| | I work at a psychiatric hospital with children, adolescents, and their families. The children and adolescents are at the hospital because they are a danger to themselves or others, usually suicidal or homicidal to some extent. They are usually there about a week. A psychiatrist oversees their care as the attending physician, and I'm part of the treatment team as a therapist. I usually do 2-3 family sessions with each patient in the week that they are at the hospital (sometimes, I do individual sessions, if the patient is there longer, but usually therapy is done with patient and their parents/guardians).
So, that's what I do. My job title is Allied Mental Health Clinician. When asked what I do, I have a hard time deciding what category my job/career fits into.
Am a social worker? Well, kinda. When I was deciding on a graduate school program, I specifically decided NOT social work (for a number of reasons). However, much of my job is social work. I spend a significant amount of time advocating for my clients and families to get the treatment that they need. I advise care givers/parents about how to help their children, and I educate. All part of social work.
Am I a marriage and family therapist? Well, that's what my degree is officially. I officially have a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I do not want to be a marriage counselor. Although, sometimes helping children and adolescents means helping parents with their marital issues. I definitely use the Family Therapy part of that degree, as I try to help families become more functional systems. However, in 2-3 sessions, I'm limited in how much I can intervene on the family system. Mostly, I help my patients and families figure out how to best support the child/adolescent and keep him or her safe.
Am I a substance abuse counselor? Not really. Although, many of my patients/clients and/or their families have addiction problems, whether it be to substances or behaviors. At times, I use addictions counseling theories and interventions.
When I went to school, I wanted to be a counselor. I didn't realize that meant so many different things. And I'm not sure I could really say that I'm a counselor now, because that does not completely describe what I do. In some circles, counseling and therapy are very different things. I do some counseling, where I listen, empathize, and encourage. I also do therapy, where I have specific skills that I teach and techniques that I use to help people with their struggles.
I've been thinking about all of this for a number of months, and today I discovered that CNNMoney.com published a report about the most stressful jobs that pay badly. Three of the fifteen "most overworked and underpaid professions out there" are ones that are very similar (or part of) my current job/profession (see below).
And notably, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists usually have Masters degrees (which I have), and Substance Abuse Counselors often only have a Bachelors degree...and my current salaray is much closer to the median pay for Substance Abuse Counselors than the median pay for the professions that requires a Masters degree.
Social Worker
Median pay: $43,200
% who say their job is stressful: 72%
Social
workers step in when everyone else steps aside to help people and
families in vulnerable situations. They provide patients with education
and counseling, advise care givers and make referrals for other
services. And with social workers in short supply and programs
underfunded, few must juggle the work of many, while reaping little
reward.
Just ask Heather Griffith, a social worker who works
with children in intensive foster care in Boston: "You're getting paid
$12 an hour and kids are screaming at you, telling you that you are
just in it for the money and you're just like, really?"
Marriage/Family Therapist
Median pay: $44,400
% who say their job is stressful: 61%
Divorce
can be tough on a family. Most are marked by tension, anger, stress and
anxiety. Under the guidance of an underpaid, overworked therapist, some
couples might find reason to reconcile before calling it splitsville.
But sorting through the drama of other people's tumultuous lives every
day can be frustrating -- or even downright dangerous.
After 35
years, one marriage and family therapist in New Jersey thought she had
seen it all until recently: "A new couple I was seeing for the first
time told me to shut up and let them fight!"
Substance Abuse Counselor
Median pay: $32,400
% who say their job is stressful: 71%
Dealing
with the needs of one addict is more than many people can bear, but
these counselors do it by the caseload. Coordinating personalized
treatment programs for addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling and other
issues such as eating disorders are all in a day's work.
"When
the funding sources aren't there, when people you know are losing
people, it gets hard," said Beth Rosenshein, director of the Substance
Abuse Coalition in Charlestown, Mass. "These are people's children and
people's families and yet that's what drives you to do something about
it."
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| | Posted 10/31/2009 12:22 PM - 18 Views - 4 eProps - 3 comments
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