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Please be as descriptive as possible, I will greatly appreciatte your help, many thanks in advance.

2007-01-05 10:43:08 · 3 answers · asked by bizmanchicago 1 in Social Science Psychology

3 answers

I've worked as a counselor for domestic violence victims, so hopefully this will help...

The qualifications that you need really depend on (1) the state you want to work in and (2) the type of organization you want to work for, as well as (3) the level of help you want to be able to provide.

You can provide very basic services with only an undergraduate degree in psychology or social work. For example, after I graduated from college I worked as a DV counselor at the local court. In this position, I was the first person the victim saw after reporting the incident to the police. I spent half of my time at the hospital and half in the courthouse. In each location, I did intakes and ran support groups. This was all that my state allowed me to do with a BA - similar guidelines apply in other areas as well.

With a masters degree in psychology, some states allow one to work as a licensed therapists. If you have a MSW (social work) you can work as a therapist in every area (as far as I know). Both degrees involve 2 years of education after completion of the undergraduate degree. Where I worked, the employees with this degree provided both short and long-term therapy to the victims.

With a doctoral degree in psychology or social work, one can also provide psychotherapy to domestic violence victims. This involves 4-6 years of education after completing undergrad. A benefit of this degree over the others is that psychologists and doctoral level social workers make more money than those with the other degrees.

In my experience, many people who work with those who have been the victims of domestic violence tend to keep their jobs for less than 3 years because it is so draining and emotionally demanding. If you work in a hospital, for example, you will constantly see people who have just been assaulted, sometimes very severely. It is a highly rewarding and interesting position, but it's very hard because of what you have to learn to deal with on a daily basis.

Good luck, and if you have any other more specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me (I can be reached through the site).

As far as websites go, you might be interested in the site for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence -- http://www.ncadv.org/

2007-01-05 11:11:29 · answer #1 · answered by jdphd 5 · 0 0

Depending on your state, take college courses specifically for domestic violence and drug counseling. Generally the two go hand in hand. There are 2 year diplomas and 4 year degrees. Make sure you talk to a ccollege counselor.

2007-01-05 18:52:45 · answer #2 · answered by Sassy 3 · 0 0

first of all you typically need education in something closely related to this type of job and then experience is a huge plus...i worked in a diversion program for 3 years with juveniles i loved the job...anyway i was in colllege for criminal justice and my college worked closely w/ this particular facility that hired me and from there i was set...a lot of places want you to have a BA in related fields...you can try applying for a position like behavior health specialist or care worker

2007-01-05 18:56:34 · answer #3 · answered by ELIZY 4 · 0 0

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