Is international social work as glamorous as it seems? Maybe but you will need to put in a lot of work and be prepared for these challenges. 

This week we talk with Regina Scheitel, MSW who is a clinical social worker who went from Los Angeles, CA to Austria! She has adapted to a new country and culture; she gives us her personal insight about what it was like transitioning from CA and using a recovery model to a country heavy in Freudian Analysis. How she manages her stress and honors her boundaries to prevent burnout, and she shares her tips on what you need to know if you are wanting to take the leap into social working in a different country. 

5 ways to prepare for international social work:

1. Have local language fluency for competence, ethics, and integrity

2. Develop your cultural competency 

3. Research the laws around therapy and transitioning your social work degree

4. Factor in time, expected salary, and cost of living

5. Have realistic expectations for time it takes to adjust, salary compensation, and culture adjustment.

4 Tips for preventing burnout in a high-stress position

1. Leave work at work, literally do not even bring your phone to your car. 

2. Ongoing relationship building with loved ones

3. Exercise

4. Remember your "why"

Here's more about Regina...

"I am a clinical Social worker, specializing in the field of mental health. My focus has been in working with those with severe persistent mental illnesses as well as working with their families. I have a masters in social work from CSULB, a masters in business with a focus in European Studies and Project Management from the University of Applied Sciences in Burgenland Austria, and am currently a PhD social work student at the University of Trnava in Slovakia. I relocated to Austria in 2017, learned German and began working as a clinical social worker on the psychiatric unit in a hospital in Austria (acute and partial hospitalization program). I also am a lecturer at the university of applied sciences here, for bachelor students of social work teaching English for social work as well as clinical social work."

Connect with Regina: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-scheitel-53a2481b9/ 

Links mentioned in the episode:

Jumpstart Fellowship: http://www.mhajumpstart.org/

Start your Side business with Kajabi: https://app.kajabi.com/r/6v2vLDNm/t/fg2hdyw6

Connect with Social Workers, Rise! on IG @SocialWorkersRise

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