MSW versus PsyD for community mental health

[ProTrans]

It seems to me that the MSW is a bit more immediately professionally useful, but the PsyD might mean a bit more academic prestige. Seems like both can do similar work immediately upon graduation but that the PsyD may be a bit more competitive for leadership positions later on.

 

Basically it's been difficult to get clear information comparing the two.  There is a lot on the difference between the PsyD and the PhD, but not very much comparing the PsyD and the MSW for community mental health.

 

Has anyone else heard anything about these two?

[iphi]

Oh boy. I suppose it depends on your career goals. Do you want to be a practicing pscyhologist? An academician? If the answers are no, then why bother with a PhD? Unless perhaps you need funding and can only get it through a PhD program?

[juilletmercredi]

I'm not sure that the PsyD has more "academic prestige," first of all.  I'm in psychology, though, and I gotta say that the general sentiment in academic psychology is not quite positive towards the PsyD.  But on top of that, you don't really need academic prestige in community mental health; you just need licensure to practice.  Not to mention that PsyDs are typically not funded or not well-funded, and last 4 years (3 years for the didactic part, year round, and then 1 year of internship which may or may not be paid).  They can be very expensive but mental health providers don't usually get paid enough to pay back the large amount of money you have to borrow.

 

I agree that your main decisive factor is what you want to do with it.  Do you want to provide mental health services at community-based organizations, and/or work primarily with low-income and vulnerable populations?  An MSW works very adequately for that.  If you think you may want to rise to administrative leadership later on - many CBOs will take MSWs with many years of experience for that.  Even if you need a doctoral degree, though, a PhD in social work or a DSW may be ther better option in a social service organization than a PsyD.  I've always been under the impression that a PsyD was for folks who wanted to either do private practice or work at hospitals or clinics.