Psychology and CJ Job Paths

[deleted1084793]

Hello friends. I am a young student majoring in psychology and criminal justice. I know I am in the correct majors but when it comes to actually shooting for a specific job I become confused with all the different paths I could take. A friend recommended that I post on here to see if anyone has any good cj/psy job combo ideas. Also for those who are more interested in working with victims of crime in a counseling setting would a student want to shoot for a clinical psychology degree or a forensic psychology degree? Thank you for your advice. Undergraduate time can be overwhelming with all the options presented and I would love to hear your opinions. Happy holidays!! (Also I already posted in a forum and was directed to post this in public forums hope this is the right place!!)

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[PsyDuck90]

Forensic psychology is a sub-specialty within clinical psychology, but a degree in psychology is only license eligible at the doctoral level. There are a couple of states (like Texas) that allow for a master's level psychological associate, however that is not the norm across states. Some schools also have masters in mental health counseling that have some courses in forensic populations. Honestly, a lot of the people I have met who work with victims of crime are clinical social workers. Social work is rooted in a systems approach, and it intersects very well within criminal justice advocacy. Also, the LCSW is a much more portable degree than a counseling masters. If you want to work clinically in the intersection of mental health and criminal justice with a victim population, the LCSW is your best bet. If you want, a PhD in clinical psych will get you there as well, but depending on your specific goals, the LCSW will probably be a better fit.

 

[summerbabe]

Honestly, a lot of the people I have met who work with victims of crime are clinical social workers.

This feels true for me as well.

One thing to also research is the type of setting you'd like to work in (e.g., attached to a hospital/emergency department, embedded with a police department, private practice therapist, etc). Working with victims can look really different depending on the setting as each position will have its own set of obligations and direct and indirect patient contact duties. And somebody passionate about working with victims of crime can absolutely hate doing it in some contexts due to poor fit with your workstyle and other personal factors.

Social workers can effectively assist victims to navigate the practical and often bureaucratic components associated with being a victim. They can also provide crisis or non-crisis counseling and a MSW/LCSW is often the most recognized and portable Master's level degree.

A forensic psychologist would likely only evaluate perpetrators of crime to answer legal questions (e.g., competency to stand trial), which doesn't sound like your interest.

A clinical psychologist or a Master's level counselor can provide counseling and you could specialize in trauma processing or other topics. You'll probably be further removed from the actual violent event and will likely need to rely on having a strong referral network if you want to exclusively focus on this population.

Good luck!

 

[parametric]

CUNY John Jay has a doctoral program in clinical psych with a criminal justice focus: Clinical Psychology @ John Jay College

 

[Sanman]

I think there are a few questions to answer for yourself:

1. Do you want to go to graduate school? If so, for how long?
2. Do you want to work directly with criminals/vicitims of crime or for programs to help them, but not directly with them?

In most states, you can volunteer at a crisis hotline now and be a Crisis Counselor or Case Manager with a bachelors degree. It may e worth doing this before committing to graduate school to see if you like the work. As mentioned above, an LCSW can be a versatile degree if you decide to go to grad school. You can get yourself licensed as a mental health clinician/therapist or work more at the program end for something like a crisis counseling center, housing for abuse victims, rehabilitation programs, etc. A doctorate in clinical psychology can also get you where you want to go, but may not be worth it depending on your goals. I would say the doctorate would be worth it is you want to specialize in forensic evaluation and treatment of offenders or specialize in trauma at a higher, but not if you just want to be a therapist in a crisis program.