04-01-2024, 02:25 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-24-2026, 07:01 AM by Jonathan Whatley.)
The OP is interested in working in hospitals particularly VA. VA and federal positions providing psychotherapy generally require professional accreditation, as from APA, CSWE, CACREP, or COAMFTE. Any master's in psychology, such as Walden's (unless accredited by the new APA master’s level accreditation program), or a non-CACREP degree in counseling, such as Kairos', would not qualify (e.g., VA qualification standards requiring CACREP for LPMHCs).
Although Kairos' MA in MFT holds professional accreditation from COAMFTE, as of fiscal year 2021, VA medical facilities employed literally 100 times as many social workers as MFTs in positions typically providing psychotherapy: 6908 social workers to 69 MFTs (from Figure 2 here). "Officials from all four professional associations that represent LPMHCs and MFTs noted concerns among their membership that there were longstanding preferences among mental health leadership in some VA medical facilities to hire psychologists and social workers." Many additional social workers work for the VA and for hospitals in roles adjacent to psychotherapy.
One situation in which Charter Oak is still worth considering is for a student going for social work who's eligible for some form of tuition assistance that's specific to undergrad, whether Pell Grant or employer. The play would be to choose carefully from alt-credit Charter Oak still accepts, and low-cost and flexible RA, to complete gen eds and free electives, then take major courses from Charter Oak's recently launched social work program to complete their BSW. Charter Oak now extends in-state tuition to all. Although it is in pre-candidacy with the CSWE, it would be surprising if it didn't achieve accreditation. An CSWE BSW would then permit the student to take an advanced standing (accelerated) MSW circa 36 semester hours, meaning materially less graduate tuition cost than a non-advanced-standing MSW circa 60 sh.
Although Kairos' MA in MFT holds professional accreditation from COAMFTE, as of fiscal year 2021, VA medical facilities employed literally 100 times as many social workers as MFTs in positions typically providing psychotherapy: 6908 social workers to 69 MFTs (from Figure 2 here). "Officials from all four professional associations that represent LPMHCs and MFTs noted concerns among their membership that there were longstanding preferences among mental health leadership in some VA medical facilities to hire psychologists and social workers." Many additional social workers work for the VA and for hospitals in roles adjacent to psychotherapy.
(03-31-2024, 10:18 PM)studyingfortests Wrote: Charter Oak, in my opinion, is not remotely worth considering; they've done a fabulous job of ruining what was once a really good degree completion program.
One situation in which Charter Oak is still worth considering is for a student going for social work who's eligible for some form of tuition assistance that's specific to undergrad, whether Pell Grant or employer. The play would be to choose carefully from alt-credit Charter Oak still accepts, and low-cost and flexible RA, to complete gen eds and free electives, then take major courses from Charter Oak's recently launched social work program to complete their BSW. Charter Oak now extends in-state tuition to all. Although it is in pre-candidacy with the CSWE, it would be surprising if it didn't achieve accreditation. An CSWE BSW would then permit the student to take an advanced standing (accelerated) MSW circa 36 semester hours, meaning materially less graduate tuition cost than a non-advanced-standing MSW circa 60 sh.
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