Q: What process do you use to select social workers for positions?
A: “Fit” is our primary interest when selecting the right social worker for a position. Our offices are staffed by MSW Coordinators who know social work practice and take the time to understand the specific education, licensure, experience and work traits required by a social worker to match the needs of the organization and position being filled.
Q: What does p.r.n. mean?
A: “P.r.n.” or pro re nata is a Latin term meaning "under the circumstances". For social workers, this is an opportunity to work in a fashion that meets your “whole life” needs- choosing work that provides both great experience but has flexibility around the other important areas of one’s life. Other social workers might see this as an option during times of transition, for example, when in between jobs, moving to a new area, or changing fields of practice.
Q: What are your requirements?
A: The primary requirement to affiliate with Social Work p.r.n. is holding a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate degree from a CSWE (Council on Social Work Education, www.cswe.org) accredited social work program. Additional requirements include social work licensing according to state regulations, malpractice insurance and professional references.
Q: What work opportunities are available through Social Work p.r.n.?
A: Social Work p.r.n. has opportunities for temporary, temp-to-perm and permanent work. The majority of our work requires 20-40 hours per week with daytime availability. Affiliates are placed in all fields of social work practice including health, behavioral health, children and family, aging services and much more. Our most frequent requests are for direct services, however, other work might include supervision, program management, administration, consultation, contract therapy, and home visits.
Q: Will I be able to work as much as I want to work?
A: Our goal is to keep affiliates as busy as they would like to be with work, however, this will depend on the needs of the local office at the time of affiliation, the social worker’s experience and availability for work, and the social worker’s flexibility/adaptability with the needs of the practice setting. We support social workers making decisions about their “fit” with Social Work p.r.n. based on these circumstances.
Q: Can I have choice about the types of work I most interested in?
A: Affiliates can accept or decline work offered to them for any reason (i.e. interest in the client population or job responsibilities, travel distance, fit with whole life, etc). However, the variety of work opportunities available through Social Work p.r.n. is often considered a benefit and can result in more consistent work for affiliates. The more open a social worker is to new experiences, the greater the opportunity there will be for work.
What if I am not happy with my current work assignment?
A: From beginning to end, Social Work p.r.n. strives to establish a mutual “fit” for both the social worker and client setting during each work assignment. If either party experiences a “non-fit,” we can either negotiate needs to improve the situation or simply make a change with no blame on either party. From experience, “non-fits” often are learning opportunities for all those involved.
Q: What kind of support do you provide to staff?
A: Social Work p.r.n. is a social work company that values the growth and development of our affiliates. We offer various models of supervision to support affiliates in their work and/or help them attain advanced licensure. We also offer free or low cost continuing education programs to affiliates that are available online, in partnership with community agencies, and during staff events in our local offices.
Q: How do you pay?
A: Pay ranges are first determined by understanding the salary structures of the various geographic areas that we offer services. Additionally, we look at each work assignment and determine pay based on the social worker (i.e. BSW vs. LCSW), nature of the work (i.e. direct service vs. consultation), days and hours of availability (i.e. Monday-Friday daytime hours vs. evening/weekend work), and other special considerations such as travel, home visits or partialized service needs.
Q: What are your benefits?
A: Due to the contractual nature of our work, the benefits received through Social Work p.r.n. are different than traditional employment. Affiliates report that the primary benefits of working through Social Work p.r.n. are flexibility in scheduling, variety of work experiences, autonomy in making choices about work, respect for “whole life,” and support and validation as a social worker.
Q: How do I become a staff member?
A: From the first call you initiate with our local offices, our interest is to develop a relationship that will last over time. Social workers connect with us for various reasons, with work opportunities being of primary interest. Our MSW Coordinators will spend time during that first call listening to your interests and then mutually deciding with you the next steps. This may include inviting you to an informational meeting, scheduling an interview time, or providing you with other resource information. It is common for us to maintain contact with our affiliates and other social workers throughout their many career transitions. We strongly believe that these relationships have resulted in the success and growth and of Social Work p.r.n. as a national resource for social workers and agencies that utilize social workers.
Corporate Office - Kansas City
Chief Executive Officer