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Sean
Student
Fountain Valley, California
1
Question
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What is the best route to becoming a LCSW?
I want to find the most affordable way to get my PsyD through becoming a social worker.
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3 answers
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1880
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hi, Sean !
Great question !
You would first go to undergraduate college and major in Social Work and then enter a Masters Degree Program for Social Work. You take the exam for Social Worker Certification and Licensing and then go for your Doctorate- the PsyD degree for Psychology. It's an excellent path that will provide you with a career directly providing services to people in a clinical therapy or counseling office setting.
Your Social Work path will teach you the theories and techniques of conducting psychotherapy. It takes six years to become a Certified Licensed Social Worker (who can do clinical psychotherapy) and then more years for your doctorate (PsyD). You can start out inexpensively at at community college at which tuition is comparatively low and you can receive federal financial aid for it and your Bachelors Degree. You can apply for Scholarships and Grants for your Masters and Doctorate. Starting at a community college can give you an inexpensive start and then attending a State University may be comparatively less expensive then other Universities. The PsyD doctorate program can take anywhere from four to five years, but can be longer depending on how long a student takes to complete their dissertation. I think it's a good move to take the PsyD as opposed to the PhD, though.
Your first step would be to explore colleges that offer a good Social Work major. Keeping in mind that you want this path to be as inexpensive as possible, I can cite that one of your options might be California State University, Fullerton. I left the link to CSUF social work department for you below, but it is not current. You can e-mail, call or visit the campus for current information. UCLA and UC Berkley are expensive. An alternative would be to attend a community college majoring in Psychology (because not many near you offer social work) and go for your Bachelors in Social Work. That would work. For example, at Coastline College (link is below) you can obtain your Associates of Science Degree in Psychology.
So the best first step for you would be to decide if you'd like to go to a two year college for an Associates in Psychology (which would be to cut tuition costs for the first two years). If not, keep in mind that an undergraduate degree in Psychology is fine for what you want but the masters could be social work or psychology. I think you need more time to think about this as well as visiting your guidance counselor who can match up programs, degrees and where you can expect to attend college for the program you want. It's something that would really need to be done in person and would depend on how open minded you are to modify your path from what you've said here.
I hope that this is helpful for a start and I wish you well in all you do !
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON ARCHIVE SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT INFORMATION https://catalog.fullerton.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=61&ent_oid=6980&returnto=7393
COASTLINE COLLEGE IN FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA FOR AN ASSOCIATES IN SCIENCE DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY https://www.coastline.edu/index.php
Great question !
You would first go to undergraduate college and major in Social Work and then enter a Masters Degree Program for Social Work. You take the exam for Social Worker Certification and Licensing and then go for your Doctorate- the PsyD degree for Psychology. It's an excellent path that will provide you with a career directly providing services to people in a clinical therapy or counseling office setting.
Your Social Work path will teach you the theories and techniques of conducting psychotherapy. It takes six years to become a Certified Licensed Social Worker (who can do clinical psychotherapy) and then more years for your doctorate (PsyD). You can start out inexpensively at at community college at which tuition is comparatively low and you can receive federal financial aid for it and your Bachelors Degree. You can apply for Scholarships and Grants for your Masters and Doctorate. Starting at a community college can give you an inexpensive start and then attending a State University may be comparatively less expensive then other Universities. The PsyD doctorate program can take anywhere from four to five years, but can be longer depending on how long a student takes to complete their dissertation. I think it's a good move to take the PsyD as opposed to the PhD, though.
Your first step would be to explore colleges that offer a good Social Work major. Keeping in mind that you want this path to be as inexpensive as possible, I can cite that one of your options might be California State University, Fullerton. I left the link to CSUF social work department for you below, but it is not current. You can e-mail, call or visit the campus for current information. UCLA and UC Berkley are expensive. An alternative would be to attend a community college majoring in Psychology (because not many near you offer social work) and go for your Bachelors in Social Work. That would work. For example, at Coastline College (link is below) you can obtain your Associates of Science Degree in Psychology.
So the best first step for you would be to decide if you'd like to go to a two year college for an Associates in Psychology (which would be to cut tuition costs for the first two years). If not, keep in mind that an undergraduate degree in Psychology is fine for what you want but the masters could be social work or psychology. I think you need more time to think about this as well as visiting your guidance counselor who can match up programs, degrees and where you can expect to attend college for the program you want. It's something that would really need to be done in person and would depend on how open minded you are to modify your path from what you've said here.
I hope that this is helpful for a start and I wish you well in all you do !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Thank you so much! I just graduated from Coastline and am starting at CSU Chico on Monday for BA in Sociology. I'm hoping to go to CSUF for my masters.
Sean
You are welcome ! If you want to eventually go into social work or Psychology, sociology is not the ideal major, but go for it ! A Sociology path does not prepare you for Social Work or Psychology careers. Consider taking a few Sociology courses and think about focusing a major for psychology if that's what you want to do in the long run. Have a great time - enjoy CSU Chico !
Michelle M.
Anne O'Hara, LCSW
Outpatient Therapist
13
Answers
Radford, Virginia
Updated
Anne’s Answer
Hi Sean! You will need to obtain a clinical focus master's degree in social work which means taking specialized classes for clinical work and a clinical internship placement. After you graduate, you will register for supervision with your state licensing board (sometimes your work will provide a supervisor and sometimes you need to find an independent supervisor - if this is the case you will need to budget for supervision meetings because they cost money.) Depending on your state, you will need a set amount of clinical hours, non-clinical hours, and supervision hours before you are eligible to test for your LCSW exam. This whole process takes around 2 years at least as a resident/supervisee.
I will say, you do not need your PsyD to practice independently, while it is nice, licensed masters level providers are typically the highest level for social work unless you are planning on doing research or teaching.
I will say, you do not need your PsyD to practice independently, while it is nice, licensed masters level providers are typically the highest level for social work unless you are planning on doing research or teaching.
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1593
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Sean a LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) license is required for someone wishing to work as an independent clinical social worker in California. Not all social work jobs require a license, but it is required if you want to have a private practice, supervise social workers in training or hold a clinical administration position
STEP 1) BACHELOR'S IN SOCIAL WORK
First step aspiring LCSWs should take is obtaining a bachelor’s in social work (B.S.W.) or a closely related degree like a bachelor’s in psychology or a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Bachelor’s degrees typically require four years of full-time study and comprise general education and major-specific coursework.
STEP 2) EARN MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK
LCSWs must earn a master’s in social work (M.S.W.), and the M.S.W. program should be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This degree typically requires two years of full-time study where students explore social work practice theories, social policy, research methodologies, human behavior and ethics. Many M.S.W. programs offer both general and specialized tracks. Specialized M.S.W. degrees build upon the generalist foundation, focusing on advanced social work practice methods tailored to a particular client type or population.
STEP 3) COMPLETE SUPERVISED TRAINING
After earning your M.S.W., you must complete a certain amount of supervised clinical hours to meet state licensure requirements for clinical social workers. Specific hour requirements vary from state to state, but most states require around 3,000 hours, or roughly two years, of supervised clinical experience.
STEP 4) OBTAIN YOUR LICENSE
Clinical social workers must obtain licensure from their state licensing board to practice. Before registering for the licensing exam, you must apply for licensure and receive approval from your state’s regulatory board.
STEP 1) BACHELOR'S IN SOCIAL WORK
First step aspiring LCSWs should take is obtaining a bachelor’s in social work (B.S.W.) or a closely related degree like a bachelor’s in psychology or a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Bachelor’s degrees typically require four years of full-time study and comprise general education and major-specific coursework.
STEP 2) EARN MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK
LCSWs must earn a master’s in social work (M.S.W.), and the M.S.W. program should be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This degree typically requires two years of full-time study where students explore social work practice theories, social policy, research methodologies, human behavior and ethics. Many M.S.W. programs offer both general and specialized tracks. Specialized M.S.W. degrees build upon the generalist foundation, focusing on advanced social work practice methods tailored to a particular client type or population.
STEP 3) COMPLETE SUPERVISED TRAINING
After earning your M.S.W., you must complete a certain amount of supervised clinical hours to meet state licensure requirements for clinical social workers. Specific hour requirements vary from state to state, but most states require around 3,000 hours, or roughly two years, of supervised clinical experience.
STEP 4) OBTAIN YOUR LICENSE
Clinical social workers must obtain licensure from their state licensing board to practice. Before registering for the licensing exam, you must apply for licensure and receive approval from your state’s regulatory board.
Thank you for the advice, Doc.
Sean