So you are freshly done with grad school. The worst is over. All of those sleepless nights cramming in projects and papers last minute, sacrificing your social life and, sometimes sanity, for the sake of your school work. This moment that you thought would never come… it has come! You are on top of the world. You walk across that stage and you get goosebumps. You just know you’re going to change the world.
For about 5 months I disconnected from thoughts about the arduous task of becoming a Registered Intern and completing my hours for licensure. After 5 months I felt ready to jump back into hustle mode and start thinking about getting licensed again. I had no clue where to begin. Fortunately for me, I had two coworkers who were MSWs as well (having a network is important, people). I learned that I needed to have a "qualified supervisor" in order for my license to be issued. Muy importante! Fortunately, my super awesome MSW coworker/friend had a recommendation for a supervisor. I called him up and he was able to work me into his schedule. He provided me with info on his fees (scary to have an extra expense, but reasonable). Side note- he is a professor at FIU and has tens of years of experience in social work and is, overall, a badass. I’m learning a lot from him. The expense will be worth it.
Next, I was given the website where I could apply and figured it out on my own from there. I had zeroooo clue what I was doing. However, registering (in the FL board) was pretty straight forward. First of all, you can use this link to access the application:
This link will take you here:
You will click Apply For A License, which will take you to a separate webpage:
You are going to click Create New Applicant Account, which will take you here:
Once you create your login (you will have a password sent to your email and will be asked to login), you will be taken to a page where you will have to answer some questions. Most of what is being asked is pretty straight forward, however make sure you have the correct answers under Florida Board/Council and Profession. See below:
At the end of the application, you will be asked to pay a $150.00 fee. #FunStuff!
NOW, you will need to have official transcripts sent from your university to the Board. May the odds be ever in your favor… they lost mine twice. Make sure you are following up regularly.
You will also need a letter from your qualified supervisor. She/he should know what to include in the letter. This letter can either be emailed, mailed, or uploaded (I found that uploading was the easiest method).
Finally, you will need a letter from your university confirming that you completed your practicum as part of your master’s program. Again, your university should know exactly what to include in this letter and it can be emailed, mailed, or uploaded (uploading being the most foolproof method, I found).
Then the waiting game. You will likely receive a letter via mail informing you of what is missing from your application. On that letter will be the contact information for the person processing your application. In an ideal world, you should be able to contact this person regarding any issues you encounter during the process of applying, however don’t hold your breath. I still have yet to hear the voice of my processor, in spite of calling her a good 20 times.
Two things I learned:
The Board will lose your sh*t. And you will metaphorically want to lose your shit. My supervisor confirmed that many of the interns that he supervises have had similar experiences. They lost my first set of transcripts, the letter from my qualified supervisor, and the practicum letter that was sent by my university. I had to make multiple attempts and use different methods to get them the documents before they finally got everything. So if this happens to you, it’s not out of the norm. Try not to lose your mind, just keep trying until it gets resolved.
If you’re not following up, you won’t get anywhere. I emailed the Board and my processor multiple times, and also called her multiple times. I didn’t get anywhere. This process set me back 5 months (far too long… at one point I gave up.. Don’t do that). Once I finally got fed up, I called and spoke to a representative and after losing my patience because my documents were lost again, I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor found my documents and was able to issue me my license number by email within 10 minutes of hanging up the call. SPEAK. TO. A. SUPERVISOR. I repeat: Once you’re sure you have submitted everything, if you’re not getting results, call and speak to a supervisor.
Some extra little tidbits of info that might prove useful:
When you check your application status online, it’s not always accurate. Call the Board for accurate updates.
If you want to follow up on your submissions via email, you can do so at: MQA.491@flhealth.gov
If you want to follow up on your submissions or application status by phone, you can do so at: (850) 245-4292. Put on your best “can I speak to your supervisor” voice and go kick some ass.
Good luck! You got this and we’re here for you!
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