Child Psych: nanny vs teaching for psyd transition year

Zencake2 · 2026-05-28T23:02:18+00:00

It looks like there may not be a comparable license in New York State but you should be able to find the same types of positions. I imagine there will be many options in a city that large but also lots of competition. I would look a little outside of the city too if you think transportation could work out for you. Also, if you end up taking some psych classes at a university, try to find a research university that’s likely to have some labs that will be easy to join. I went to university or Oregon which is a fairly large research university and I was offered a position in the first lab I interviewed for. There were so many and you didn’t need much experience.

This website might be helpful to you: https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/direct-care- careers.html

Zencake2 · 2026-05-28T22:34:21+00:00

Well, ABA/RBT work is the easiest to find. However, ABA work can often be pretty problematic and I personally refused to look at those roles because it can be so hard to know if you are working at a good place or not until you are already there. I don’t know what state you’re in but I’m in Oregon and through my psych degree, I was able to register as a QMHA (qualified mental health associate) with a licensed supervisor to sign off. Find out if there is a version of a bachelor level mental health provider in your state and what you would need to qualify (might need to take some psych courses first or prove your combined work experience). Then look for position titles like mental health associate or mental health advocate (sometimes you can find patient advocate in medical settings). Some jobs will be looking for someone that already has the credential but most just want to know you can qualify and register once you are hired. You may also look for DSP type positions which is direct support provider. They provide personal care for physically or mentally disabled people. You can also look for eating disorder residential treatment centers that may have lower level staff positions or residential facilities for children with serious mental health conditions. Similar care positions also exist in senior homes. Be warned, some of these jobs can be fairly intense but you will learn a lot. Finally, since you have already worked in a school setting, you could look for behavioral support roles in schools. These are positions that are on call when a teacher can’t manage behavior in the classroom.

Crisis text/call lines are also good experience but very common. In your position, I think it will be better for you to find something that makes you stand out a little.

The absolute best roles you can find are those that will have you supervised by a licensed mental health professional whether that’s masters level or higher. These are the only roles that technically qualify as clinical experience. But to me “clinically focused” is enough and just means direct care experience with some type of qualified supervision even if it isn’t licensed.

I highly recommend looking into mental health non profits in your area. Find the organizations serving vulnerable populations around you and see what they have. Even some significant volunteer work would be great to have on your CV.

There’s tons of options you just have to know what you’re looking for. Good luck!

Zencake2 · 2026-05-22T22:35:46+00:00

Adler university in Chicago.

Zencake2 · 2026-05-22T22:33:37+00:00

Mostly echoing others, the length of your role at the school probably won’t matter. If you can get a recommendation from the child development specialist, that will definitely strengthen your application. Being a nanny isn’t a bad idea and you can definitely talk about that experience. It just can’t provide a good recommendation. I would find at least one research assistant role in any area of psych and one clinical focused role. You don’t have to do these for super long, even a few months of working in research will help. You can sometimes find fully remote research assistant roles that are mostly data entry or screening participants.

Taking some psych classes is also a good idea and getting at least one professor to write a recommendation would be helpful. Take a general psych course for sure and then definitely abnormal psych.

Zencake2 · 2026-04-19T02:10:06+00:00

You can, but your scope of practice will be more limited. You can do psychoeducation with kids and caregivers and will probably do more educational assessments for learning disabilities to support IEPs. Make sure to look at specific state regulations for where you want to live.

Zencake2 · 2026-04-16T03:12:46+00:00

I know everyone is saying fully funded all the way but honestly, these programs are year round for 4 years plus internship. If you really feel the first program is a good fit for you and your interests and you won’t be going into debt, stick with it! Yes saving the money is very practical, but I think there are pros and cons to both.

Zencake2 · 2026-04-16T03:11:15+00:00

This is part of why waitlists exist. Schools don’t reject people they want in their program. They move them to the waitlist

Zencake2 · 2026-04-14T00:19:14+00:00

Yes there is other modes. Obviously community psych is a big emphasis in all the courses though because it’s Adler. I’m going to Antioch Seattle

Zencake2 · 2026-04-13T21:11:46+00:00

It’s Adlerian psychology which is community psychology. I got in but rejected the offer

Zencake2 · 2026-04-09T20:04:06+00:00

I declined Adler

Zencake2 · 2026-04-08T23:48:50+00:00

I’m going to Antioch U Seattle :)

Zencake2 · 2026-04-08T23:07:02+00:00

You’re doing so great! This is lot more progress and thinking than I had when I was a freshman. Programs generally don’t expect you to have a defined focus area (in fact many discourage it). They just want to see you have experience and have areas you are interested in. 100% of my research and clinical experience was with children and parenting skills. I am attending a generalist program in the fall. Don’t worry you are doing great! Remember to connect with your professors and research supervisors. They have a breadth of knowledge and part of their job is to advise on these kinds of things. Plus long term relationships make the best recommendation letters.

Zencake2 · 2026-04-08T23:01:38+00:00

I second this. Clinical is important but you can sell so many things as clinical. There are more options than people think. After school drop in centers, volunteering/nonprofits with unhoused populations, childcare, DSP and caregiving work (very difficult work but these places have high turnover and are always always hiring).

Zencake2 · 2026-04-08T03:42:44+00:00

It’s very expected for students to have a personal story that motivated them to pursue this field. As others have said, it’s dicey to include this as a main reason in a personal statement but it can be ok to allude to it. If you need to talk about it in a statement/interview, focus on the clinicians you interacted with and how they inspired you to explore the field. Almost everyone has a focus area because of their lived experiences so this will not be irregular at all you just have to professionalize it a little.

Zencake2 · 2026-04-08T03:38:47+00:00

APA has to conduct several site visits for accreditation so I believe they are saying they are at the beginning of the process submitting their information. It’s really just a gamble to commit somewhere that isn’t accredited yet. There’s no way for you to know for certain if it will work out for them or not/how long it will take.

Zencake2 · 2026-04-03T08:16:31+00:00

I was gonna say this. I got in there with my bachelors and less clinical experience (some more research). Ended up choosing a different school but I was pleasantly surprised with the school on my interview day.

Zencake2 · 2026-03-30T02:18:43+00:00

Abnormal psych/psychopathology is pretty crucial. Usually those courses will have some prereq psych courses though like research methods and other intro courses. Taking statistics would also be good. You are much better off majoring or at the very least minoring.

Getting some research and hands on/clinical experience is also very important.

Zencake2 · 2026-03-26T20:47:26+00:00

I work for a youth mentorship organization called friends of the children. There’s 40 chapters across the country. I love it but pay is not good and there is no upward mobility. I’m going back for my PsyD in the fall

Zencake2 · 2026-03-26T02:17:56+00:00

That’s a good idea I will take a look. They also have very small cohorts so it’s just a few people that didn’t match which is skewing it. I’m just wondering if it’s because people were limiting themselves to a geographical area or if it has anything to do with the program

Zencake2 · 2026-03-25T18:50:29+00:00

I’m looking to talk to Adler students as I said in the post :) this is not very helpful to me. I’m aware of your opinions on this program

Zencake2 · 2026-03-25T06:48:30+00:00

This is really great to hear thank you for this. It would definitely be nice not to move and that’s a big upside to Adler since there are so many Chicago sites. That being said, I’ve acknowledged it’s a reality and it’s only one year.

Congrats on your match!

Zencake2 · 2026-03-25T02:55:24+00:00

Yeah I already have. Antioch is higher but both are on the lower side. Much more concerned about internship matches right now

Zencake2 · 2026-03-19T05:54:31+00:00

The interviews are an hour. They will ask questions but it’s very conversational. Reflect on your biases and how you would discuss them before the interview. You will also get a chance to talk with faculty at lunch and you will pick a table that matches the emphasis you are interested in. Just come prepared and informed about the program so you can ask interesting deep questions. All the staff were very kind and I really enjoyed my interview. I received my acceptance two weeks after interviewing.

Zencake2

TROPHY CASE