There’s so many still sitting empty. A damn shame.

It’s exhausting and traumatizing work. I have my masters but worked in community mental health. I lasted 3 years. The truth is that the pay and workload is so horrendous that people who truly love to do it burnout so quickly.

It’s not sustainable for workers but government agencies will cycle through new graduates because most often they are in these sites for internship (unpaid) hours while doing their degree. It’s a required part of the graduate programs so you’re adequately prepared to care for clients and patients.

Add on top our ethical codes means that when you’re burnt out realistically you need to scale back your work or step away entirely to ensure you don’t harm your clients and are effective at your work.

All that to say, I’m a huge proponent of single payer healthcare, better pay for workers, and training up the next generation of social workers and therapists.