Counseling social workers provide a vital service to people who need help with many issues, including social problems, family issues and domestic violence. Social work counseling is a demanding but rewarding career for those who like to work closely with people to better their lives. Counseling and social work requires a lot of training that prepares a social worker to interact with people and find the right solutions to their problems.

Counseling in social work requires at least a bachelor's degree, but more education is recommended whether you choose to work with state agencies or go into private practice. You can learn to be a social worker through counseling and social work education and training opportunities such as:

1. A counseling education in the form of a bachelor's social work degree.

2. A master's degree in social work that builds on a specific concentration area.

3. Continuing education programs through professional organizations.

Action Steps
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Train to be a social work counselor with a bachelor's degree program

Anyone interested in a career as a social work counselor should begin with a degree program in social work. This degree program will require you to take many classes that explore human behavior, social issues and legal guidelines for the job. Many university programs also offer field experience to mix classroom and real-world education.

I recommend: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics outlines the training necessary for social workers, as well as certification and licensing programs that must be completed to work in this field. The University of the District of Columbia provides a bachelor's program with an emphasis on human behavior courses. Adelphi University offers many classes in its social work program that focus on field experience.

Earn a master's degree to learn advanced social work counseling techniques

Most social workers can get a job with a bachelor's degree, but many seek a masters degree because it provides even more career opportunities after graduation. Those who have gone through master's programs can become instructors, open their own private practice, or continue working directly with people.

I recommend: The University of Michigan offers many curriculum options for a master's in social work that provide training in specialized topics. Fayetteville State University has a similar master's program where students complete a thesis or research project to acquire professional standing.

Explore continuing education opportunities for social worker counseling

Once you are employed as a social worker, it is a good idea to work with professional organizations to get continuing education in your field. This can be general education, such as that required for state licensing and certification, or you can sign up for workshops and courses in a specialized field of social work.

I recommend: The National Association of Social Workers provides many continuing education opportunities, including optional certifications in social work specialties. The University of Wisconsin offers continuing education programs in social work that provide information necessary to obtain licensing and certification.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you take social work counseling jobs with a government agency, you may be required to take additional social work classes or attend training events. Each state has different requirements.

Mental health social workers see individuals, couples and families who turn to social work counseling for help. They do not necessarily need to see a psychiatrist for their mental health counseling needs. Referrals to a social work private practice may come from school counselors, family doctors or others in the social work profession. Many patients also are self-referred.

Social work counselors are always in great demand. You may provide counseling services to a general population, or you may decide to specialize, offering a narrower focus in your mental health counseling practice. For instance, you may choose to use your social work counseling degree to work with children, substance abusers or couples.

To begin a private practice in counseling and social work, you need to:

1. Develop a business plan to determine start-up and ongoing expenses.

2. Ensure that you have the proper licenses and malpractice insurance coverage to run a social work counseling practice.

3. Set up office space to conduct business as a social worker counselor.

Action Steps
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Create your social work counseling business plan

Before you start a social work counseling private practice, you need to prepare a business plan to ensure that your practice succeeds.

I recommend: Work with a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business counselor. The SBDC has offices in all 50 states and works with entrepreneurs to develop realistic business goals and plans. Your business plan should include a marketing plan, a description of the social work counseling services you will offer, how you will handle billing and insurance, and where you will locate your practice. If you prefer to create your business plan on your own, try Counseling Business Plan, a business planning software program specifically geared to counseling practices.

Secure the proper mental health counseling licenses and insurance

You will need to check with your local and state offices to find out what kinds of licenses and insurance is required in your area to open a social work counseling office. In most states, you should be a licensed clinical social worker (LSCW). This will allow you to bill most health insurance companies. Even if the state in which you are opening your private practice does not require you to carry malpractice insurance, it is critical that you do so to protect your practice and assets from lawsuits.

I recommend: You can apply for liability and malpractice insurance for counseling social workers, which also covers your staff, board of directors and volunteer, through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The NASW site also has links to local chapters, where you can verify the license requirements for your state. The Health Care Providers Service Organization also offers liability insurance products for counseling social workers and other health related private practitioners.

Outsource some of your social work counseling practice operations

Many professionals in the helping fields believe they can do it all. But while you may be a terrific mental health counselor, you may not fare as well at keeping the books straight. You should consider sticking to providing the counseling in your social work counseling practice and outsource other business services to leave you more time to concentrate on your core business of mental health counseling.

I recommend: The AccuPsych income estimator allows you to determine if it may be more cost-effective for you to outsource some or all of your billing practices to this online outsource billing service run by practicing mental health professionals. The company offers three levels of service, depending on what aspects of your billing practices you want to outsource. Behavioral Health Billing, Inc., part of Benchmark Healthcare Billing, Inc., also provides third-party mental health billing for private practice therapists.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Experience working at community mental health counseling centers and in other social work counseling jobs is good preparation for providing counseling in social work services to a diverse client population in your private practice.

Counseling and social work terms can be quite confusing even if you're a professional in the field. Aside from differentiating between disorders, you have to know what types of therapies are available for your clients and lingo that other professionals might use. This will allow you to better help your patients as well as communicate with other therapists. Attaining these goals will help you build a successful and long-lasting practice.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Affective disorders

Also known as mood disorders, these greatly affect a person's mood, making them seem depressed, agitated or even euphoric. Bipolar and cyclothymic sufferers may switch back and forth between these types of moods. Other common affective disorders include major depressive disorder (MDD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Mental illnesses like these are classified as 'Axis I' in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

I recommend: The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center at Houston provides some information on several mood disorders. You can find diagnostic criteria for quite a few Axis I disorders at CounsellingResource.com.

Personality disorders

Counselors and social workers often see people with personality disorders. These disorders are pervasive and highly ingrained; they make up the illnesses that are categorized as 'Axis II' disorders in the DSM. The three main categories of these illnesses are known as Clusters A (odd), B (dramatic) and C (anxious).

I recommend: Mental Health America reviews how to diagnosis personality disorders, the details of each and how to treat them.

Psychosis

Psychotic features are prevalent with both affective disorders and personality disorders. These include auditory and sometimes visual hallucinations, as well as delusions. Medication is the usual course of treatment for those with disorders that include psychosis; hospitalization may be necessary to treat temporary psychotic episodes.

I recommend: Learn more about psychosis, including positive and negative features, at Early Assessment & Support Team.

Cognitive-behavior therapy

Cognitive-behavior therapy, or CBT, is actually the term for a subset of psychological therapies that involves helping patients to understand the link between their thoughts (cognition) and their behavior. These goal-oriented therapies are relatively short-term and can be effective for almost any psychological disorder.

I recommend: The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies offers a variety of resources regarding CBT for professionals, including continuing education.

Evidence-based practices

Evidence can prove convincing to all parties involved when faced with a tough counseling or social work case. Any evidence the professional has can be used to show why a certain course of action was chosen. Evidence in the psychological fields includes findings from actual cases and from experts. The entire system is built upon these empirical findings.

I recommend: The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration has provided a helpful guide for those just getting started in the fields of counseling or social work.

Co-morbidity

Unfortunately, counselors and social workers see a lot of patients who have co-occurring disorders. When illnesses exist together, it's known as co-morbidity.

I recommend: To find out a bit more about co-morbidity in patients with ADHD, check out Northern County Psychiatric Associates.