SocialWork.Career

Clinical drift in social work is the slow, structural narrowing of a profession founded on social justice into one that defaults to clinical practice. Joe Wernau, LMSW, founder of The Macro Lens, has built his career around documenting how it happens and what it costs. In this interview, he explains why 54% of MSW students who entered wanting macro careers graduated in clinical concentrations, how licensure and accreditation quietly filter out lived experience, and the concrete steps any social worker can take toward macro practice without quitting their job or going back to school. Key takeaways: Clinical drift is structural, not a matter of student preference: fewer than 8% of MSW students are enrolled in macro-focused specializations. Clinical skills transfer directly to macro practice. The skills stay the same; the scale changes. Lived experience is genuinely centered only when it carries authority over budgets, hiring, and program direction. You can begin macro … [Read More...] about Clinical Drift in Social Work: An Interview on Macro Practice With Joe Wernau, LMSW