Lizette Corman, ACSW, is a psychotherapist and clinical social worker practicing in New York City and in New Jersey. She has been in private practice for more than 15 years and has worked with Intensive Case Management (ICM) for more than 10 years. This state-run, community-outreach program provides counseling and funds to members of the community who otherwise would not have access to help. ICM's primary goal is to help people with chronic mental illness live as stable and healthy members of the community.
Monster: Why did you choose social work over psychology?
Lizette Corman: Whether you choose psychology or social work depends on where you are coming from academically and on your clinical interests. A career in social work and the path one takes to get there was more flexible for me. I was a dance major as an undergraduate. If I had wanted to get a master's in psychology, I'd have needed extensive undergraduate courses -- including many in statistics and statistical analysis, which was not my thing. I was more interested in developing and applying my creative pursuits to community programs right from the beginning of my education.
M: What was your course of study?
LC: I went to social work school for two years at Hunter College Graduate School of Social Work in New York City, where I got my master's. Then I followed a four-year, postgraduate course of study in a clinical program while undergoing psychotherapy with a mentor. Usually, such training in psychotherapy is provided by institutes. I followed mine at the Gestalt Center in New York City.
M: Where did you begin your social work career?
LC: At the Covenant House in New York City, a shelter for adolescents. There, I worked with pregnant teens, teenage mothers on child rearing, child development and on relationships. Later, I acted as a supervisor and a staff trainer. I worked in this capacity for three years and then as a consultant for some time after that.
M: How did you find that position?
LC: In the process of acquiring your master's in social work, you do internships and work in the field two to three days a week. During this time, with the help of faculty and the connections I made on the internship, I applied for various positions, and this is the one that I chose.
M: Why does social work suit your interests more than psychology?
LC: Although I have interests in both areas, social work offers an entree in all areas involving the clinical nature of behavior: family counseling, couples counseling, children with learning disabilities, foster care, AIDS-related work, eating disorders. Plus, I am an artist and wanted to be able to utilize my creative strengths professionally while satisfying my interests in human nature and development.
M: How does social work allow you to be creative?
LC: Creativity is important in all of our lives. I empathize with and nurture the aspect of personality that wants creative expression. In my clinical work, I try to help people find their own pathway for expression, whether through music, drawing, creative business or writing. I use a lot of role-playing and visualization techniques. For example, if anger is an issue, we re-enact confrontations. This leads to a discussion of what someone might want to do differently in the future. The varied nature of social work also satisfies me creatively. The work I do ranges from the purely clinical work of my private practice to the social work and case management I do for my program.
M: Where do you do case work?
LC: Intensive Case Management, a state-run, community-outreach program that provides clinical help and case management for chronically mentally ill adults who would otherwise be outside the treatment loop (i.e., those who might be living in a subway station). It's funded in such a way that we can help clients with very practical things, like housing, clothes for an interview or tuition. At the same time, we provide counseling and guidance in navigating the system. The goal is to keep these people stable and healthy in the community. Giving someone clinical attention only goes so far if you're dealing with someone who doesn't have a pair of shoes on his feet. We help people put their lives together.
M: Are there comparable programs in other cities?
LC: ICM exists in many states. It's been shown to be very effective. The National Association of Social Workers is the best resource for finding out about social work programs and education. There is one in each state, each city has a chapter. They'll tell you the training requirements in your state and what you need each year to renew the license.
M: What do you need to renew your license?
LC: In New Jersey, it takes 12 credits of continuing education. It's ultimately really positive, because it allows you to see other people's work and really only amounts to four days of training a year.
M: Have you specialized in any specific area in postgrad study?
LC: My specialization is family, couples and individual therapy. Using systems theory, I look at the roles people play and the perpetuation of those roles from parent to child, and to other relationships.
M: What is your biggest challenge?
LC: I think the biggest challenge all social workers face is burnout. It's really important to keep growing in the field and to keep being active professionally and personally. Some of that comes in with continuing education, but it starts on a personal level. If you want to evolve personally, you'll convey that desire to the people you work with and bring that desire out in them, then nurture it.
Then, there's the question of insurance. It's a pain for everyone, and an obstacle for some people who want to go into therapy. The number of visits and the amount of money covered is much less than it used to be. On one hand, this forces you to be goal-oriented and focused, which is a good thing. On the other hand, a lot of issues may fall through the cracks. Plus, you have to balance telling the insurance companies what they need to provide coverage for a patient without overstepping boundaries or betraying a client's confidence.
M: How do you handle that?
LC: You collaborate with the client. You sit down together and say, "OK, here's what we are going to focus on, and here is how we need to articulate your goals to your insurance provider."
M: What qualities are essential to a social worker?
LC: You have to like working with people and to be able to practice with empathy. Again, both take a lot of work on a personal level. In order to have empathy, you need to have figured out your own developmental pathway, to know where you are coming from in terms of family history and childhood, and why you've developed the way you have before you can guide someone else on that journey.
M: Which do you find more rewarding, clinical or case work?
LC: The thing I find rewarding is watching people grow, and that happens in both.
This article originally appeared on Monster.com.
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