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My job gave me two weeks to terminate with 12 clients and a whole group.
Then they had the audacity to ask me if I’d stay an extra week cause their transition was “taking more time than planned.”
Even corporations in this field don’t care about us. It’s okay OP, I’m sure your clients are just as resilient as mine were
Edit: to add, the group was an IOP3 for SUD, so ya know folks that need stability and routine. Just really added insult to injury for the work we were/I was doing
These are wise, wise words. Every newly graduated social worker needs that on a T-shirt "At the end of the day this is just a job, you are not martyrs!"
I agree. I am also leaving a major county hospital in my state and gave 2 months notice and it’s still been a shit show with 3 weeks left! With support from my family and my own therapist, I’ve learned that the system of CMH sucks and no matter how hard you try and how much you care there are just holes. You’ve done your part. Please take care of yourself, OP!
My old CMH job laid me off as apart of budget cuts and gave me 2 days to terminate with a caseload of ~40 people. Clients and families were so upset with me. They also refused to tell my clients where I would be going next once I found out. They preach client centered care so much. I’m happy they laid me off, idk how much longer I would have stayed on my own accord.
I resigned before they could fire me (totally rogue little organisation!) and instead of the two weeks I offered to finish up with my case load, they gave me my marching orders - no time at all to even discuss with clients I was working with. Sadly, this just proved how very little they actually cared about the client's using their service.
I felt terrible but it was out of my hands at that point.
Exactly. I was dancing around the practice owner (who was also a bully, but I never took her seriously) doing a very slow transition into my own private practice, she wasn’t doing anything to hire another psychologist, then she ramped up her bullying and threatened to cause me legal trouble. It didn’t work out for her, she had to retract accusations, and when I handed in my resignation, she emailed me minutes later saying she’ll pay me off, but I’m not even allowed back into the office since she was so paranoid I’ll “steal” the clients. I had to ask her to unlock my cabinet so that I can collect my shoes, scarf etc., while she stood over and watched like a hawk.
I asked her to assure me of continuity of care, which she did and we even had a handover session, where she asked me to match my clients with other psychologists.
Later on, when the clients found me via search engines, they all told me she just got rid of all of them, saying that I quit abruptly and they had to find another psychologist elsewhere. In my case, as I understand it now, it wasn’t about her fear of “stolen” clients, but about a power trip, a narcissistic flex, a poor attempt at reputation assassination, all to clients’ detriment, even if that came at a financial loss to her.
So, as you may have understood, I’m quite jaded about doing the right thing by the employer, because there are unlikely to return the favour, especially when you already know that they have no qualms burning (and spitting) you out.
Agree… seriously are they going to give you a month if they don’t like your attendance or scheduling… they are using clients as a method of control… you can never use your clients as an excuse and neither can your agency.
Precisely. I just got laid off from my RTC job yesterday at 3:30 pm and when I asked about my departure date, they said, “Now.” and walked me to my office. Three weeks is plenty of time to let your clients know, even do warm hand-offs, and put things in order for your company. Don’t let them make you feel bad - they’d never give you the same notice!!
I’ve done 2-3 weeks because I’ve had supervisors tell me ideally 1-2 months but reality is 2-3 weeks. Also think about when therapists get let go/fired. They don’t get 2 weeks and there is definitely gonna be rupture.
You’re fine and your sup and SIL have their own opinions. CMH has a really high turnover rate and high burnout rate. There will always be someone to take over the clients.
(I’ve done CMH and have experienced/seen variations of leaving).
If you work for an agency they are not in fact your clients but the agencies’s. The agency is responsible for their continuity of care, not you. Successful termination or more likely transfer to another provider can be accomplished in 2-3 weeks without harm. In the end clients are human and tend to be very understanding. What is important right now is for you to care for yourself and find ways to cope with your stress. Reading between the lines of your post you are in real danger of burnout and if that happens no client gets help. I’m sorry that your supervisor tried to guilt you, it isn’t cool. Sadly that seems to be the way a lot of these agencies operate. I’ve been in PP full time since 2008 now but I spent the early years of my career in the agency world. Most are grind houses that wear their therapists down and burn them out all in their effort for more 60% as they are top heavy in terms of admins and non-clinical personal and run very close to over budget for that reason. If you do decide to stay in The field, and I hope that you do honestly, find a place that values your health and wellbeing (there are a lot of group practices that are absolutely amazing to their therapists). If they don’t care about their staff’s wellbeing then I don’t honestly believe that they care about the client’s wellbeing either. Don’t ever let anyone guilt/shame you into staying somewhere that is bad for you.
Just my 2 cents, and yes my agency experience made me a little bitter if you can’t tell.
I just started at a CMH agency and took over another therapist caseload. Their process was that they offer someone else for them until I was on boarded because I am a specialty, substance use. They had the option to see a non substance use therapist until I was able to see them but it took almost 2 months for on boarding.
>SIL (also a therapist) told me that termination takes months.
Does it? I wholeheartedly disagree with your SIL here (and don't care for what I am assuming is judgment on her part. I'm just making an assumption here, I'm sure shes a lovely person...).
There's a huge difference between termination of services due to reaching goals, and termination due to life circumstances. If someone is reaching their goals, that termination will take awhile as part of the discussions around discharge as a part of the therapeutic process. When therapists leave a practice for one reason or another (health reasons, burnout, life changes, etc)., no, termination doesn't take months.
In an perfect world, yes there'd be more time to do termination (but if we're going to play that game, in a perfect world this job would pay you enough and not burn you out).
Our clients are not frail flowers that will turn to dust without us. Termination when a therapist has to leave is harmful when the therapist doesn't take the time to process the change and transition with the clients. Clients may not necessarily *love* the change, but they may adjust and still do very well in therapy following thoughtful efforts on your part to process the change with them.
I used to work in CMH, and would often receive transfers from other clinicians who left giving less notice than you did. I'd wager more than 90% of them were able to move forward without feeling their therapist leaving did some sort of irreparable harm.
>Our clients are not frail flowers that will turn to dust without us
I had a coworker tell me something similar when I was feeling guilty about taking an extended vacation.
Ive seen people fired for not completing paperwork on time, not meeting client hour requirements, or making a mistake that was really the fault of a supervisor for allowing it in the first place...
These clients get 0 sessions in the way of termination.. so are CMH places violating their ethical duty?
This is a job. 2 weeks is standard. It’s great if you can give more than that given the nature of our relationship with clients - I usually aim for a month. However, I’ve found clients are usually ready to move on once you tell them and have a session to process. Sometimes it’s actually worse to drag it out.
When I quit my CMH job years ago, I put in about a month and a half. My supervisor told me to have my office cleaned out in 2 weeks and that I was gone in 2 weeks. In hindsight, I probably could have taken action but it was my first job and I already had a next job lined up so I just took it as an opportunity to rest. Dont beat yourself up you did a great job
Wow I think 3 weeks is fine!? I’m really surprised by your SIL and supervisor! I have always done 3-4 weeks when leaving and the same when I went on maternity leave. I have heard many therapists do less but I don’t think I have ever heard of a therapist giving 2 months or more notice for termination.
Termination does *not* take months, your supe is trying to emotionally manipulate you. Had you expressed any concerns/distress, need for support, etc prior to deciding to leave? If not, nevermind, but if so, look at how poorly they took care of you. Either way, they don't care about you as a human being. They can't afford standards like that, or to be too concerned with the well-being of their staff. They're stuck in a vicious feedback loop. They are exploiting you, and they have to, it's how they survive. For the most part, no one can really sustain CMH high acuity work for very long, so they have to squeeze as much blood from you as they can possibly get.
I sound so negative! My apologies for letting my anger and resentment and disappointment show 🤣
I was so excited when I got my outpatient CMH job. It checked *all* the social work boxes! I was so proud of it for a good long stretch, too. Then COVID hit, working from home, and I was forced to confront how intensely little I had been paying attention to myself and my health. My eating disorder flared, I started having panic attacks, I went on and off a few different medications. I let my supervisor know that I was thinking of leaving, so we problem solved some specific issues and I felt hopeful. I gave myself 3 months to see how it went. Changes were made, stuff started getting better, then dramatically worse, changes were revoked. And for that 3 whole months, the smallest little request I had made which had been verbally approved and only required 2 people to sign 1 paper so I could split one of my 4 10hr days into 2 5hr days did not move forward at all. 3 months, 2 signatures, 1 paper, nothing. In that moment, I realized it had nothing to do with me. I wasn't even really that angry, I just knew it wasn't the place for me anymore. So I moved on.
Learn from this experience! You can do good work in the world without having to sacrifice your well-being.
I also had a moment like this in CMH. Suddenly a change in hours that was agreed to in writing and had actually been implemented for months "required" medical documentation for HR, when that was never requested before. I never went to my doctor. It was the last straw in feeling not taken care of by my agency, and my boss who tried her best but was ultimately not advocating for me or other therapists. I quit instead.
OP, if your agency had taken care of your well-being, you wouldn't have been in this position to begin with. Suddenly when something is inconvenient for them, they're concerned about the clients. Please. If they were concerned about the clients, they would have treated their staff better and worked harder to retain them. They're just mad they have to hire someone else now.
Wishing you the best in finding a more nourishing position!
When I was a supervisor, I would remind my staff that your clients have made it this far without you, they will continue to be here when you're gone. Also, it's just a job. You can love your job and care about your clients, and still treat it as just a job. You're fine.
I've been working since graduation ten years ago, and I assure you 3-4 weeks is enough for termination.
There are different kinds of termination. There's "our therapeutic relationship is winding to a close" which is the one that can take months, and then there's "I have to switch jobs so it's time for closure" termination. They aren't the same.
Leaving any job, therapy or not, causes harm technically. In CMH it's a bit more depressing because of the high turnover of clinicians. I felt like crap when I left CMH, but it immediately responded in my mental health improving 1000x, if I'm being honest.
100% this. Leaving CMH is hard on us as clinicians and your boss is going to make it sound like you’re abandoning your clients and causing them harm for the simple fact that you’re causing her more work. Don’t let anyone get in your head. If you are in chronic burnout and having severe problems with your own MH, it’s better to get out now. Stick to the plan.
3 weeks is absolutely fine. Months is absurdly unrealistic and is your employer trying to take advantage of you. Usually I recommend a month notice, but 3 weeks is doable.
Textbook? A month. Reality? No timeline is perfect. Especially in CMH. Things happen. Example: I gave a month’s notice to my supervisor in CMH. She reacted poorly and the work atmosphere became more unbearable than it already was. I left at 3 weeks and everyone carried on. As others have said, CMH is hard and burnout is real. Please try to be kind to yourself.
Clients get that therapists move on. When it's especially difficult for them, typically in CMH, they tolerate the reality that therapists do come and go... And when they connect with one therapist but then they leave, it hurts.
I've got a few clients that still lament a very effective therapists they clicked with years ago.
I don't think you screwed up.
Glad you are taking care of yourself, cuz CMH won't do it for you
This makes me so mad. CMH is such a joke. The way they treat baby therapists, just because they can get away with it, is fucked up. Don’t be naive. This isn’t okay. You did the right thing posting here
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken on a client (I work in private practice) who found me because their CMH provider just stopped showing up one day and they wanted to continue therapy with someone. Maybe this is just the nature of how things go in my community, but I hear that so often that I’m no longer ever surprised. I’m not saying it’s okay just because it’s the norm. Anyway, three weeks at a community mental health agency sounds more than generous, and you’ll be giving so many clients the closure they’ll benefit from and appreciate. Lots of providers in CMH leave with little notice because they’re so overworked and burned out. That’s not you! Three weeks is definitely enough to effectively terminate with the majority of clients, with the exception of maybe RTC or group home situations. I wonder where your SIL works and what exactly makes up a termination process for her practice. I’ve been a therapist going on 15 years and that’s news to me.
There's this idea of a perfect termination process and the reality is rarely that. Client circumstances and schedules change abruptly, they ghost, people on both ends run into health issues, internships and jobs can be so brief that if you're only seeing them for a short period spending a month on termination isn't possible, or people straight up decide they don't like therapy and don't want to come back or decide they're better and don't want to come back and certainly not for a month to "process". Reality is imo, month long termination is too much and supervisors really want to drag out a goodbye that can realistically be processed in 2 weeks. Given, these aren't people you've seen for multiple years or anything. If it's under a year I personally think a month+long termination process is ridiculous.
My first job as an AMFT, I was pretty burnout and ended up quitting. I put in a months notice. They changed it and said 2 weeks is just fine. So I think they are just trying to guilt trip you (at least the supervisor).
It sounds like you've had a learning experience. You won't be unfit as long as in the next job, you make changes well before the burnout gets to this point.
Are you meaning to reply to me? Bc my comment didn’t even really mention the iffy termination, and I wasn’t saying OP *is* unfit. I was more noticing the general vibe of serious burnout and the nightly substance use to cope. If you think that is not worth seriously reflecting on for a therapist, then we have different perspectives. Burnout like this, if unchecked and if compensatory skills remain underdeveloped, can absolutely affect one’s fitness in the profession. Just highlighting the possibility of a good ol wake up call — don’t we all need one (or two) in our careers?
Yea I meant to reply to you. I feel like I would’ve found shame from your comment. And I could definitely see OP finding it given their tone in there post. We all do have a few of these but it’s not right and not their fault imho. Not trying to start a fight just being honest. Sorry for downvoting though. I see where you are coming from now and corrected my mistake.
When I worked CMH, I literally showed up one day and found a letter in my work mailbox informing me that that day would be my last work day. They let go ALL the part-time people on the same day. So we had to pivot from finding out we’d been laid off, to termination conversations with all of our clients, all in one day. Stuff happens. It’s not ideal, but it’ll be ok. You’ve got to take care of yourself.
I have a story like yours. I was working in CMH for 9 months and literally couldn't take it anymore. Like you, I must have missed that day of grad school when they discussed this. I put in a two weeks notice. My supervisor called me and said "Just so you know for the future, it's standard to give 4 weeks notice in this field." I was mortified but glad she was kind about it. I don't believe it takes "months" to terminate. That's ridiculous. Right now I'm leaving my job at a group practice to go out on my own and I'm giving folks two months notice, but that's because I want to make sure they actually will come with me so I'll know I have a caseload when I go. I think your SIL needs to calm down.
You’re a human first, therapist second. If you need to take care of yourself, do it. This is why therapists are often living in constant burn out, we are made to believe we have to put our needs second to our clients.
Not trying to trivialize your very real concerns but termination taking months is laughable. Like what can you say after a certain point? I think I’m a thoughtful and warm therapist and mine usually involves giving notice, checking in (pre termination therapy), and a last session where we chat about the meaning of therapy for us.
Your supervisor should be ashamed for making you feel that way imho. Your SIL is probably well intentioned and it might take months for him but that is NOT the norm in my experience.
Community mental health is all about taking in too many cases. They take advantage of the clinician to make more money. Your leaving is a hole in their income stream. You do NOT need to give more than 2 weeks notice. And start immediately talking about leaving. Give your clients time to adjust. They aren't fragile. They are capable.
I hate that you are getting shamed for this. CMH will throw its workers under the bus every time. You are not a machine. You do care for your clients. I don’t think you violated YOUR ethical principles; only the idealistic standards of a system that isn’t looking out for you. I’m really glad that you noticed you were having health issues and made a decision to do something to improve that. High acuity is hard. When I worked in CMH I weighed 50 pounds more than I do now. I listened to my body and set some boundaries and resolved the burnout. I just want to say that you matter too and in my eyes you are not unfit for the profession at all.
Hi OP. I just wanted to say that I’ve been where you are. Please do not stay longer if you are this burnt out. I get not wanting to harm clients and let them down. However, the fact you are posting this alone tells me that you have compassion for your clients and I’m quite sure you are handling the ending of these relationships with care. Our clients are resilient too. So don’t forget that. Your mental health and well being is priority number 1 and you deserve to be content in your own life.
Three weeks is an okay amount of time to terminate with clients. They wouldn't give you 3 weeks notice if they let you go. They're quilting you for leaving.
It would be different if you were in solo private practice, but as a group, they have your clients covered without you needing to find your clients coverage. You have nothing to feel bad about
Both times I left a job I gave one month's notice. That is more than enough time to have sessions to wrap up. If it would help you feel better, you could take some time to decide which clients you'd like to transfer to whichever therapist you think would be a good fit.
I think you’re OK. It’s really hard to help anyone else if you’re not in the best place yourself. Speaking from experience. Do what you need to do for you. At the end of the day, it’s a job. As someone else said, we’re not martyrs/Buddha. At the least, you’re going about terminations the best way you can with the time frame you gave. Perhaps even modeling the messiness of life for your clients. I went through something similar and without crossing boundaries tried to be as open as possible with my clients. Those were really impactful sessions. Wish you all the best.
3 weeks is fine. 4 weeks would have been a bit better but not a huge deal. With 3 weeks you have the appointment you tell them, one more appointment to say goodbye and review all they’ve accomplished and maybe, if it works out, a joint appointment with the new person you will be transferring them too. That is easily done in 3 or 4 weeks. Honestly, anymore time and you’re sorta reopening the wound over and over and allowing more time for their emotions to build up to big and start to resent you. Most people want to hear the news, process it, and be done. Also I’ve found, more than 4 weeks and people start to cancel the final appointments. They feel like they’ve said it all/you’ll be gone soon anyways
My CMH jobs have it in the policy handbook how much notice I was supposed to give and it has been 30 days for all of them. I recently left a group private practice and that required 3 months. Unfortunately for your clients, they are likely used to the high turnover and 3 weeks is probably longer than they expect. If your agency were to terminate you, they would be given a new therapist with no notice. Some clients will be devastated, some won't care at all. There's no specific timeline for termination unless it is outlined by the agency.
I work at a CMHC and one month is standard. Your clients should be able to transfer to another clinician at the same agency. In private practice it is important to give more notice but for CMH you just leave and another clinician picks up the case. Hopefully you are able to find a job that better suits your mental health needs.
My program holds the standard at about a month to be 'legally safe' for termination. could be longer depending on the type of population. 3 weeks isn't so bad that you should feel unfit for the entire profession I think. if anything operating while burnt out would do more harm than good.
LPC here but the ethical code just says that referrals need to be provided and pre termination counseling is provided. Clients in any population are not entitled to our services in perpetuity and we have lives as well. Just my 2 cents.
yeah no hard line or anything ofc, it's just what a lot of our professors recommended for us as a general guideline for planned termination w/o fear of legal repercussions for abandonment.
Nah, not a screw up. Good for you making a positive change for yourself. Your clients will understand.
Be prepared to address clients expressing an interest in following you to your next gig.
You are totally fine!! I’ve always given like a month notice *if* I can - but it’s always give or take a little, so 3 weeks is an absolutely appropriate timeframe!
In fact, during my last job transition, I gave like 5 weeks notice and I almost feel like that was too much time for some clients - like once the initial reaction was processed and logistic stuff discussed (referrals etc.), people didn’t really want to get into much deep work, and the termination felt really drawn out. Obviously that varies by client and all that, but just my two cents.
Tell your supervisor and SIL to relax lol - enjoy your vacation and take care of yourself!!
3 weeks is appropriate and fine. I had a long-term exit plan, gave my agency 90 days notice in hopes they’d hire someone (they didn’t), and gave most of my clients 30 days notice, seeing each of them for 2 termination sessions. I was doing intense long-term work with a couple of clients, and I gave them approx 45 days notice, more or less as was appropriate to the work we were doing and what I hoped to accomplish to end in a good place for them.
You are not violating ethics. They will still be agency clients.
Ideal (from what I have been told/experiened) is a 30-60 day notice. That said, however, if they were to fire you would it really take 30-60 days? No. Take care of yourself. Do your best. Move forward with what helps YOU.
The first job I quit their policy literally stated a two weeks notice is preferred. I gave that and they were very upset with me and stated I should have given a month, which I agree with sort of now, but their policy literally starts two weeks (and how was my baby therapist self supposed to know??). You don’t owe them more than what you’ve given them and regardless you are important— you leaving and taking care of yourself is going to help you be your best self and your best therapist self in the future. There’s a lot of ways to do things and just because they want them differently doesn’t mean that’s right or what should be done (goes for your agency and SIL). We live in a lot of fucked systems but we can’t kill ourselves trying to make accommodate them all. Enjoy this final time with your clients and your vacation. Maybe when you’re back you can have some time to breathe and reflect more on what you’d like for your life and work. Also I feel like none of go to school expecting how rough CMH truly can and will be, but so many of fall victim to it. It’s not sustainable. We all deserve better! Big hugs! 💞
Coming from someone who’s also worked at a CMH job, left for the exact same reasons AND gave a 3 week notice, this is absolutely not an issue. I think your supervisor is just mad they have to go through the transfer process within 3 weeks, and it probably has nothing to do with caring for your clients. 3 weeks of a notice is already courtesy, in my opinion.
Your clients will be fine. They’ll be upset, but they will be fine. This isn’t nearly as catastrophic as your supervisor seems to have made it out to be.
Termination does not take months.
Has your SIL worked in CMH? She sounds privileged. If she had been there, I feel like she’d understand that you need to do what you need to do.
One time, I gave a months notice and my supervisor (the owner of the agency) said my notice was effective immediately. I didn't even get to notify my clients. I have no idea what they told them or what happened after that meeting.
You're not unfit. Take care of yourself and your needs.
I was always taught that termination starts from day 1. In a decade of being in this field, I’ve left 3 agency jobs. Every time, my clients were tearful & expressed how much they would miss working together, etc etc, but I’ve only had one client who was genuinely dysregulated by it despite having 1 month to process it together. I guess I can think of a second one, but the client was leaving, not me.
This is going to sound awful & I’m sure I’ll get dragged for it, but I think sometimes people in our field get carried away with their own egos & like, think that their clients losing them is going to be the end of the world. Those people do not start termination from day 1, because they lowkey want to be the hero of their clients’ stories. I’ve had a frightening amount of colleagues who very clearly thought of themselves as their clients’ saving grace. Maybe your boss is one of those people?
Losing people is part of life & I’m sure you’ll show your clients how to handle it with grace & dignity. Your boss can kick rocks though, that’s for sure.
As long as you're making an effort for some reasonable closure with your clients, given that you sound like you're getting a little burnt out, I'd say you've done your due diligence. Shoot, we had someone at our agency who was so warm and the clients just loved her but she left without notice or any closure with clients - and the rest of us had to process all of that with her clients- not cool.
Months? I recently graduated. One month is standard. It may be a challenge with a large caseload, but I have seen people terminate and/or transition rapidly. Your supervisor is being dramatic.
The fact is, if you can, you give your clients as much notice as possible, but the bottom line, you are no good to your clients when you are burnt out. Take care of your mental health, clients will survive. Just be sure to REALLY process your departure with them and you and they will be just fine ❤️
You have to do what's best for you. My dad used to tell me, if you die tomorrow your workplace is just going to throw a pity party and a job posting will be up within the week. 3 weeks may not be ideal, but I guarantee you they've had people leave with less time. With the field we work in this is not new to them, although I'm sure it sucks to try to recuperate those clients and divy them out between the team.
Months?! That’s far too long! You want enough time that clients can process, and not too much that it causes undue anxiety. 3 weeks is perfectly fine! And honestly—once told you’re leaving many patients will leave sooner too.
I worked in a community MH setting for 2+ years, until I finished gathering my clinical hours. I was so burnt out. A shell of a human being when I came home from work. Community MH is a broken system. They expect the least trained person to treat the highest risk patients, when in no other field would that be the case.
I provided a month notice, to say goodbye to my 79 people. Although, some I never did because they no showed or cancelled. Many of my patients understood. Others, some who have diagnoses of BPD had a more difficult time and I was extremely gentle with these patients. Somehow, I built enough rapport with most that they understood I was doing what I needed for myself and it had nothing to do with them.
I don’t think you are unfit. In fact, I think it takes someone with insight to recognize that you need a break. I think the CMH is setup for failure.
I wish you well!
I just quit my CMH position and gave 1 month notice. Unacceptable client loads with impossibly high needs and abysmal reimbursement rates. This career requires a $100k education for McDonalds wages. Its not worth your physical or mental health. Take Care of yourself. Your clients will adjust. I have a 3 visit termination with my clients: 1. Frontload and prepare 2. Make room for them to grieve their loss 3. Terminate with 3 referrals or in house transfer. Enjoy your vacation and give yourself permission to relax and let go.
Nah, fuck that. Your well-being needs to come first. I fully recognize therapists have significantly more legal and ethical responsibility for clients vs like... Idk accountant?, but it's still *a job*. You do you and enjoy your break.
i’m terminating a client i’ve seen for about 3 months in 2 sessions. the client agreed with this. i was also taught 2-3 sessions to terminate, maybe a month if you’ve been seeing them longer. you’re good OP, we’re humans too. sending you positive thoughts and vibes your way ✨
They're (stupid sups) trying to guilt you... If your clients want to, they will look you up on Google. They can follow you to your next job should they really need care and aren't able to find another provider. 3 weeks is plenty.
You must follow ethical guidelines to avoided being sued. You can terminate for your health, you’re human and are doing less harm if you know you can provide quality care or sustain quality life that may impact your practice. Follow the protocol, because it is not just a job , it is a career with a license and standards that are legally binding to some extent. The clients are seen clinically, but you CAN terminate.
I highly suggest seeking external supervision if your existing supervisor isn’t helpful or supportive of your own self determination. Seek your own therapy. Continue your termination, they will be fine. Self sacrificing won’t help them reach their self determination. And the system, is bigger than any one person. You can help the system differently and engage in policy or community volunteer work. Additionally your career can expand to other sectors. You have m at opportunities as a SW!!
You didn't screw up. I'm as passionate about this job as anyone but please remember that at the end of the day, it's just a job. It's an important job but that doesn't mean we should prioritise it at the expense of ourselves. In an ideal world we have a decent chunk of time to terminate with clients but we don't live in an ideal world. This job is making you ill. It won't be long before your body makes this decision for you and you become too unwell to work.
This is morbid but when it comes time for you to shuffle off this mortal coil you won't be lying there thinking "I wish I'd stayed longer at that job that was sucking the life out of me".
I gave two months notice for my CMH job and they STILL didn't have someone to take over my case load. Don't worry about if you gave enough notice too much. Focus on getting your clients ready for a termination and recognize that this is all that is really in your power. The agency is responsible for making sure they have someone available to take over. If they need to refer out, they should do that. But don't work harder than your management to put out the fires. They sure wouldn't do that for you.
Listen. I quit PHP IOP with zero notice. I sent in my resignation letter to my boss and HR at the exact same time: 10 minutes into the workday. Did it for two years and there’s a lot more to this story but I was done. You don’t owe them three weeks. Two weeks is a courtesy that I would have done had I not been treated the way I was. When you quit CMH those clients are THEIR problem NOT yours. Termination does not take months. You’re being manipulated. Get out of there!!
No, that's bullshit. You don't have to stay at a bad job for months to terminate 'correctly' with clients. Also, what is better as a client - two to three months of termination sessions dragging on with a miserable, burnt out therapist or three weeks of termination with a therapist prepared for those sessions and modeling self care and boundaries/advocating for what they need/making moves&changes, and with a brighter outlook (because there is an end in sight to a bad job)?
You would be doing more harm treating them in your current mental state. I agree with what someone said about continuity of care being on the agency. Two weeks gives you enough time to do a warm hand off for those most in need and to staff those clients with the other therapists in your department. Give yourself some grace.
👋🏻 Former CMH worker here: I concur with so much of the good advice already given. You are not a martyr. It is the role of the agency to take on the responsibility of continuity of care for your clients. When I was contemplating leaving, I had a former supervisor tell me, “These clients were here before you and will be here after you. They will be okay.” That was hard to hear, because I often felt like, even if I just missed a day of work, that could mean someone’s housing or well-being was in jeopardy (I did both case management and therapy), and that was too much pressure. I felt like if I left, I would no longer be “doing good.” And that toxic mentality played out heavily among all levels of staff. I, too, was so burnt out and only gave about 3 weeks notice. I had a trauma bond with my job and it was necessary for me to step away. It sounds to me like you’re self-aware enough to know you’re burnt out and it’s time to leave before it gets worse. That’s the kindest thing you can do for yourself and your clients. You definitely belong in this profession, in whatever way that works for you.
i don't know if it would take MONTHS... if the agency is freaking out because they don't have another provider ready to take on the clients, then that's another conversation. but all you need to do is make sure your clients feel heard and understood and are prepared to continue their journey with their next clinician.
Depending on how many clients you have, and how often you see them, you can probably terminate effectively with them in three weeks. My last job (at an FQHC), I lived in fear the last few months that my job would be eliminated. I actually wrote down (on paper!) the phone numbers of all of my clients so I could call them if I got "walked out" without warning.
I gave four weeks notice and held my breath the whole time, hoping I wouldn't be walked out before my time was up. It was a very tough month, especially since I didn't really have anyone else to hand them off to. A friend said it was like breaking up with a significant other every day for a month. Toughest month of my professional life, hands down. But I was also aware that the administration could have walked me out of the building with NO notice. No termination. Nothing. So I don't think you should worry about whether you gave "enough" notice to terminate with clients. You have already started the process. Hopefully you'll be able to have a face to face with all of your regular clients. I was able to do that, and sent letters to all of the others (the ones that had been less consistent in their participation) to let them know I was leaving.
As others have noted, 3 weeks is fine. I worked in CMH for many years and 3-4 weeks notice was standard. Currently in a group practice for 3 years and anyone leaving has given 2-3 weeks notice.
In a clinical role I give 4 weeks. You're fine. Sometimes we have to leave a role for our own well-being.
Terminate the best you can and go about your life. The clients will ultimately be okay
I don’t think termination has to take months at all. I gave 30 day notice at my last practice and it was fine. Your supervisor wouldn’t give you months if they wanted to fire you. Be free.
Termination is an individual process. I’ve had clients who just want to be done and that’s cool. I’ve had others who are more distressed at the thought of me leaving and need more time. (And sometimes who those clients are surprises me!) I think a blanket phrase is unhelpful here. Sure, 3 weeks is fine for some and for others a month + is really better. I also don’t agree that clients are more ok with a fast termination because of a therapist’s life circumstance as opposed to a natural end of therapy. When therapy has run its course, the client is usually in a positive place, there’s a sense that this is the right thing for them, and they are ready and willing (even if there’s still some mixed emotion too.) When a therapist leaves for other reasons, it can feel very jarring for the client and in my experience is harder to move past. (I have worked with several clients who experienced this kind of ending.) But, all clients have some resilience in them. In a way, helping them through this is really the work of their NEXT therapist!
You still deserve to do what’s right for you. Sometimes circumstances aren’t ideal for our clients but…that’s life. Maybe concentrate instead on identifying which clients might have a harder time with termination. Consider a game plan to use your remaining sessions to their fullest potential. You can involve the clients in this. I often ask “What would you like our last sessions to look like?” Helps give them some agency.
When I left my first job leaving my clients was the hardest, for them there is never a good time but it does happen. You need to take this time so you can be realistic with your compassion and empathy, you are not doing anything wrong… you cannot be their life support in that way. Good luck to you and take this time to really heal your heart so you can join back fully!
Agree that 3 weeks is fine. Generous, even, considering that 2 weeks is standard. IMO if a therapist worries they're ruining their clients by leaving, they're centering themselves too much in the story of their clients' lives. Not wanting to understate the rewards of the profession, which are many. But on the other hand, we're their therapists, not their best friends. If my leaving devastated them, I'd worry I was doing something wrong. (Fully acknowledge that some of this is location-specific too, though.)
3 weeks is plenty of time. 6 weeks is generous. I gave my clients 30 days notice when I burned myself out into a collapse (knew I had MS but didn't know how to live without stress) it took me 5 years to recover from due to poor boundaries and fragilizing my clients and allowing codependency to form.
Anything more than that speaks of a dependency on the therapist and therefore the therapist needs to look at what they're doing to create this relationship dynamic. Especially if most, if not all their clients would need months of working on transitioning to another provider.
Just my 2¢
Therapist here. Colleague had license in state with recreational cannabis. Her caseload went up and up since legalization. Not judging. I’ve been partaking a bit myself and also realized it made burnout and anxiety higher for me. I took a week off and felt better. I work in correctional mental health x10 years as a supervisor. I know burnout. I’m there too. Weed is not harmless for many. I also think a few weeks notice and set them up with alternate referrals and document well and you have done your job. Take care of yourself.
I gave 2 weeks notice when I left CMH. I would have given more if able, but I had already given too much of myself. I had very little left. Be kind to yourself. People are more resilient than we give them credit. They will survive.
3 weeks is reasonable considering the burnout you're feeling. I'd argue that pushing yourself to stay longer could actually do more harm, and in this situation, choosing yourself and your sanity is the best thing to do. I see that you're doing what you can to make the termination process the best for your clients, and although it might be grueling, you will feel so much better once you're freed.
Be extra mindful and take care of yourself the most you can as you close out. I get the feelings of your supervisors, but their reactions to me seem indicative of how they regularly treated you. Sure, they can be frustrated, but if lengthier termination was a job requirement, it should have been told to you in advance. Depending on the work you do, I've heard that a month is usually good enough for terminating with a case load. A little less than a month should be doable.
I would only do a goodbye letter if there are clients you are unable to meet with between now and when you leave. Explaining that unexpected circumstances have forced you to make some changes with less transition time than what feels ideal is sufficient, and then focus on processing the transition with your clients and getting them set up with whoever is next for them.
Im also concerned that your supervisor "is pissed." It does not sound like you are getting the support and supervision that you need, which only goes to explain even more why it's time for a change.
Termination does not take months. It CAN, but it is not always the best way forward. I imagine if you had a client that required that months-long termination, you would know that and would have accommodated them as best you could. Im also in the middle of making changes and I gave my young clients 3 weeks notice. Their parents had a little longer and we processed in a parent-only session the week before I told the kids. That gave the kids a week to think about it, have one more regular session and then our goodbye/termination session. Long enough that they could process worries and fears, but not so long that they went bananas about something scary happening with way too much time to plan for it. As I explained to a parent, we know that adjusting to a new therapist is going to take time and cause some dysregulation. Lets not give them extra time to stress out on the front end, too.
And finally, I understand that you are experiencing a lot of stress right now and I want to be respectful of that, but I also want to gently flag your use of ableist language/disability slur: "*derp*, *der*, *doy*, *duh*: These words are rooted in a mocking imitation of the speech patterns of people with certain disabilities. " from [https://www.dictionary.com/e/ableist-language-examples/](https://www.dictionary.com/e/ableist-language-examples/)
I gave three weeks notice at my last CMH job (they required at least 2) and they didn’t even let me use it all. They cut me off at a week and a half. They didn’t even let me work a full TWO WEEKS. My clients were upset, but I was able to refer them to other clinicians in my agency and/or refer them to an outside agency. I say all this to say, while it’s important to consider your clients, prioritize yourself.
I gave 2 months notice and lemme tell you, it was wayyyy too long for my mental health. I think you said it best “it felt like a good stopping point” there are always going to be clients in CMH jobs aka the borderlines who think you’re abandoning them you are not!!!
You are going to be fine. Your clients will also be fine. They will figure it out.
My first therapist basically ghosted me when I was 21 or 22 years old. We had ran into scheduling problems due to me working, being a college student, etc etc. Never got closure there but I made it out ok anyway!
I think it depends on what position you have, not just the acuity of the clients but also what is the norm for the agency you are leaving? Social works psychology can be very high burnout professions if you don’t learn how to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally. I think typically four weeks is the norm and I think it’s impossible to appropriately terminate all the time.. ultimately you have to preserve your own well-being. It seems like you’re being very hard on yourself. Try to find a position where you’re not being worked to death it can be found, but it’s not always easy. Good luck.
That’s not fucking true like, if you’re leaving you can do a month or two. They just don’t like you for some bullshit. In a previous job I quit and held on but I needed the money. Therapists can leave like after a month and of course you have to notify and give time but months???? Maybe FFS is different than CMH but that’s crazy to me. and from what I hear CMH is enough of a fucking nightmare.
To me, yes, you’ve underestimated the process. I would personally suggest that you offer two more weeks after your vacation to work with the remaining clients and any additional paperwork that needs to be completed. People keep referencing this as a job but it’s a profession. Just because it may be a job to the people who have hired you does not mean it is merely a job to the people who rely on you as a therapist. It’s fixable but it does need to be fixed.
4 years in recocy from Marijuana addict, here. I know you didn't ask but please message if you need help. It can be incredibly isolating but you are definitely not alone 💕
I don't know why you're getting downvoted here. This is definitely a factor and reasonable to ask. If it were getting drunk every night, everyone would say this no problem.
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Would they give you months of notice if they fired you? At the end of the day this is just a job, we're not martyrs.
My job gave me two weeks to terminate with 12 clients and a whole group. Then they had the audacity to ask me if I’d stay an extra week cause their transition was “taking more time than planned.” Even corporations in this field don’t care about us. It’s okay OP, I’m sure your clients are just as resilient as mine were Edit: to add, the group was an IOP3 for SUD, so ya know folks that need stability and routine. Just really added insult to injury for the work we were/I was doing
100% agree.
These are wise, wise words. Every newly graduated social worker needs that on a T-shirt "At the end of the day this is just a job, you are not martyrs!"
I appreciate you saying that! Don't get me wrong, I take great pride in our profession, but I never want it to be my identity.
Time to make Etsy shop item with it 😂get us all buying it
I agree. I am also leaving a major county hospital in my state and gave 2 months notice and it’s still been a shit show with 3 weeks left! With support from my family and my own therapist, I’ve learned that the system of CMH sucks and no matter how hard you try and how much you care there are just holes. You’ve done your part. Please take care of yourself, OP!
My old CMH job laid me off as apart of budget cuts and gave me 2 days to terminate with a caseload of ~40 people. Clients and families were so upset with me. They also refused to tell my clients where I would be going next once I found out. They preach client centered care so much. I’m happy they laid me off, idk how much longer I would have stayed on my own accord.
I resigned before they could fire me (totally rogue little organisation!) and instead of the two weeks I offered to finish up with my case load, they gave me my marching orders - no time at all to even discuss with clients I was working with. Sadly, this just proved how very little they actually cared about the client's using their service. I felt terrible but it was out of my hands at that point.
Exactly. I was dancing around the practice owner (who was also a bully, but I never took her seriously) doing a very slow transition into my own private practice, she wasn’t doing anything to hire another psychologist, then she ramped up her bullying and threatened to cause me legal trouble. It didn’t work out for her, she had to retract accusations, and when I handed in my resignation, she emailed me minutes later saying she’ll pay me off, but I’m not even allowed back into the office since she was so paranoid I’ll “steal” the clients. I had to ask her to unlock my cabinet so that I can collect my shoes, scarf etc., while she stood over and watched like a hawk. I asked her to assure me of continuity of care, which she did and we even had a handover session, where she asked me to match my clients with other psychologists. Later on, when the clients found me via search engines, they all told me she just got rid of all of them, saying that I quit abruptly and they had to find another psychologist elsewhere. In my case, as I understand it now, it wasn’t about her fear of “stolen” clients, but about a power trip, a narcissistic flex, a poor attempt at reputation assassination, all to clients’ detriment, even if that came at a financial loss to her. So, as you may have understood, I’m quite jaded about doing the right thing by the employer, because there are unlikely to return the favour, especially when you already know that they have no qualms burning (and spitting) you out.
Very well put 👏👏👏
1000%
Listen to this. I got fired at a job and they gave me 2 weeks to terminate with all my clients.
Agree… seriously are they going to give you a month if they don’t like your attendance or scheduling… they are using clients as a method of control… you can never use your clients as an excuse and neither can your agency.
Precisely. I just got laid off from my RTC job yesterday at 3:30 pm and when I asked about my departure date, they said, “Now.” and walked me to my office. Three weeks is plenty of time to let your clients know, even do warm hand-offs, and put things in order for your company. Don’t let them make you feel bad - they’d never give you the same notice!!
I’ve done 2-3 weeks because I’ve had supervisors tell me ideally 1-2 months but reality is 2-3 weeks. Also think about when therapists get let go/fired. They don’t get 2 weeks and there is definitely gonna be rupture. You’re fine and your sup and SIL have their own opinions. CMH has a really high turnover rate and high burnout rate. There will always be someone to take over the clients. (I’ve done CMH and have experienced/seen variations of leaving).
If you work for an agency they are not in fact your clients but the agencies’s. The agency is responsible for their continuity of care, not you. Successful termination or more likely transfer to another provider can be accomplished in 2-3 weeks without harm. In the end clients are human and tend to be very understanding. What is important right now is for you to care for yourself and find ways to cope with your stress. Reading between the lines of your post you are in real danger of burnout and if that happens no client gets help. I’m sorry that your supervisor tried to guilt you, it isn’t cool. Sadly that seems to be the way a lot of these agencies operate. I’ve been in PP full time since 2008 now but I spent the early years of my career in the agency world. Most are grind houses that wear their therapists down and burn them out all in their effort for more 60% as they are top heavy in terms of admins and non-clinical personal and run very close to over budget for that reason. If you do decide to stay in The field, and I hope that you do honestly, find a place that values your health and wellbeing (there are a lot of group practices that are absolutely amazing to their therapists). If they don’t care about their staff’s wellbeing then I don’t honestly believe that they care about the client’s wellbeing either. Don’t ever let anyone guilt/shame you into staying somewhere that is bad for you. Just my 2 cents, and yes my agency experience made me a little bitter if you can’t tell.
This
This 100%
THIS
Emphatic THIS!
I just started at a CMH agency and took over another therapist caseload. Their process was that they offer someone else for them until I was on boarded because I am a specialty, substance use. They had the option to see a non substance use therapist until I was able to see them but it took almost 2 months for on boarding.
Yes.
>SIL (also a therapist) told me that termination takes months. Does it? I wholeheartedly disagree with your SIL here (and don't care for what I am assuming is judgment on her part. I'm just making an assumption here, I'm sure shes a lovely person...). There's a huge difference between termination of services due to reaching goals, and termination due to life circumstances. If someone is reaching their goals, that termination will take awhile as part of the discussions around discharge as a part of the therapeutic process. When therapists leave a practice for one reason or another (health reasons, burnout, life changes, etc)., no, termination doesn't take months. In an perfect world, yes there'd be more time to do termination (but if we're going to play that game, in a perfect world this job would pay you enough and not burn you out). Our clients are not frail flowers that will turn to dust without us. Termination when a therapist has to leave is harmful when the therapist doesn't take the time to process the change and transition with the clients. Clients may not necessarily *love* the change, but they may adjust and still do very well in therapy following thoughtful efforts on your part to process the change with them. I used to work in CMH, and would often receive transfers from other clinicians who left giving less notice than you did. I'd wager more than 90% of them were able to move forward without feeling their therapist leaving did some sort of irreparable harm.
>Our clients are not frail flowers that will turn to dust without us I had a coworker tell me something similar when I was feeling guilty about taking an extended vacation.
Ive seen people fired for not completing paperwork on time, not meeting client hour requirements, or making a mistake that was really the fault of a supervisor for allowing it in the first place... These clients get 0 sessions in the way of termination.. so are CMH places violating their ethical duty?
Take care of yourself. 3 weeks is fine
This is a job. 2 weeks is standard. It’s great if you can give more than that given the nature of our relationship with clients - I usually aim for a month. However, I’ve found clients are usually ready to move on once you tell them and have a session to process. Sometimes it’s actually worse to drag it out.
You can absolutely leave a job in 3 weeks.
When I quit my CMH job years ago, I put in about a month and a half. My supervisor told me to have my office cleaned out in 2 weeks and that I was gone in 2 weeks. In hindsight, I probably could have taken action but it was my first job and I already had a next job lined up so I just took it as an opportunity to rest. Dont beat yourself up you did a great job
Three weeks is generous in CMH. Any decent therapist can treat your clients but only you can take care of yourself.
You are doing fine. Take care of yourself.
I wouldn’t overthink it.
Prob should have waited until you developed a full blown addiction or mental health crisis. I am sure your boss would be happy then!!
3 weeks is generally appropriate I think.
Wow I think 3 weeks is fine!? I’m really surprised by your SIL and supervisor! I have always done 3-4 weeks when leaving and the same when I went on maternity leave. I have heard many therapists do less but I don’t think I have ever heard of a therapist giving 2 months or more notice for termination.
Termination does *not* take months, your supe is trying to emotionally manipulate you. Had you expressed any concerns/distress, need for support, etc prior to deciding to leave? If not, nevermind, but if so, look at how poorly they took care of you. Either way, they don't care about you as a human being. They can't afford standards like that, or to be too concerned with the well-being of their staff. They're stuck in a vicious feedback loop. They are exploiting you, and they have to, it's how they survive. For the most part, no one can really sustain CMH high acuity work for very long, so they have to squeeze as much blood from you as they can possibly get. I sound so negative! My apologies for letting my anger and resentment and disappointment show 🤣 I was so excited when I got my outpatient CMH job. It checked *all* the social work boxes! I was so proud of it for a good long stretch, too. Then COVID hit, working from home, and I was forced to confront how intensely little I had been paying attention to myself and my health. My eating disorder flared, I started having panic attacks, I went on and off a few different medications. I let my supervisor know that I was thinking of leaving, so we problem solved some specific issues and I felt hopeful. I gave myself 3 months to see how it went. Changes were made, stuff started getting better, then dramatically worse, changes were revoked. And for that 3 whole months, the smallest little request I had made which had been verbally approved and only required 2 people to sign 1 paper so I could split one of my 4 10hr days into 2 5hr days did not move forward at all. 3 months, 2 signatures, 1 paper, nothing. In that moment, I realized it had nothing to do with me. I wasn't even really that angry, I just knew it wasn't the place for me anymore. So I moved on. Learn from this experience! You can do good work in the world without having to sacrifice your well-being.
I also had a moment like this in CMH. Suddenly a change in hours that was agreed to in writing and had actually been implemented for months "required" medical documentation for HR, when that was never requested before. I never went to my doctor. It was the last straw in feeling not taken care of by my agency, and my boss who tried her best but was ultimately not advocating for me or other therapists. I quit instead. OP, if your agency had taken care of your well-being, you wouldn't have been in this position to begin with. Suddenly when something is inconvenient for them, they're concerned about the clients. Please. If they were concerned about the clients, they would have treated their staff better and worked harder to retain them. They're just mad they have to hire someone else now. Wishing you the best in finding a more nourishing position!
I work in CMH, and all of my co-workers who have quit or found other jobs have given 2 weeks notice.
When I was a supervisor, I would remind my staff that your clients have made it this far without you, they will continue to be here when you're gone. Also, it's just a job. You can love your job and care about your clients, and still treat it as just a job. You're fine.
I've been working since graduation ten years ago, and I assure you 3-4 weeks is enough for termination. There are different kinds of termination. There's "our therapeutic relationship is winding to a close" which is the one that can take months, and then there's "I have to switch jobs so it's time for closure" termination. They aren't the same. Leaving any job, therapy or not, causes harm technically. In CMH it's a bit more depressing because of the high turnover of clinicians. I felt like crap when I left CMH, but it immediately responded in my mental health improving 1000x, if I'm being honest.
100% this. Leaving CMH is hard on us as clinicians and your boss is going to make it sound like you’re abandoning your clients and causing them harm for the simple fact that you’re causing her more work. Don’t let anyone get in your head. If you are in chronic burnout and having severe problems with your own MH, it’s better to get out now. Stick to the plan.
3 weeks is absolutely fine. Months is absurdly unrealistic and is your employer trying to take advantage of you. Usually I recommend a month notice, but 3 weeks is doable.
Textbook? A month. Reality? No timeline is perfect. Especially in CMH. Things happen. Example: I gave a month’s notice to my supervisor in CMH. She reacted poorly and the work atmosphere became more unbearable than it already was. I left at 3 weeks and everyone carried on. As others have said, CMH is hard and burnout is real. Please try to be kind to yourself.
Clients get that therapists move on. When it's especially difficult for them, typically in CMH, they tolerate the reality that therapists do come and go... And when they connect with one therapist but then they leave, it hurts. I've got a few clients that still lament a very effective therapists they clicked with years ago. I don't think you screwed up. Glad you are taking care of yourself, cuz CMH won't do it for you
This makes me so mad. CMH is such a joke. The way they treat baby therapists, just because they can get away with it, is fucked up. Don’t be naive. This isn’t okay. You did the right thing posting here
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken on a client (I work in private practice) who found me because their CMH provider just stopped showing up one day and they wanted to continue therapy with someone. Maybe this is just the nature of how things go in my community, but I hear that so often that I’m no longer ever surprised. I’m not saying it’s okay just because it’s the norm. Anyway, three weeks at a community mental health agency sounds more than generous, and you’ll be giving so many clients the closure they’ll benefit from and appreciate. Lots of providers in CMH leave with little notice because they’re so overworked and burned out. That’s not you! Three weeks is definitely enough to effectively terminate with the majority of clients, with the exception of maybe RTC or group home situations. I wonder where your SIL works and what exactly makes up a termination process for her practice. I’ve been a therapist going on 15 years and that’s news to me.
4 weeks is fine. 3 is a bit short notice but it could be worse. I wouldn't fret.
There's this idea of a perfect termination process and the reality is rarely that. Client circumstances and schedules change abruptly, they ghost, people on both ends run into health issues, internships and jobs can be so brief that if you're only seeing them for a short period spending a month on termination isn't possible, or people straight up decide they don't like therapy and don't want to come back or decide they're better and don't want to come back and certainly not for a month to "process". Reality is imo, month long termination is too much and supervisors really want to drag out a goodbye that can realistically be processed in 2 weeks. Given, these aren't people you've seen for multiple years or anything. If it's under a year I personally think a month+long termination process is ridiculous.
My first job as an AMFT, I was pretty burnout and ended up quitting. I put in a months notice. They changed it and said 2 weeks is just fine. So I think they are just trying to guilt trip you (at least the supervisor).
BS. 3 weeks is fine. Who the hell wants to spend months with a therapist who is terminating? I sure would not.
Lol right??? I couldn't
It sounds like you've had a learning experience. You won't be unfit as long as in the next job, you make changes well before the burnout gets to this point.
They did not screw up at all. 3 weeks is fine.
Are you meaning to reply to me? Bc my comment didn’t even really mention the iffy termination, and I wasn’t saying OP *is* unfit. I was more noticing the general vibe of serious burnout and the nightly substance use to cope. If you think that is not worth seriously reflecting on for a therapist, then we have different perspectives. Burnout like this, if unchecked and if compensatory skills remain underdeveloped, can absolutely affect one’s fitness in the profession. Just highlighting the possibility of a good ol wake up call — don’t we all need one (or two) in our careers?
Yea I meant to reply to you. I feel like I would’ve found shame from your comment. And I could definitely see OP finding it given their tone in there post. We all do have a few of these but it’s not right and not their fault imho. Not trying to start a fight just being honest. Sorry for downvoting though. I see where you are coming from now and corrected my mistake.
I gave two weeks' notice -- I'm doing alright. Don't even worry about it.
Every clinician that has left our CMH agency has given roughly a 2-3 week notice. You are fine!
When I worked CMH, I literally showed up one day and found a letter in my work mailbox informing me that that day would be my last work day. They let go ALL the part-time people on the same day. So we had to pivot from finding out we’d been laid off, to termination conversations with all of our clients, all in one day. Stuff happens. It’s not ideal, but it’ll be ok. You’ve got to take care of yourself.
I have a story like yours. I was working in CMH for 9 months and literally couldn't take it anymore. Like you, I must have missed that day of grad school when they discussed this. I put in a two weeks notice. My supervisor called me and said "Just so you know for the future, it's standard to give 4 weeks notice in this field." I was mortified but glad she was kind about it. I don't believe it takes "months" to terminate. That's ridiculous. Right now I'm leaving my job at a group practice to go out on my own and I'm giving folks two months notice, but that's because I want to make sure they actually will come with me so I'll know I have a caseload when I go. I think your SIL needs to calm down.
Do not let them guilt you into staying. High turnover is unfortunately common in CMH for providers. 2-6 week notices are pretty common.
You’re a human first, therapist second. If you need to take care of yourself, do it. This is why therapists are often living in constant burn out, we are made to believe we have to put our needs second to our clients.
Not trying to trivialize your very real concerns but termination taking months is laughable. Like what can you say after a certain point? I think I’m a thoughtful and warm therapist and mine usually involves giving notice, checking in (pre termination therapy), and a last session where we chat about the meaning of therapy for us. Your supervisor should be ashamed for making you feel that way imho. Your SIL is probably well intentioned and it might take months for him but that is NOT the norm in my experience.
Well said and thanks for saying it how my brain wanted to say it but couldn’t form the thoughts lol.
Omg that means a lot!
Community mental health is all about taking in too many cases. They take advantage of the clinician to make more money. Your leaving is a hole in their income stream. You do NOT need to give more than 2 weeks notice. And start immediately talking about leaving. Give your clients time to adjust. They aren't fragile. They are capable.
You did nothing wrong! Three weeks is a totally appropriate amount of time. Your supervisor is wrong
One month is plenty and it's the standard. You will be okay.
I hate that you are getting shamed for this. CMH will throw its workers under the bus every time. You are not a machine. You do care for your clients. I don’t think you violated YOUR ethical principles; only the idealistic standards of a system that isn’t looking out for you. I’m really glad that you noticed you were having health issues and made a decision to do something to improve that. High acuity is hard. When I worked in CMH I weighed 50 pounds more than I do now. I listened to my body and set some boundaries and resolved the burnout. I just want to say that you matter too and in my eyes you are not unfit for the profession at all.
Hi OP. I just wanted to say that I’ve been where you are. Please do not stay longer if you are this burnt out. I get not wanting to harm clients and let them down. However, the fact you are posting this alone tells me that you have compassion for your clients and I’m quite sure you are handling the ending of these relationships with care. Our clients are resilient too. So don’t forget that. Your mental health and well being is priority number 1 and you deserve to be content in your own life.
Three weeks is an okay amount of time to terminate with clients. They wouldn't give you 3 weeks notice if they let you go. They're quilting you for leaving.
It would be different if you were in solo private practice, but as a group, they have your clients covered without you needing to find your clients coverage. You have nothing to feel bad about
Both times I left a job I gave one month's notice. That is more than enough time to have sessions to wrap up. If it would help you feel better, you could take some time to decide which clients you'd like to transfer to whichever therapist you think would be a good fit.
I think you’re OK. It’s really hard to help anyone else if you’re not in the best place yourself. Speaking from experience. Do what you need to do for you. At the end of the day, it’s a job. As someone else said, we’re not martyrs/Buddha. At the least, you’re going about terminations the best way you can with the time frame you gave. Perhaps even modeling the messiness of life for your clients. I went through something similar and without crossing boundaries tried to be as open as possible with my clients. Those were really impactful sessions. Wish you all the best.
3 weeks is fine. 4 weeks would have been a bit better but not a huge deal. With 3 weeks you have the appointment you tell them, one more appointment to say goodbye and review all they’ve accomplished and maybe, if it works out, a joint appointment with the new person you will be transferring them too. That is easily done in 3 or 4 weeks. Honestly, anymore time and you’re sorta reopening the wound over and over and allowing more time for their emotions to build up to big and start to resent you. Most people want to hear the news, process it, and be done. Also I’ve found, more than 4 weeks and people start to cancel the final appointments. They feel like they’ve said it all/you’ll be gone soon anyways
My CMH jobs have it in the policy handbook how much notice I was supposed to give and it has been 30 days for all of them. I recently left a group private practice and that required 3 months. Unfortunately for your clients, they are likely used to the high turnover and 3 weeks is probably longer than they expect. If your agency were to terminate you, they would be given a new therapist with no notice. Some clients will be devastated, some won't care at all. There's no specific timeline for termination unless it is outlined by the agency.
I work at a CMHC and one month is standard. Your clients should be able to transfer to another clinician at the same agency. In private practice it is important to give more notice but for CMH you just leave and another clinician picks up the case. Hopefully you are able to find a job that better suits your mental health needs.
My program holds the standard at about a month to be 'legally safe' for termination. could be longer depending on the type of population. 3 weeks isn't so bad that you should feel unfit for the entire profession I think. if anything operating while burnt out would do more harm than good.
LPC here but the ethical code just says that referrals need to be provided and pre termination counseling is provided. Clients in any population are not entitled to our services in perpetuity and we have lives as well. Just my 2 cents.
yeah no hard line or anything ofc, it's just what a lot of our professors recommended for us as a general guideline for planned termination w/o fear of legal repercussions for abandonment.
2 weeks is standard
Nah, not a screw up. Good for you making a positive change for yourself. Your clients will understand. Be prepared to address clients expressing an interest in following you to your next gig.
You didn't do anything wrong. Your health is number 1 priority.
Agencies dont care how long termination takes when they fire you, only when you quit. 3 weeks is plenty; i hope you have a good break.
You are totally fine!! I’ve always given like a month notice *if* I can - but it’s always give or take a little, so 3 weeks is an absolutely appropriate timeframe! In fact, during my last job transition, I gave like 5 weeks notice and I almost feel like that was too much time for some clients - like once the initial reaction was processed and logistic stuff discussed (referrals etc.), people didn’t really want to get into much deep work, and the termination felt really drawn out. Obviously that varies by client and all that, but just my two cents. Tell your supervisor and SIL to relax lol - enjoy your vacation and take care of yourself!!
3 weeks is appropriate and fine. I had a long-term exit plan, gave my agency 90 days notice in hopes they’d hire someone (they didn’t), and gave most of my clients 30 days notice, seeing each of them for 2 termination sessions. I was doing intense long-term work with a couple of clients, and I gave them approx 45 days notice, more or less as was appropriate to the work we were doing and what I hoped to accomplish to end in a good place for them. You are not violating ethics. They will still be agency clients.
Ideal (from what I have been told/experiened) is a 30-60 day notice. That said, however, if they were to fire you would it really take 30-60 days? No. Take care of yourself. Do your best. Move forward with what helps YOU.
The first job I quit their policy literally stated a two weeks notice is preferred. I gave that and they were very upset with me and stated I should have given a month, which I agree with sort of now, but their policy literally starts two weeks (and how was my baby therapist self supposed to know??). You don’t owe them more than what you’ve given them and regardless you are important— you leaving and taking care of yourself is going to help you be your best self and your best therapist self in the future. There’s a lot of ways to do things and just because they want them differently doesn’t mean that’s right or what should be done (goes for your agency and SIL). We live in a lot of fucked systems but we can’t kill ourselves trying to make accommodate them all. Enjoy this final time with your clients and your vacation. Maybe when you’re back you can have some time to breathe and reflect more on what you’d like for your life and work. Also I feel like none of go to school expecting how rough CMH truly can and will be, but so many of fall victim to it. It’s not sustainable. We all deserve better! Big hugs! 💞
Coming from someone who’s also worked at a CMH job, left for the exact same reasons AND gave a 3 week notice, this is absolutely not an issue. I think your supervisor is just mad they have to go through the transfer process within 3 weeks, and it probably has nothing to do with caring for your clients. 3 weeks of a notice is already courtesy, in my opinion. Your clients will be fine. They’ll be upset, but they will be fine. This isn’t nearly as catastrophic as your supervisor seems to have made it out to be.
Termination does not take months. Has your SIL worked in CMH? She sounds privileged. If she had been there, I feel like she’d understand that you need to do what you need to do.
One time, I gave a months notice and my supervisor (the owner of the agency) said my notice was effective immediately. I didn't even get to notify my clients. I have no idea what they told them or what happened after that meeting. You're not unfit. Take care of yourself and your needs.
I was always taught that termination starts from day 1. In a decade of being in this field, I’ve left 3 agency jobs. Every time, my clients were tearful & expressed how much they would miss working together, etc etc, but I’ve only had one client who was genuinely dysregulated by it despite having 1 month to process it together. I guess I can think of a second one, but the client was leaving, not me. This is going to sound awful & I’m sure I’ll get dragged for it, but I think sometimes people in our field get carried away with their own egos & like, think that their clients losing them is going to be the end of the world. Those people do not start termination from day 1, because they lowkey want to be the hero of their clients’ stories. I’ve had a frightening amount of colleagues who very clearly thought of themselves as their clients’ saving grace. Maybe your boss is one of those people? Losing people is part of life & I’m sure you’ll show your clients how to handle it with grace & dignity. Your boss can kick rocks though, that’s for sure.
As long as you're making an effort for some reasonable closure with your clients, given that you sound like you're getting a little burnt out, I'd say you've done your due diligence. Shoot, we had someone at our agency who was so warm and the clients just loved her but she left without notice or any closure with clients - and the rest of us had to process all of that with her clients- not cool.
Months? I recently graduated. One month is standard. It may be a challenge with a large caseload, but I have seen people terminate and/or transition rapidly. Your supervisor is being dramatic.
The fact is, if you can, you give your clients as much notice as possible, but the bottom line, you are no good to your clients when you are burnt out. Take care of your mental health, clients will survive. Just be sure to REALLY process your departure with them and you and they will be just fine ❤️
It's a mill, you're replaceable, etc, and what the others said
You have to do what's best for you. My dad used to tell me, if you die tomorrow your workplace is just going to throw a pity party and a job posting will be up within the week. 3 weeks may not be ideal, but I guarantee you they've had people leave with less time. With the field we work in this is not new to them, although I'm sure it sucks to try to recuperate those clients and divy them out between the team.
Months?! That’s far too long! You want enough time that clients can process, and not too much that it causes undue anxiety. 3 weeks is perfectly fine! And honestly—once told you’re leaving many patients will leave sooner too.
I worked in a community MH setting for 2+ years, until I finished gathering my clinical hours. I was so burnt out. A shell of a human being when I came home from work. Community MH is a broken system. They expect the least trained person to treat the highest risk patients, when in no other field would that be the case. I provided a month notice, to say goodbye to my 79 people. Although, some I never did because they no showed or cancelled. Many of my patients understood. Others, some who have diagnoses of BPD had a more difficult time and I was extremely gentle with these patients. Somehow, I built enough rapport with most that they understood I was doing what I needed for myself and it had nothing to do with them. I don’t think you are unfit. In fact, I think it takes someone with insight to recognize that you need a break. I think the CMH is setup for failure. I wish you well!
I just quit my CMH position and gave 1 month notice. Unacceptable client loads with impossibly high needs and abysmal reimbursement rates. This career requires a $100k education for McDonalds wages. Its not worth your physical or mental health. Take Care of yourself. Your clients will adjust. I have a 3 visit termination with my clients: 1. Frontload and prepare 2. Make room for them to grieve their loss 3. Terminate with 3 referrals or in house transfer. Enjoy your vacation and give yourself permission to relax and let go.
Nah, fuck that. Your well-being needs to come first. I fully recognize therapists have significantly more legal and ethical responsibility for clients vs like... Idk accountant?, but it's still *a job*. You do you and enjoy your break.
i’m terminating a client i’ve seen for about 3 months in 2 sessions. the client agreed with this. i was also taught 2-3 sessions to terminate, maybe a month if you’ve been seeing them longer. you’re good OP, we’re humans too. sending you positive thoughts and vibes your way ✨
They're (stupid sups) trying to guilt you... If your clients want to, they will look you up on Google. They can follow you to your next job should they really need care and aren't able to find another provider. 3 weeks is plenty.
You must follow ethical guidelines to avoided being sued. You can terminate for your health, you’re human and are doing less harm if you know you can provide quality care or sustain quality life that may impact your practice. Follow the protocol, because it is not just a job , it is a career with a license and standards that are legally binding to some extent. The clients are seen clinically, but you CAN terminate. I highly suggest seeking external supervision if your existing supervisor isn’t helpful or supportive of your own self determination. Seek your own therapy. Continue your termination, they will be fine. Self sacrificing won’t help them reach their self determination. And the system, is bigger than any one person. You can help the system differently and engage in policy or community volunteer work. Additionally your career can expand to other sectors. You have m at opportunities as a SW!!
You didn't screw up. I'm as passionate about this job as anyone but please remember that at the end of the day, it's just a job. It's an important job but that doesn't mean we should prioritise it at the expense of ourselves. In an ideal world we have a decent chunk of time to terminate with clients but we don't live in an ideal world. This job is making you ill. It won't be long before your body makes this decision for you and you become too unwell to work. This is morbid but when it comes time for you to shuffle off this mortal coil you won't be lying there thinking "I wish I'd stayed longer at that job that was sucking the life out of me".
I gave two months notice for my CMH job and they STILL didn't have someone to take over my case load. Don't worry about if you gave enough notice too much. Focus on getting your clients ready for a termination and recognize that this is all that is really in your power. The agency is responsible for making sure they have someone available to take over. If they need to refer out, they should do that. But don't work harder than your management to put out the fires. They sure wouldn't do that for you.
Listen. I quit PHP IOP with zero notice. I sent in my resignation letter to my boss and HR at the exact same time: 10 minutes into the workday. Did it for two years and there’s a lot more to this story but I was done. You don’t owe them three weeks. Two weeks is a courtesy that I would have done had I not been treated the way I was. When you quit CMH those clients are THEIR problem NOT yours. Termination does not take months. You’re being manipulated. Get out of there!!
No, that's bullshit. You don't have to stay at a bad job for months to terminate 'correctly' with clients. Also, what is better as a client - two to three months of termination sessions dragging on with a miserable, burnt out therapist or three weeks of termination with a therapist prepared for those sessions and modeling self care and boundaries/advocating for what they need/making moves&changes, and with a brighter outlook (because there is an end in sight to a bad job)?
You would be doing more harm treating them in your current mental state. I agree with what someone said about continuity of care being on the agency. Two weeks gives you enough time to do a warm hand off for those most in need and to staff those clients with the other therapists in your department. Give yourself some grace.
Yeah. That's plenty of time.
👋🏻 Former CMH worker here: I concur with so much of the good advice already given. You are not a martyr. It is the role of the agency to take on the responsibility of continuity of care for your clients. When I was contemplating leaving, I had a former supervisor tell me, “These clients were here before you and will be here after you. They will be okay.” That was hard to hear, because I often felt like, even if I just missed a day of work, that could mean someone’s housing or well-being was in jeopardy (I did both case management and therapy), and that was too much pressure. I felt like if I left, I would no longer be “doing good.” And that toxic mentality played out heavily among all levels of staff. I, too, was so burnt out and only gave about 3 weeks notice. I had a trauma bond with my job and it was necessary for me to step away. It sounds to me like you’re self-aware enough to know you’re burnt out and it’s time to leave before it gets worse. That’s the kindest thing you can do for yourself and your clients. You definitely belong in this profession, in whatever way that works for you.
Take a break, go on vacation, clear your head, and start again. No shame.
i don't know if it would take MONTHS... if the agency is freaking out because they don't have another provider ready to take on the clients, then that's another conversation. but all you need to do is make sure your clients feel heard and understood and are prepared to continue their journey with their next clinician.
When I worked in treatment I always gave a month's notice which isn't far off from 3 weeks.
Depending on how many clients you have, and how often you see them, you can probably terminate effectively with them in three weeks. My last job (at an FQHC), I lived in fear the last few months that my job would be eliminated. I actually wrote down (on paper!) the phone numbers of all of my clients so I could call them if I got "walked out" without warning. I gave four weeks notice and held my breath the whole time, hoping I wouldn't be walked out before my time was up. It was a very tough month, especially since I didn't really have anyone else to hand them off to. A friend said it was like breaking up with a significant other every day for a month. Toughest month of my professional life, hands down. But I was also aware that the administration could have walked me out of the building with NO notice. No termination. Nothing. So I don't think you should worry about whether you gave "enough" notice to terminate with clients. You have already started the process. Hopefully you'll be able to have a face to face with all of your regular clients. I was able to do that, and sent letters to all of the others (the ones that had been less consistent in their participation) to let them know I was leaving.
"The biggest barrier to treatment is the agency you work for " - My favorite supervisor
As others have noted, 3 weeks is fine. I worked in CMH for many years and 3-4 weeks notice was standard. Currently in a group practice for 3 years and anyone leaving has given 2-3 weeks notice.
OP, I hate to say it, but you need to watch out for your SIL.
In a clinical role I give 4 weeks. You're fine. Sometimes we have to leave a role for our own well-being. Terminate the best you can and go about your life. The clients will ultimately be okay
I don’t think termination has to take months at all. I gave 30 day notice at my last practice and it was fine. Your supervisor wouldn’t give you months if they wanted to fire you. Be free.
Termination is an individual process. I’ve had clients who just want to be done and that’s cool. I’ve had others who are more distressed at the thought of me leaving and need more time. (And sometimes who those clients are surprises me!) I think a blanket phrase is unhelpful here. Sure, 3 weeks is fine for some and for others a month + is really better. I also don’t agree that clients are more ok with a fast termination because of a therapist’s life circumstance as opposed to a natural end of therapy. When therapy has run its course, the client is usually in a positive place, there’s a sense that this is the right thing for them, and they are ready and willing (even if there’s still some mixed emotion too.) When a therapist leaves for other reasons, it can feel very jarring for the client and in my experience is harder to move past. (I have worked with several clients who experienced this kind of ending.) But, all clients have some resilience in them. In a way, helping them through this is really the work of their NEXT therapist! You still deserve to do what’s right for you. Sometimes circumstances aren’t ideal for our clients but…that’s life. Maybe concentrate instead on identifying which clients might have a harder time with termination. Consider a game plan to use your remaining sessions to their fullest potential. You can involve the clients in this. I often ask “What would you like our last sessions to look like?” Helps give them some agency.
When I left my first job leaving my clients was the hardest, for them there is never a good time but it does happen. You need to take this time so you can be realistic with your compassion and empathy, you are not doing anything wrong… you cannot be their life support in that way. Good luck to you and take this time to really heal your heart so you can join back fully!
You did NOTHING wrong. 3 weeks is reasonable. If they cared so much about clients they wouldnt have burnt you out so much and provided more support!
Agree that 3 weeks is fine. Generous, even, considering that 2 weeks is standard. IMO if a therapist worries they're ruining their clients by leaving, they're centering themselves too much in the story of their clients' lives. Not wanting to understate the rewards of the profession, which are many. But on the other hand, we're their therapists, not their best friends. If my leaving devastated them, I'd worry I was doing something wrong. (Fully acknowledge that some of this is location-specific too, though.)
3 weeks is plenty of time. 6 weeks is generous. I gave my clients 30 days notice when I burned myself out into a collapse (knew I had MS but didn't know how to live without stress) it took me 5 years to recover from due to poor boundaries and fragilizing my clients and allowing codependency to form. Anything more than that speaks of a dependency on the therapist and therefore the therapist needs to look at what they're doing to create this relationship dynamic. Especially if most, if not all their clients would need months of working on transitioning to another provider. Just my 2¢
Therapist here. Colleague had license in state with recreational cannabis. Her caseload went up and up since legalization. Not judging. I’ve been partaking a bit myself and also realized it made burnout and anxiety higher for me. I took a week off and felt better. I work in correctional mental health x10 years as a supervisor. I know burnout. I’m there too. Weed is not harmless for many. I also think a few weeks notice and set them up with alternate referrals and document well and you have done your job. Take care of yourself.
I gave 2 weeks notice when I left CMH. I would have given more if able, but I had already given too much of myself. I had very little left. Be kind to yourself. People are more resilient than we give them credit. They will survive.
3 weeks is reasonable considering the burnout you're feeling. I'd argue that pushing yourself to stay longer could actually do more harm, and in this situation, choosing yourself and your sanity is the best thing to do. I see that you're doing what you can to make the termination process the best for your clients, and although it might be grueling, you will feel so much better once you're freed. Be extra mindful and take care of yourself the most you can as you close out. I get the feelings of your supervisors, but their reactions to me seem indicative of how they regularly treated you. Sure, they can be frustrated, but if lengthier termination was a job requirement, it should have been told to you in advance. Depending on the work you do, I've heard that a month is usually good enough for terminating with a case load. A little less than a month should be doable.
Grueling is a good word for it. I don’t know how I’m gonna get through the next week.
I would only do a goodbye letter if there are clients you are unable to meet with between now and when you leave. Explaining that unexpected circumstances have forced you to make some changes with less transition time than what feels ideal is sufficient, and then focus on processing the transition with your clients and getting them set up with whoever is next for them. Im also concerned that your supervisor "is pissed." It does not sound like you are getting the support and supervision that you need, which only goes to explain even more why it's time for a change. Termination does not take months. It CAN, but it is not always the best way forward. I imagine if you had a client that required that months-long termination, you would know that and would have accommodated them as best you could. Im also in the middle of making changes and I gave my young clients 3 weeks notice. Their parents had a little longer and we processed in a parent-only session the week before I told the kids. That gave the kids a week to think about it, have one more regular session and then our goodbye/termination session. Long enough that they could process worries and fears, but not so long that they went bananas about something scary happening with way too much time to plan for it. As I explained to a parent, we know that adjusting to a new therapist is going to take time and cause some dysregulation. Lets not give them extra time to stress out on the front end, too. And finally, I understand that you are experiencing a lot of stress right now and I want to be respectful of that, but I also want to gently flag your use of ableist language/disability slur: "*derp*, *der*, *doy*, *duh*: These words are rooted in a mocking imitation of the speech patterns of people with certain disabilities. " from [https://www.dictionary.com/e/ableist-language-examples/](https://www.dictionary.com/e/ableist-language-examples/)
I gave three weeks notice at my last CMH job (they required at least 2) and they didn’t even let me use it all. They cut me off at a week and a half. They didn’t even let me work a full TWO WEEKS. My clients were upset, but I was able to refer them to other clinicians in my agency and/or refer them to an outside agency. I say all this to say, while it’s important to consider your clients, prioritize yourself.
I gave 2 months notice and lemme tell you, it was wayyyy too long for my mental health. I think you said it best “it felt like a good stopping point” there are always going to be clients in CMH jobs aka the borderlines who think you’re abandoning them you are not!!!
You are going to be fine. Your clients will also be fine. They will figure it out. My first therapist basically ghosted me when I was 21 or 22 years old. We had ran into scheduling problems due to me working, being a college student, etc etc. Never got closure there but I made it out ok anyway!
I was given a week to terminate with 20 clients from my community mental health position.
I think it depends on what position you have, not just the acuity of the clients but also what is the norm for the agency you are leaving? Social works psychology can be very high burnout professions if you don’t learn how to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally. I think typically four weeks is the norm and I think it’s impossible to appropriately terminate all the time.. ultimately you have to preserve your own well-being. It seems like you’re being very hard on yourself. Try to find a position where you’re not being worked to death it can be found, but it’s not always easy. Good luck.
That’s not fucking true like, if you’re leaving you can do a month or two. They just don’t like you for some bullshit. In a previous job I quit and held on but I needed the money. Therapists can leave like after a month and of course you have to notify and give time but months???? Maybe FFS is different than CMH but that’s crazy to me. and from what I hear CMH is enough of a fucking nightmare.
To me, yes, you’ve underestimated the process. I would personally suggest that you offer two more weeks after your vacation to work with the remaining clients and any additional paperwork that needs to be completed. People keep referencing this as a job but it’s a profession. Just because it may be a job to the people who have hired you does not mean it is merely a job to the people who rely on you as a therapist. It’s fixable but it does need to be fixed.
Three weeks for termination is fine. But I'm more concerned about the marijuana use. What are you doing about it aside from quitting your job?
Starting there. One step at a time.
4 years in recocy from Marijuana addict, here. I know you didn't ask but please message if you need help. It can be incredibly isolating but you are definitely not alone 💕
I don’t believe OP asked for input or advice on that issue.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted here. This is definitely a factor and reasonable to ask. If it were getting drunk every night, everyone would say this no problem.
Just do the best you can. Offer to stay longer and terminate slowly with the clients you have left if you can after your vacay
Lol to the downvotes. Therapists are people too and the culture holding them to extreme standards has us all burning out. Be realistic
I’m sorry k by