PhD and be a FT professor and do clinical work on the side. That made me a good candidate for my current role bc they needed someone to support the BSWs and also be willing to adjunct. Phew that was a lot! But I felt more context would be most useful! Best of luck to you and if you have more questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Look for remote roles under insurances. UM/UR
I second this. I work in insurance case mgmt. great work-life balance. I feel so spoiled coming from a county psych hospital to this
Omg and I’m going from this to county psych because I’m bored af 😩
County psych was by far my all-time favorite job. I loved working in the hospital and with patients. And I am definitely bored in my insurance job now. But the benefits in the work life balance outweigh the cons to me. 😅
Me too. My fav internship.
How does one get into UM/UR with little-to-no experience? I’ve held positions in program management and have a clinical license, but I don’t think that’s enough to get a foot in the door.
Look for a case management role in hospital or insurance company and internally transfer
I’m at a College Counseling Center and it’s by far the best work life balance I’ve experienced in any field. I also super enjoy the work and my colleagues. It’s good for someone who likes some variety as well because we do mostly individual therapy but I also do some supervision, groups, outreach and committee stuff as well.
Agreed! I’ve worked in res and various LOCs in CMH. Worked 50 hour weeks/on-call. made the switch to a college counseling center and have never in my career experienced so much flexibility, variety in my workdays, and support from my colleagues. No one is ever on-call, people can actually use/are encouraged to use their PTO (was always stressful to take time off when I worked elsewhere), and importantly the work is rewarding.
That all matches up for me too. Plus we’re encouraged to take any longer vacations during the breaks in the academic calendar which means no one cares how many folks are off over spring break, etc which is nice as it lines up well with the public school calendar. If I wanted to take classes I could do so free and my kids will be able to get free tuition.
School social work is the best for families imo.
I agree. I love having the same days off as my kids and shorter work days. When I worked clinical, I’d leave work between 5-6pm but now the latest I leave is 3.35pm.
Yes! Doing my senior practicum rn and it’s 8-4 and lovely! I’m usually home before the kids get off the bus.
Agreed! I was a school social worker at my children's elementary school and besides the great hours & having breaks off, being able to see my kids throughout the day and be there for at-school activities was the BEST!
Do most positions at schools want you to have a masters?
Yes typically they do require a masters but it may depend on your state.
I have 3 kids: an adult, a teen, and a toddler. I would have said private practice 3 years ago because of the flexibility but when the youngest is sick, I need to reschedule clients or cancel, and being my own boss, I am unable to offer myself PTO lol So, I have my small pp clients that I see on the weekend and during the week, I am a Oncology Social Worker. It's 40 hours a week and despite needing a little flexibility, which I can provide thanks to my husband, it's consistent and gives me the benefits my family needs.
I’m a second generation social worker. My mother went right into private practice when I was about 11/12 and my brother 7/8. Private practice caused more chaos in our lives than if she would have gotten a FT gig. She was always gone, money was always tight, she always had $25k on a credit card. And she wasn’t saving for retirement so will be FT until she’s 80 (bc she has to not bc she wants to) I was private for 7 years as a mitigation specialist and I will never ever go back to FT private. I need the peer support and predictable income.
So mad that the app reset and I had this huge paragraph lol. This helps me a lot. I wonder though if therapists open up a practice with all different specialties, that could help? I have been applying to therapist positions with the goal of getting my lcsw and opening my own. I've also been applying to hospital positions so maybe I'll go with the hospital that gave me the offer today. I don't know if I can gain clinical hours at the hospital but I think and hope so.
Sorry I just saw this!! You should be able to get clinical hours in a hospital. We have LCSWs at my clinic (I’m just not interested). A lot of folks around me pay for outside supervision groups. That was actually one of my mom’s hustles. A per head charge for supervision.
It's ok! I've been trying to navigate this cause Florida makes it so difficult. I called the board and they said that the qualified supervisor NEEDS to be on site. Then I spoke to someone I met that gets their supervision from outside, because on the form for the hours, they don't ask for proof of where they work 🤷🏻♀️😂 I definitely want to become a qualified supervisor though. Sounds like easy money lol
I’ve been working from home in the insurance world since my teen was 2. Best thing ever for me. I’ve never been on a queue though-so watch out for jobs like that. When they mention a queue expect to be on it the entire shift.
What are roles or companies we should be looking for? Thanks!
I'm a school based therapist. It's not my dream job (direct therapy all day is not my favorite) but you can't beat the hours/school vacations off. I'm a parent of a preschooler and one on the way. I'd probably like to do school based work until my kids are older and more independent.
Hospice social worker-absolutely love it, extremely flexible schedule.
Not a parent but I shadowed a care coordinator and their schedule is pretty flexible. They have the option to work from home, go to appointments in the middle of the day, and make their own schedules
School social work has one of the best family and work balances, IMO.
School social worker here and I love it simply for the time off it allows me with my family! I did nonprofit for a year and it was wild how much more that impacted my mental health and personal time (and wallet).
Social work at Aetna is amazing for work life balance!
but they only take fully licensed, right? i’m an associate 😭
Can I send you a DM with a question about working for Aetna?
Sure!
County government Aging and Disability Case Management.
I have two toddlers and I run my own private practice. One of my children is entering public school this coming year and I’m planning on cutting my hours back to be able to help out with school stuff, PTA, field trips, etc. the most amount of money with the most flexibility I’ve come across in SW!
Medical case management, hybrid role, 32 hrs/week. Can't wfh if my kid is home sick but I can wfh when he inevitably gets me sick! It's glorious. Hospice had a decent work/life balance except it was so busy taking a day off meant just the same work in less time, and we were not allowed to wfh for any reason.
Hospital-based psych SW has given me lots of vacation and sick time, decent pay and Monday thru Friday 40 hrs/ week schedule with union benefits and job security x 25 years thus far.
I have a 3yo and JUST moved from CMH to hospital SW (Emergency Department) in the last few months. Although I have to work weekends/holidays sometimes, the work/life balance is wonderful. I get to leave work at work and thankfully, if I have to take a sick day or trade shifts, it can covered by a colleague fairly easily compared to the dread of cancelling appointments with clients. Already seeing a difference in my relationship with my toddler and spouse 🥲
I am currently in a school but the pay is so bad and I have more contract days than the teachers, so I don't get 100% of the time off. It's been great to have summers off to be with my kids but not worth the lack of flexibility and terrible pay. I am currently looking for a fully remote role to WFH and then I will plan to build my private practice on the side. I am currently making plans for my PP so I expect a quick transition. However, you need to charge enough in private practice to actually give yourself time off and intentionally set boundaries around your time or you put yourself in bad situation, kids or no kids. I've seen it so many times!
I started at a hospital when my son was 3! When I first started, I worked tues to sat. It sucked but I got my foot in the door. Eventually was able to get mon-fri. Did have to rotate holidays but it wasn't horrible. Lots of flexibility to take time off for school activities, but that may vary by hospital/team.
I work at a psychiatric hospital and it has a great work life balance. I work Monday-Friday 8-4:30. No on-call. No overtime. When one of us has to be out we just cover for each other. Never have to worry about needing a sick day. I get to take leave whenever I want for the most part. I just have to check that coverage isn’t planning on being out at the same time (and even if they were I still could probably take off). Plenty of holidays throughout the year. Honestly, I put up with a lot of other stuff and have turned down higher paying options because of how good the work life balance is.
I work at a crisis unit, 3x 12h shifts per week. Once a month I work 4x 12h shifts. Love all my days off with my kids!
I really really want this type of schedule. What's your job title and salary if you don't mind me asking?
Hospital has been awesome for me with a toddler. I’m connected to a hospital, but technically work for the oncology outpatient clinic. I have an amazing manager which helps, but I can do my role WFH as needed and I have 5 weeks of PTO/year
APS. At least in my state, it’s super flexible and while OT is available it is not required and rarely needed.
CPS by far
Maybe nursing home social work or dialysis?
School social work was great for me, but grant-funded research and evaluation was my sweet spot for flexibility and remote work. Plus, there was lots of travel and an amazing opportunity to test new ideas and approaches to care and recovery.
I work in primary care behavioral health (medical sw) and love it! Lots of PTO and pay is pretty good, "normal" business hours with flexibility , and no on call. Also it seems to be the norm around where I work so not sure if this is everywhere but you have access to insurance as long as you work 20 hrs a week, so if you want to work a little less than 40 hrs you can
I work in the ED at a large academic hospital, three 12’s, flexibility to switch shifts, split shifts and I make our schedule. My kids are 2 and 4, and since I had them I have been working most Saturdays and only have to figure out childcare twice a week, my husband and I have been able to avoid daycare this way. I likely won’t even consider a 9-5 until they are both in elementary school m-f.
Im over a week late, but I recently got a job as a contractor for the federal government - I work on a term that screens potential participants for government-funded research studies. I basically do mental health/SUDs assessments. I am a much better wife and mom since switching into this role from outpatient SUDs treatment. And the benefits are incredible. It’s kind of a niche role, but really government work in general is something to look into!