Clinical social work Archives - Page 2 of 22

Therapy and coaching: Understanding the differences

May 15, 2024 by Ben Caldwell

It’s not unusual for private practice therapists to seek to expand their practices through coaching. Some clients will engage in coaching, but not therapy, because of the stigma they associate with therapy. At the same time, some therapists note that the unregulated nature of coaching means that anyone can call themselves a “coach,” regardless of qualifications. So “coaching” sometimes carries stigma in the world of licensed therapists.

Setting aside stigma, though, what are the actual differences between coaching and therapy? How different do these practices need to be in order for therapists to engage in both?

To solve mental health provider shortage, states propose loans they call “scholarships”

April 23, 2024 by Ben Caldwell

Your state needs more mental health providers. Policymakers and professional organizations know this. But legislators are reluctant to take actions that would get more folks licensed. So what can they do instead? Scholarships! (Yes, you should say it this way.)

Write a letter to the editor: Drop the ASWB exams

March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 by Ben Caldwell

Some problems can have large impacts, and still go unnoticed by the public and policymakers. ASWB’s racist exams for social work licensure are a great example. When people learn of the problems with social work exams, they tend to be rightly horrified. But most people don’t know about the problem.

A letter to the editor of your local newspaper can be a great way to raise awareness of this issue, especially in states actively considering alternate pathways to licensure. Here’s a quick guide to writing one.

The mental health workforce shortage solution is right there

April 8, 2023February 14, 2023 by Ben Caldwell

There is a severe mental health workforce shortage in the US. You have heard this time and time again. In a time of unprecedented demand for mental health care – and deaths from lack of it – we simply don’t have enough therapists. And the therapists we do have aren’t representative of the communities they serve.

The solutions proposed for this problem so far are trivial. But there is a readily available solution to the mental health workforce shortage. It could immediately grow the field by thousands of qualified practitioners. It would dramatically improve diversity within the field at the same time. Even better, it would cost states virtually nothing to implement, and could be done in a week.