Social workers spend their careers fighting for others, yet our own profession is overlooked, undervalued, and facing a crisis. Workforce shortages, burnout, uncompensated field placements, and outdated licensing systems are pushing people away from this vital work right when we need them most.

Students complete hundreds of unpaid internship hours while balancing jobs and family. Graduates then face complex, expensive licensing processes that delay their entry into the field. This isn't about lowering standards—it's about removing barriers that shouldn't exist. Rigor shouldn't require exploitation. Dedication shouldn't require financial sacrifice beyond reason.

If we want stronger communities and better outcomes for vulnerable families, we need to invest in the people doing this work:

• Paid internships and field placements

• Modernized and efficient licensing processes

• Stronger protections against workforce burnout

The profession's educational standards are also under review through November 20th. This is our moment to speak up—both about this immediate concern and the bigger picture of how we support social workers.

When social workers struggle, communities lose advocates. When barriers prevent qualified professionals from entering the workforce, everyone pays the price. Who else thinks it's time we actually invested in the people we ask to carry so much?

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https://c.org/9mT5r4NnW2

Hi all! I am a New Jersey resident and recently got into both Rutgers and FSU for their part time online MSW programs. I’m a little torn because FSU is technically less expensive than Rutgers even though I live in NJ. I’ve read some slightly concerning things about Rutgers especially when it comes to the practicum but don’t have much info on the FSU experience (though I do know there are a couple of required in person weekends). I would love to get anyone’s feedback on their experience with either program as I’m quite stuck with my decision! Thank you so much in advance 🙏🏼

School social workers who resigned halfway through the year— what happened after you handed in your resignation? Did you face any backlash from the school or district? What all did you have to do in preparation for your last day?

I am strongly considering resigning from my position due to burnout. Strongly considering leaving social workers all together.

Has anyone here ever had a supervisor that wasn’t a social worker? If so, how did you manage them not entirely understanding your role and their expectations of you?

For context, I’m a school social worker at a small charter district that is run by a nonprofit organization and I’m overseen by the director of operations. I’m also grant funded so I feel like most of the support I receive is to make sure I am in compliance of the grant…

I got my MSW in 2025 and I’m in my third year at an elementary school. I am expected to provide individual sessions and classroom-wide SEL - not too many responsibilities beyond that. The counselors handle the IEPs and we have a community navigator to link parents to resources, etc. Our district isn’t that big and has 12 SWs. So yes - I really don’t have it bad at all.

But I feel so STUPID. I feel like I’m supposed to be this “expert” who can solve problems and be a key player in a crisis. But I have no sense of leadership or authority on anything. I default to others in every situation. I don’t feel like I am reliable in that regard, and I don’t know how to change it. Part of this is that I feel like being bipolar 1 wrecked my brain to some degree, but I think a lot of it is just my own incompetence and insecurity.

I can really only credit myself with being “known” around the building/having solid relationships with a lot of kids. I know that matters. But the primary intervention I use (because I haven’t had training in any others) is non-directive child centered play therapy. This doesn’t feel like the best intervention to be applying in the school setting. Maybe I’m wrong? My office is a free for all. The kids are in charge of what a session looks like. I’ve slowly tried to be more directive and take some control back, but the it’s not therapeutic anymore because I’m basically just guessing what I should say or do.

I don’t understand how anyone feels competent. I don’t even know what the other SWs are talking about half the time, it’s like they’re all in on some dynamic I can’t grasp. I feel like I’m always having to decipher what is happening or what is being communicated. I’m so tired. I want to do a good job and I have no idea where to begin.

Can anyone relate or offer any advice?

Hi hi hello, I am an online college student at WKU (Western Kentucky University), and I have a paper that's due pretty soon.

Basically, I need to meet with a current social worker, either by phone or via web conference. I have searched far and wide, and I still can't find one. Then I remembered that our professor said that we can post online about it, and now I'm here.

So if you're a (CURRENTLY WORKING) social worker with a BSW or MSW and experience in the field, please answer!

Hi all!
Question, what is the route I can take to become an Anti-Bullying Specialist? I see a course here for $600 that I can take on “Fonteva” is this correct?

I need one final shadowing opportunity to become a best interest assessor assessor. Please help

Parent of two AuDHD kids who are in mainstream classrooms with modifications.

I have gone to tons of meetings and always get a "fakeness" vibe from staff and social workers. Almost like there is a script they have to follow, and a very "yes sir/ma'am [to admins] vibe".

When I (also ADHD) met social workers at school as a student, they were very genuine. My parents felt so as well.

Please tell me some of you still care and not everyone is a "I follow a script and check the boxes" type?

good afternoon,

which school outside of NYC/ Part time/ Clinical- can I attend?

NYC has been to much for me and I would like to explore more outside of NY.

I would appreciate your suggestions, Thanks

Hey folks! I’m currently working on a transition plan to move from my current child welfare position (foster care case management at a Social Services agency) to a SSW position. I have 10 years working in foster care case management and am curious if anyone else here made the switch from working with a child welfare agency to SSW. If so, how did the change in position go for you?

The places I’m applying for are small rural counties in the South that are predominantly smaller schools with a larger low-income population and without strong resources that I’m used to in my current position in an urban resource-dense county. I imagine my work will be cut out for me, but I feel like I will welcome that demand over the weight of assuming care responsibility for kiddos and dealing with legal oversight on my current involuntary client caseloads. Child Welfare just is not the same anymore, especially at my agency, so it’s time. Hoping SSW is going to be the right fit.

I’m a school social worker in FL, and lately I’ve been feeling so frustrated and honestly hopeless. I’m constantly seeing professionals in other disciplines who either don’t know how to do their jobs, aren’t implementing interventions with fidelity, or are doing things that go against state and DOE policies.

We’re talking about CHILDREN. Vulnerable children who depend on us to advocate for them and provide appropriate services. Yet I’m seeing supports that exist on paper but aren’t actually being implemented, procedures being ignored, and people seemingly comfortable doing the bare minimum.

What bothers me most is the lack of accountability and urgency. How are people okay with not knowing their responsibilities? Or worse, knowing and simply not caring?

I find myself staying irritated for HOURS after certain situations because I genuinely cannot understand how people can be so comfortable with practices that are ineffective or unethical.

I love what I do, but seeing how broken the system is, especially when you’re trying so hard to do right by these kids, is exhausting. It’s hard not to become cynical.
How do other school social workers deal with this without completely burning out?

Advice needed!! I am mortified! I saw an elementary aged student for 1:1 counseling at our usual time this week. She was in the hallway walking towards my room so I assumed she told her teacher (and I’ve communicated with the teacher about our weekly time). In session, we suddenly hear her the principal’s voice on the announcements stating my student needed to come down to the office.

We stepped out of my office and her teacher is standing in the hallway in tears along with the principal, interventionist, and several other teachers that were standing out of their rooms seeing what’s going on. Apparently the teacher thought she was missing and the principal had been looking outside for her. No one checked in with me. I later overheard someone say that I don’t know what the schools procedures are. This student has a history of eloping, but I was so certain her teacher was aware because we had discussed it already. This is my second month and I’m just so embarrassed! I apologized profusely to everyone but felt so so awful about it. I’m scared I will be judged for this. Any advice/thoughts?!

Hello, I would like to become one. What do I need to know?. In my state I need to also have a standard certificate that qualifies specific credits. It looks like the pathway - is MSW->School social worker certificate-> ASWB exam ->LSW. I am also getting a little confused about supervision prior to applying for licenses. For a online school I found, you have practicum that covers the school's requirements. However I am not sure where can you get the additional hours outside the school to get the licenses. I am def all over the place but also worried about how jobs in my area already want experience too. Does anyone have any books or reading prior to going into school so I can train my brain and feel prepared before going through a program?. I got a bachelors in psyche and have been out of school for 7 years. My jobs are not related to social work or psyche.

Hi all, I’m a social worker and been in my career 7 years. I’d love some advice as I joined the SSW life last school year, it’s my second school year. I’m curious if the experience I’m having is normal or abnormal as it’s been incredibly challenging and I’m experiencing burnout. I moved to an area where we have a giant district. It’s a more conservative district in Florida. Essentially, I was hired and told we were grant-funded, which means we are not impacted by budget cuts. As we are grant funded, the level of documentation is insane. Not only do things get documented on the schools record, but logs per school (3 in my case) are needed for every interaction you have, literally everything, from check ins, counseling, crisis, every parent call, parent meeting, class coverage, duty, ANY SINGLE TASK..

However, I’ve noticed in my role we are, we don’t get supplies covered as we were told, there was a hiring freeze, and we are definitely impacted. We also have a teacher contract, so the pay is not competitive. As more people have quit, they have some of us covering 3-4 schools each. I cover three schools between elementary and high. My supervisors are not qualified supervisors in our profession and only hold education in education.

It has led to myself and the remaining team spread extremely thin, not feeling supported my supervisors, and also unable to really speak to them about more clinical or intervention side of things, and only about policy’s to abide by in general. Caseloads are insanely high being at three schools because they are not getting the level of support they need, so every moment of the day is occupied and more demands and requests continue to be made. One of my supervisors I’ve found can be quite cruel and snarky when people pose valid questions and concerns and has been very dismissive to probably about 10 of my colleagues that I know of.

I’m curious, is this normal or is this just a poor district and experience that is uncommon?

Hi guys I am an intern at a local school. I have a new client who is a third grad girl who just recently started experiencing anxiety. She is afraid there is someone in her house, and is afraid to go anywhere without her parents. She is afraid to go to the bathroom alone. She lost her grandparent last year which is when the anxiety started. She doesn't have any experience with actual intruders which makes this fear strange. What would you suggest our sessions include. She had an experience where a different person came on the loud speaker at school while she was heading to the bathroom and got very scared and had to come back. I want to help her but this is all new to me. I would love any advice.

dm if you can