Relocating social worker looking for work in child welfare (Raleigh: home, job market)

[LibbyMSW]

I graduated this May from my MSW program. I have several years of work experience, most in foster care, adoption and mental health. I have been applying to jobs posted on the NC OSP website, but have heard no response.

I am wondering how long it takes to hear back from them and if it is appropriate to call and check on the status of my applications?

I worked in Wilmington, NC as a QP before grad school and really don't want to return to direct service work, especially considering the current fiscal state of mental health services in NC at the moment.

I would prefer to work in the foster care/adoption field in some way or another. Any suggestions???

[sowk09]

No suggestions for right now... it's just a crappy time to be getting a job, especially in our field. I also graduated with an MSW in May and have been applying since February. When I do see postings, it's for QP's so, if I were you, I'd do that to get your foot in the door and to keep yourself marketable until the job market swings back up. I don't yet have QP status (bc my experience is unpaid from grad school), so use your QP status to your advantage. I would def. say it's appropriate to call and check on your app. Remember there are TONS of people applying for the same jobs as you right now, so that's probably why you aren't having much luck.

[InformationPlease]

I don't mean to be the bad news poster... but the OSP jobs are nearly impossible to score right now for a multitude of reasons.

1. cuts have already been made

2. more cuts are in line (literally hundreds of jobs from DHHS)

3. competition for those jobs, even in a great economy, is STEEP

4. lots of internal relocating going on due to the cuts, a lot of those jobs are filled in that way

5. even in a great market with perfect conditions, it helps to have connections

I barely got an OSP job immediately following grad school but I decided not to take it for geographic reasons. The pay is good, benefits are good, getting in the system is good... but honestly, it's just as dangerous to be a new hire on the state payroll as it is the new hire at an agency.

That being said, trust me, I completely understand your hesitation to return to direct care. I will NEVER work in community support again... or at least that's what I've told myself 1 billion times since I left my last agency as a broken human being. The good news, at least for me, is that CS is getting phased out... I read somewhere as much as 80% decrease by 2010.

It's a tough call but if you are at all interested in going the clinical route... you could try one of the other options. My last offer was as a mobile crisis clinician. The pay was great, benefits immediate, hours impeccable compared with community support. It bills under ORF's instead of ITR's so it was a change of pace and a bit more justifiable as clinical. There were great supervisory responsibilities that were less firing PP's for being inappropriate... I think there would have only been other licensed pro's under me or at least Q's. My only two conerns, and ultimately why I refused the offer, were geographic (I was ready to relocate) and safety. They were just building the team so there was the responsibility of responding to crisis alone, without backup. I'm not doing that... it was sort of acceptable with my own caseload that I knew well and I LOVE LOVE LOVE crisis (I did 2 years on an inpatient unit) but responding to a stranger triaged only by an access coordinator in their own home is just dumb. I don't see that ending well... even if it's 5 years down the road, if they don't change the way they are sending people out, there will be an issue.

Ok, it's late and I like to ramble on... my point... maybe a different area of direct service would work for you. With foster care... maybe you could be a parent trainer instead of a case manager... I did see an adoptions job posted for Raleigh last month... but nothing since. It was direct clinical stuff with potential families though... Hmm... with mental health, maybe you could do another area you didn't tap before... Possibilities, which I'm sure you already know, range from PRTF's to outpatient therapy. Some of the more rural areas will hire P-LCSW's to provide primary outpatient care... but there would be a commute from the RDU area. Not even sure if you are going clinical...

So, long story short... I honestly do not see state jobs being ANY more reliable than agency jobs right now. I would say agencies might even be better because there are so many more of them... you can just find another agency if you don't like your first one... Or with your experience, you could start your own. Form an LLC and maybe get with an LCSW you know and start up a tiny intensive in home program... Endorsement would take at least 4-5 months but you could work for another agency part-time until you got your own going...

You could try and score a Federal job... there have been at least a dozen social work jobs posted over the last few months. However, most of the time, the VA wants a full license with two years post-master's practice if you apply for one of those positions.

Good luck.

[InformationPlease]

OSP just posted a bunch of early intervention jobs this week. You might have a chance at one of those... I think there was even a supervisory one in Wake County. I'd jump on it asap.

Hope you find what you need!!! Good luck.

[LibbyMSW]

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I appreciate any and all comments.

I have been applying to more state jobs, however I know that everyone else and their mother is too.

In the past week I have found some new opportunities with private organizations and I am hoping that I'll get at least an interview. Wish me luck!