Social Work Jobs (Chapel Hill, Star: chapel, new home, look for a job)

[seattleswrk]

(Since this seems like such a helpful place I'll post again...)

I have a MSW from a good university in Seattle and am thinking about relocating to the Triangle area and start many aspects of my life over. I have work experience in Head Start, child welfare, sexual abuse and trauma counseling and women's issues. I'm looking around for a non-profit for clinical work, a university program for research opportunities or a Head Start/early childhood ed program for supervisory level work.

Any recommendations of agencies?
Places to look for a job (other than craigslist or the paper)?

Thank you!

[lamishra]

Telemon corporation runs the Head Start programs in Wake County and I did just recently see a job with them advertised. I did my thesis with the Head Start population and enjoyed working with the Telemon Employees.

[nyc2nc?]

Hi seattleswkr!

I also have an MSW and am planning to relocate from NYC to the Triangle area! I work as a Medical Social Worker in Home Health Care with older adults, as well as chronically and terminally ill patients. Quite the opposite of your area, but have seen jobs relevant to your interests at the Job Bank on the NASW NC chapter's website. NASW of North Carolina.

There's also a link to the NC Licensure and Certification requirements. NC has stricter licensing rules than here in NY. I currently hold an LMSW and do clinical work, but learned that in NC I will need an LCSW to obtain clinical work. Fortunately, I meet all the necessary requirements to take the ASWB Clinical exam.

However, I don't plan to look for work until my family has gotten settled in to our new home, new school, DH's new job, etc. I don't know which is potentially more stressful...the intensity of my 85 patient caseload, studying for the exam or planning to move my husband, 8 yr old and 2 cats to another state!! Either way, I prefer to do them one at a time!

I will say that coming from NYC, I was pleasantly surprised at the NC SW salary ranges, particularly for work with Children and Families. So hopefully you'll do quite well in your field of practice! Best of luck!
Nikki

[jerseygirlonthemove]

Hi everyone! My husband is a clinical counselor in NJ working with alcohol & drug clients. He's been working on trying to obtain an LPC in NJ and it's taking FOREVER (since last Oct when he applied) and they are also giving A LOT of people a hard time about their master's degree titles and clinical work experience.

With the relocation to NC potentially heading in a positive direction, I was wondering what types of salary ranges you all are finding in the human services fields?

I have to take a hit in salary and I'm concerned with whether or not my husband can find work with a reasonable/comparable salary where we can be comfortable down there. He's currently in the low 40's.

When you say NC has stricter rules and regs, can you clarify? He would be looking to apply/transfer for his LPC in NC (possibly obtain an LCADC).

[nyc2nc?]

Let me clarify that I cannot say NC has higher standards or salaries across the board. By stricter licensing rules, I was referring to the requirements for my License in NY (LMSW) being equivalent to those of a Certification (CMSW) in NC; a step lower than a license. So though I'm qualified and experienced to practice clinical work, I wouldn't be able to apply for clinical positions there without the LCSW. However, the requirements for LCSW in NY and NC are similar. I only need one recommendation from a supervisor here, but three recommendations for NC. However, the # of yrs of clinical experience required here (3) is higher than NC (2). This forces me to get the LCSW credential, in order to command the position and salary that reflect my actual level of experience. I hope that makes more sense.

In your husband's case with respect to the LPC and LCADC certifications, it may be different. He may already have the necessary requirements needed to obtain an LPC or even the LCADC there with less of a hassle than he's getting in NJ. I suggest contacting the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board for more information. Perhaps they can clarify or point you in the direction of where you can get clarification specific to counselors.
Phone: 336-625-1679 or 1-800-550-7009
email: swboard@asheboro.com
web page: NCCBSW.ORG

In terms of salary, I'm seeing ranges at least $10K above similar positions here. I was prepared to see much lower ranges. But I also have to admit that many of the postings I've seen don't indicate salary at all. So I might me off base. However, I did see ranges between $50K and $70K for positions in Wake County's dept of Health and Human services.

HTH,
Nikki

[jerseygirlonthemove]

Thank you for all this information. This will come in handy.

Good luck to you.

[nymswtonc]

I recently obtained my MSW in New York and I don't have licensure yet, but I'm in the process of looking for a SW position in the Triangle with not too much luck.

It seems as though almost all of the jobs advertised here are agencies that deal with MD/DD or Child/Family welfare (which I have little experience with)...I'm just wondering: where are all of the SPMI (seriously and persistently mentally ill) and Co-occurring disorder agencies/hospitals, day treatment, etc? Is there just no funding for these people down here or have they sent them all up north?

[aphorista]

Here is a link for state jobs, click on human services for a list of jobs for Social workers and LPC's (aka Staff Psychologist II on the state job list). You can sort by date or county. Good luck!

Job Seekers

[bisuffolk]

i am an LCSW-0R from LI NY who is relocating to the TRIangle area. i have had great success in locating positions from the NC NASW job bank as well as the web pasges for UNC and DUKE. Also try the Wake gov web site.

for the SPMI and SA pops you will have a good chance looking into the proivate corporations that do the counseling as NC is going throough a huge reform of the MH system (divestiture). basically, NC is taking tx away from the county state and privatizing it. you have LME or local management entities that do the assessments and referrals to the community agencies. it appears to be an area of great change. many say it has been tumoltuous but with fchange comes oppertunity.

also consider the drug companies located in the RTP area as well as the managed care companies for employment.

hoope it was helpful.

feel free to IM me as i have done a considerable amount of research on the topic.

[alzora]

UNC-Chapel Hill has a top-10 ranked graduate social work program. That is a good place to look for research opportunities. They also hire MSW's for other types of administrative and program-related positions. Just be aware that in NC, especially in the Triangle, you are competing with graduates from that program ... many of whom stay in this area. Good luck.