r/socialworkresources

I am looking into two programs for my MSW Online.

I work as a Substance Abuse Counselor and University of North Alabama allows me to use my job as internships. The problem is I don’t have a MSW OR LCSW on site. They said I just need to meet with a MSW with two years experience during my internship and hour a week.

Since they do not provide one, I’m worried about having to pay one out of pocket. Are there normally alumni who will do this pro bono or any social workers willing to meet with me once a week during my internship (zoom is allowed) to sign off on my hours, pro bono. I know it’s a long shot.

I've been developing a free community resource platform called Gather, and I'd love to get honest feedback before continuing to expand it.
Gather is designed to make it easier for people to find help when they need it most. Using your current location, it displays nearby food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, emergency housing, healthcare and urgent care, addiction recovery services, crisis support, clothing assistance, and other nonprofit or public assistance organizations in one place.

But Gather is intended to be much more than a resource directory. One of its core features is helping reduce food waste while getting more food to people who need it. Grocery stores can subscribe to the platform and quickly post surplus food that would otherwise be discarded. Nearby food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, and other aid organizations receive alerts so they can claim and coordinate pickup of available donations before they go to waste. All Subscription proceeds are intended to benefit Partnership to End Addiction.

Gather also includes a community support system that allows aid organizations to create public wish lists of the supplies they need most—everything from hygiene products and diapers to blankets, cleaning supplies, and other essentials. Individuals experiencing hardship can submit requests for needed items through participating organizations. When a donor purchases those items, they are shipped directly to a participating aid organization for local pickup, providing a simple and organized way to connect donors with people in need.
For people who simply want to help their community, Gather also provides an easy way to purchase essential supplies for individuals experiencing homelessness or financial hardship through participating organizations, allowing donors to contribute tangible items where they're needed most.

My goal is to build a platform that not only helps people locate assistance, but also strengthens connections between donors, nonprofits, grocery stores, volunteers, and the communities they serve.
The project is still actively being developed, and I'd really appreciate constructive feedback.

If you work with a nonprofit, grocery store, healthcare organization, or community program, would something like this be useful?

Whether you're a developer, someone who works in the nonprofit sector, or simply someone who wants to help others, I'd genuinely appreciate your perspective.

You can check it out here:
https://live-gather.org

Thanks for taking the time to look it over. Every piece of feedback helps move the project closer to becoming a genuinely useful tool for communities.

Hi everyone,

We're a licensed home care agency in Massachusetts and have been trying to enroll as an ISCH (Individual Support and Community Habilitation) provider. We've submitted our application three times, but unfortunately, it has been denied each time. We haven't received much guidance on what specifically needs to be corrected.

We're hoping to connect with agencies or providers who have successfully completed this process.

A few questions:

• What did the enrollment process look like for you?
• Were there any common issues or requirements that were easy to overlook?
• Did you have to revise your application before getting approved?
• Is there anything you wish you had known before applying?

We'd really appreciate any advice, tips, or resources you can share. Even if you're willing to chat privately about your experience, we'd be very grateful.

Thank you in advance!

My grandmother recently got guardianship of my 16-year-old little brother. Our mom passed away in 2014, and he's been raised by other family members since he was about 5. They recently gave up guardianship, saying they couldn't handle him anymore. Whenever we asked what was going on or how we could help, they were very vague and even made comments like, "Well, he won't kill you in your sleep."

Since moving in with us, he's been collecting weapons, making collages of guns, lying constantly, stealing, and manipulating people around him. He seems to crave attention and validation at any cost. He was hospitalized after threatening to take his own life when we confiscated his electronics.

He's also been intentionally failing school and has exhibited concerning behavior toward younger and emotionally vulnerable people. Some of those actions have been reported to the appropriate authorities and are currently being investigated. The police have told us they're speaking with the district attorney to determine what, if any, legal action can be taken. At the same time, people are helping us look into resources and possible options for our family.

We've told the hospital that we genuinely believe he needs residential treatment because we're concerned about both his safety and the safety of everyone in the home. He's even said himself in the past that he thinks he needs residential treatment, so this isn't a new idea. We're hoping they'll take those concerns seriously and fully evaluate what level of care is appropriate.

One of the things that's been hardest for me was confronting him about sexting a 13 year old. I was telling him the police took his phone, and he was under investigation. His response was to laugh and say, "That was like a year ago," as if it wasn't a big deal. The problem is that wasn't even true, the messages were from the end of January into February of this year. His reaction and apparent lack of concern have made me even more worried.

I'm honestly terrified that he'll be released before we have a safety plan in place. I don't feel safe with him coming back into the house right now, and I don't know what to do. I'm scared that someone could get hurt if he comes home before everyone has a clear plan.
Has anyone been through something similar? If your family pursued residential treatment for a teenager, what was that process like? Were you able to get the help they needed, and how did you handle the time before a long-term plan was in place? What if he tries to kill us?

i’ve been looking more seriously into social work licensing lately, and I’m curious how much of a difference clinical licensure actually makes in practice

from what I’m seeing, LCSW/clinical licensure can open doors that are harder to access without it, private practice, insurance reimbursement, clinical supervision, telehealth, consulting, more independent roles, etc. It also seems like it can give people more control over their career path

but the process is a lot, supervision hours, exam prep, fees, time, stress, and sometimes paying for extra support or study materials... so I’m wondering how the roi has actually played out for people already in the field.

for those who are clinically licensed:

• how did licensure noticeably increase your salary?
• how did it change the types of jobs you were eligible for?
• Did it improve your flexibility or work-life balance?
• Was the time and financial investment worth it?
• Anything you wish you knew before starting the process?

just trying to understand whether the payoff is as significant as it looks on paper or whether it depends heavily on location, specialty, and career goals

Hello I am located in California. I am asking for help on behalf of my brother. Him and his Partner separated awhile back and she moved away with their son. He doesn’t have an official plan with her on how to visit him or how to financially support them. He’s unemployed and usually when he does come up with some money she allows him to see him as long as she receives some money which i think it’s fair. My issue with this is that there’s no official record of this happening. He’s a Traumatic Brain Injury victim and while he’s very capable and without talking negatively on the other individual i feel like he is being taking advantage emotionally through the use of my nephew. Because of his accident, he doesn’t feel secure in contacting a social worker. I have suggested it many times but I myself don’t know much. I was wondering if despite his employment statues and health if he were to reach out for help is there any hope for him and his family to have visitation granted? Eveytime i suggest it he lists down reasons why it’ll be worse for him because of his conditions. He believes it’ll actually grant no visitation at all but im not sure if that’s how it works. We don’t know anything and this lack of knowledge is taking time away from him and involvement in his son’s life and development. Can someone explain to us what a typical scenario plays out when a social worker gets involve in separated family. I don’t even know how to word this post. we just need guidance. thank you so much.