Psychology/Social work girls - please help me!

SocialWorker2B

I am almost finished (this December) with my Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I will then be starting my Master's in Social Work this coming January.

I was originally going to do an internship from May to December. Because I don't drive, my options are very limited and I have given up. So, I have to do an independent reading assignment and a paper about it.

My dilemma is that Psychology is so broad and I am interested in so many things, picking ONE topic for my project is proving to be even more difficult than finding an internship site.

What are you guys interested in/what would you want to do for this project? TIA!

sammichele

I think that's a good idea too, something psychology and social work related.  You could do something related to antisocial behavior, behavior modifications, disorders that are common in childhood such as ADHD or maybe autism, ect.  Or you could go the social psychology route; I'm in a group behavior class right now and there are a ton of interesting things about how people respond to a variety of situations when in groups.  I guess that kind of goes along with social work because of the whole societal aspect of it, like family relationships or relationships within the community.

sap82478

I will graduate with my Bacholors in Social work next may and my Masters in SW May 2012, I picked Corrections as my goal, I have been placed in a rehab facility this term, will find out where i am going ina week or so... Just look at the population you want to work with and go from there.. THE options are unlimited... GOOD LUCK TO YOU. Mental health is a good way to put the two together, or research if that is your liking. I had a professor who taught social enviornment and was a LMSW at a clinic then moved to a school. It just depends on what you want to do .

kmb6881

I did my undergrad in Psychology and am finishing my Masters in Social Work in just a few weeks!  I will say that doing an internship before I started my MSW program was extremely valuable.  Are buses an option? Do you have another friend working/interning at the same place/nearby?  I'm sure you've probably already thought of all of this, I would just encourage you to look into any possibility to get more experience in the field.

As far as your independent study goes, consider something about how people's behaviors are effected by their environment (w/ drinking behaviors, mental health, wellness, etc.). Person-in-environment and systems theory are highly emphasized in social work, so it might be helpful to do a project where you can learn more about them.

lilcassers

Internships are way more valuable then writing a paper. I am in the MSW program as we speak. If you do choose to write the paper, do an area that interests you the most. For example, I love adolescents, so I may choose Eating Disorders among young women.

chosen175

If you can't do an internship, check out some social service agencies in your area and ask if you can shadow someone for a few days over summer break.  In all honesty, I thought I wanted to go one way with my social work career, but we were required to do 4 internships and I did 4 completely different ones.  After the 4th internship, I realized that the area I thought I wanted to go into really wasn't for me AT ALL.  I ended up concentrating on developmental disabilities, specifically residential facilities and behavior management within those facilities.  Initially, I wanted to go into foster care/adoption.  I really don't belive that you choose your area of concentration - your concentration chooses YOU.

That being said, were there any topics throughout the past 4 years that peaked your interest?  Any chapeters you read or classes you took that seemed to come as second nature to you?   What exactly are the requirements for your reading/paper?

In your shoes, I would probably do a research project.  This can easily be done via internet and phone calls/emails.  The one thing I wish I knew as an undergrad was how high the turnover rate is and how easily people become burned out in this field.  I'd probably interview psychologists/social workers from all over the country (via email or phone) - develop a questionnaire and see if there's a correltation between burnout and physical location (big city, rural, suburban), or between turnover rate and the area of concentration.  You can tie in some theories you've learned about human interaction and basic psychological issues based on the results you get.

Otherwise, just pick the topic that you are interested in that you feel you'll be able to get the most information on.  Autism and ADHD are popular now, as are dementia and schizophrenia.  You'll find a TON of info on those.  If you pick something more obscure like the secret connection between identical twins who were separated at birth, you wont' find as much information. Good luck!

tomsfiancee

I got my BA in Psychology and am currently getting my MSW as well! I want to encourage you in it - I absolutely love it, and hope you do too!

As others have said, an internship is a really valuable opportunity, and I really encourage you to do it if it is at all possible.

If not, definitely choose to do the project on something that you're passionate about. Right now, I am working with clients who have SPMI (severe and persistent mental illness) and its very challenging and rewarding. You could write your paper on the stigma associated with SPMI, the extremely high rate of substance use for this population, high poverty rates, much lowered life expectancy(up to 25 years lower than general population), etc. If this interests you. Good luck