Remote LCSW & LMFT Jobs in Maine

How To Become a LCSW or LMFT in Maine

How to Become an LCSW in Maine

If you’re interested in licensure as an LCSW in Maine, you’ll first need a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited four-year college or university. Once that preliminary requirement is in place, the next steps include:

• Education and additional coursework: Candidates must hold a master’s degree in social work (MSW).

• Experience: You must complete 3,200 hours of experience in two years, 96 of which are consultation in a clinical setting if your master’s program had a clinical concentration. If your MSW didn’t have a clinical concentration, you must complete 6,400 hours of experience in four years, with 192 of those hours as consultation in a clinical setting.

• Exams: Candidates need to pass the examination administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), which tests applicants on topics including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and interventions. It also covers ethics and values.

• Fees: LCSW candidates in Maine need to pay a $70 license fee. The fee for the ASWB clinical exam is $260.

How to Become an LMFT in Maine

Earning a bachelor’s degree is the first step toward your goal of licensure as an LMFT in Maine. The other requirements include:

• Education: At a minimum, you must obtain a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a related topic, with equivalent coursework from a regionally accredited program.

• Experience: Candidates are required to complete two years of post-degree work experience in marriage and family therapy as outlined by the state. This must include at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical counseling experience, with a minimum of 1,000 hours of direct clinical contact with couples and families. You must also complete 200 hours of direct clinical supervision, at a rate of one hour of supervision per 15 hours of experience.

• Exams: Applicants for LMFT licensure in Maine must pass the "Examination in Marital and Family Therapy," developed by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).

• Fees: In Maine, LMFT candidates must pay a $200 license fee. There is a $365 fee for the AMFTRB exam.

Requirements for Remote Mental Health Workers (LCSWs & LMFTs) in Maine

Holding a license as an LCSW or LMFT in Maine will help you find a role that suits your needs whether you live in Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, or other towns in the Pine Tree State. Working from home is also a viable option, as you’ll find a number of full-time and part-time virtual work opportunities for remote LMFTs and LCSWs from Kittery to Houlton.

If you’re interested in applying for a role as a remote mental health therapist, here’s what you should know:

• Work-from-home therapist: As a therapist, you must provide the same standard of care whether you work on-site at a facility or offer teletherapy. The key difference is that as a remote therapist, you use websites, phones, web platforms, and other technology to work with clients. Note that when offering virtual therapy, you can only treat clients in the state in which you’re licensed.

• Skills of successful remote therapists: Excellent communication skills are the cornerstone of a good therapy practice. That’s especially true for those who offer virtual mental health therapy, since there’s no direct face-to-face connection. To develop and polish one-on-one skills, many therapists choose to begin their practices with in-person sessions before adding teletherapy to their offerings.

• Necessary documentation: When applying for remote social work jobs, be sure to update your resume and provide appropriate documentation showing your education and credentials.

• Additional training: For a career as a remote mental health therapist, you’ll need to know how to use the latest communication technology. Telemedicine companies often provide training to educate clinicians on how to use relevant platforms, as well as best practices for good webside manner.
  

Companies hiring remote LCSWs and LMFTs in Maine often post open positions on job posting sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. When you begin your search for remote social work jobs, these sites are excellent places to start.