This week, I enjoyed learning more about the licensure process. As a Canadian resident I am not required to write a licensing exam, however, I did find it interesting to learn about the process the majority of my fellow students will have to complete upon graduation.
I found the VoiceThread presentation by Duane Breijak very informative. I think he gives a lot of detailed and insightful information that is great when preparing for the licensure exam. I really liked the way he explained licensure as a 'milestone' for the social work profession. It provides clients with a safety net, ensuring a set of standards of professionalism for social workers. To use the title 'social worker' you have to have graduated from an accredited program, similar to lawyers and doctors. This was something I had not really thought about, and was new information when exploring the modules for this week.
The second new piece of information I learned about this week was "scope of practice." There are a set of standards as to what you can practice in the state of Michigan. It was very informative for me and I enjoyed exploring the chart. I found it very clear and helpful for people who may be exploring what you can do in the field, and what license is required to obtain that job.
The third new piece of information I learned about was the steps involved in obtaining licensure. As many of us are completing step 2, which will be graduating and applying for a limited license, I found the steps in step 3 very clear and informative. Step 3 of the licensure process includes hours of work experience and supervision, and the exam. I learned that there is no specific order to step 3 of the process, as you will be completing each of these requirements simultaneously. This step by step process is a great way to clearly explain the requirements of obtaining licensure.
The fourth piece of new information I learned about this week was that the State of Michigan requires fully licensed social workers to complete 45 hours of continuing professional education every 3 years. Included in the 45 hours is 5 hours of Ethics and 1 hour of Pain and Pain Symptom Management. I found this very interesting, as I did not know there were be additional professional education upon completing the licensure exam.
The website I would like to recommend for test preparation is:
https://www.socialworktestprep.com/free-practice-tests/
I took the exam and recommend it because each question gives you the option to "mark to review" and "show rationale." When you click show rationale, it gives you the option to see the correct answer, and the rationalizations for each option, even the incorrect answers. It also references the NASW, so while you are completing this exam, you are also reviewing and learning new information. I found this to be an excellent resource. When you take this test and read the rationale, you can expect to be using a lot of the skills you have learned through the MSW program and field placements. It requires a lot of thought and problem-solving, and for you to answer honestly.
I found the VoiceThread presentation by Duane Breijak very informative. I think he gives a lot of detailed and insightful information that is great when preparing for the licensure exam. I really liked the way he explained licensure as a 'milestone' for the social work profession. It provides clients with a safety net, ensuring a set of standards of professionalism for social workers. To use the title 'social worker' you have to have graduated from an accredited program, similar to lawyers and doctors. This was something I had not really thought about, and was new information when exploring the modules for this week.
The second new piece of information I learned about this week was "scope of practice." There are a set of standards as to what you can practice in the state of Michigan. It was very informative for me and I enjoyed exploring the chart. I found it very clear and helpful for people who may be exploring what you can do in the field, and what license is required to obtain that job.
The third new piece of information I learned about was the steps involved in obtaining licensure. As many of us are completing step 2, which will be graduating and applying for a limited license, I found the steps in step 3 very clear and informative. Step 3 of the licensure process includes hours of work experience and supervision, and the exam. I learned that there is no specific order to step 3 of the process, as you will be completing each of these requirements simultaneously. This step by step process is a great way to clearly explain the requirements of obtaining licensure.
The fourth piece of new information I learned about this week was that the State of Michigan requires fully licensed social workers to complete 45 hours of continuing professional education every 3 years. Included in the 45 hours is 5 hours of Ethics and 1 hour of Pain and Pain Symptom Management. I found this very interesting, as I did not know there were be additional professional education upon completing the licensure exam.
The website I would like to recommend for test preparation is:
https://www.socialworktestprep.com/free-practice-tests/
I took the exam and recommend it because each question gives you the option to "mark to review" and "show rationale." When you click show rationale, it gives you the option to see the correct answer, and the rationalizations for each option, even the incorrect answers. It also references the NASW, so while you are completing this exam, you are also reviewing and learning new information. I found this to be an excellent resource. When you take this test and read the rationale, you can expect to be using a lot of the skills you have learned through the MSW program and field placements. It requires a lot of thought and problem-solving, and for you to answer honestly.