Clinical field placements-- 2nd year MSW

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keylimepi

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Hello!

I'm gearing up to select my 2nd year MSW field placement and would love some feedback. My goal is to continue strengthening my assessment, treatment planning and psychodynamic/therapeutic skills and approach. This year I've been doing a combo of indiv./family/child therapy during home visits to HIV+ women and their HIV- children and have had a solid experience.

My ultimate goal would be to work with adolescents/adults in college counseling office possibly in and EAP or community mental health setting.

I'm getting pressure to spend my 2nd placement in an inpatient or partial-hospitalization program because training in a hospital is rigorous and looked favorably upon on a resume.
I like the idea of a hospital but am concerned about getting stuck with primarily discharge planning rather than psychodynamic work (I know the later makes the former better, but not all places recognize this.)

Do folks agree that inpatient work is necessary and a real resume builder? What about outpatient clinics?

Thanks for your thoughts.

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It depends on where you plan to practice while under review for licensure and then post-licensure.

If you're working in an urban place where nearly everybody has had inpatient experience, it's more important. But if you're in an underserved area, it won't be a deal-breaker. I know a woman who did her first and second year placements in non-clinical settings then went on to work in a clinical setting, because the area where she lives is so under-served.
 
I'm in NYC-- plenty of under-served people in our fine city but certainly not an "under-served area." Thanks for prompting me to include that detail.
 
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New York goes back-and-forth with LA and another city in California (which I can't remember, but I think maybe San Francisco) as the areas with the most saturated social work market. You have to do all you can to make yourself competitive.
 
New York goes back-and-forth with LA and another city in California (which I can't remember, but I think maybe San Francisco) as the areas with the most saturated social work market. You have to do all you can to make yourself competitive.
What are the major internship setting that make for a competitive edge when looking for therapy/mental health settings? Would inpatient be regarded more highly than outpatient work with SPMI?
 
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