Hi everyone,
I've been lurking this great place for a few months now, and I'd like to belatedly tip my toe into the pool and introduce myself to you all before I get too pathetically delinquent.
My name is Drew, and I'm a practicing licensed independent clinical social worker in the U.S. I work full-time as a school social worker in a large, public urban middle school of 1200 students, and I serve clients part-time as an individual and family therapist at a community outpatient mental health clinic, where I split my time between outreach and clinic-based work.
One thing I love about clinical social work is the amount of variety inherent in the profession. I've always hesitated to claim a particular specialty (more to do with my personality than I'd like to admit, I think), and I've always maintained a wide variety of clients in my caseload, but when I'm honest with myself and look at my professional experience, I suppose I'd have to say that the majority of my work has been focused on adolescents - more specifically, those presenting with oppositional-defiant/conduct disordered behaviors.
I enjoy the variety in clients and presenting problems that I get to work with in the large regular-ed environment. Before I began working full-time at the school, I carried a full caseload at the outpatient agency, and the vast majority of my clients were ODD/CD boys - in no large part due to the fact that there are plenty out there and very few male clinicians to work with them, so I was happy to oblige. I used to carry a caseload of anywhere between 30-40 (not all weekly clients, obviously), and I think the greatest number of females I ever had at one time was 5.
My next professional steps will be to begin doing emergency screening work for a local mobile crisis team, and begin the credentialing application processes to test the waters of doing true private practice work.
I think this forum and community is phenomenal, and I've already taken much more advantage of its resources than I have contributed. Specifically, I've downloaded some excellent coping strategy resources for clients that have come in very handy (and appreciated - no less...thanks Dr. Dave!) I look forward to contributing from time to time and learning from all of you - I especially respect and am humbled by those of you who come here to share your own personal struggles and experiences coping with your challenges - I learn a great deal from you all. :wave4:
I've been lurking this great place for a few months now, and I'd like to belatedly tip my toe into the pool and introduce myself to you all before I get too pathetically delinquent.
My name is Drew, and I'm a practicing licensed independent clinical social worker in the U.S. I work full-time as a school social worker in a large, public urban middle school of 1200 students, and I serve clients part-time as an individual and family therapist at a community outpatient mental health clinic, where I split my time between outreach and clinic-based work.
One thing I love about clinical social work is the amount of variety inherent in the profession. I've always hesitated to claim a particular specialty (more to do with my personality than I'd like to admit, I think), and I've always maintained a wide variety of clients in my caseload, but when I'm honest with myself and look at my professional experience, I suppose I'd have to say that the majority of my work has been focused on adolescents - more specifically, those presenting with oppositional-defiant/conduct disordered behaviors.
I enjoy the variety in clients and presenting problems that I get to work with in the large regular-ed environment. Before I began working full-time at the school, I carried a full caseload at the outpatient agency, and the vast majority of my clients were ODD/CD boys - in no large part due to the fact that there are plenty out there and very few male clinicians to work with them, so I was happy to oblige. I used to carry a caseload of anywhere between 30-40 (not all weekly clients, obviously), and I think the greatest number of females I ever had at one time was 5.
My next professional steps will be to begin doing emergency screening work for a local mobile crisis team, and begin the credentialing application processes to test the waters of doing true private practice work.
I think this forum and community is phenomenal, and I've already taken much more advantage of its resources than I have contributed. Specifically, I've downloaded some excellent coping strategy resources for clients that have come in very handy (and appreciated - no less...thanks Dr. Dave!) I look forward to contributing from time to time and learning from all of you - I especially respect and am humbled by those of you who come here to share your own personal struggles and experiences coping with your challenges - I learn a great deal from you all. :wave4:
