About Susan Mankita
Susan has been recognized by NASW Miami-Dade Unit and by Florida NASW as Social Worker of the Year (2013) and was recently inducted into the NASW Foundation Pioneers, one of the highest honors a social worker can receive.
She serves as the Immediate Past President (2020 – 2022) of the NASW Florida Chapter.
She has helped 600+ social work colleagues to pass their licensure exams through her professional development company for social workers, called Sweet Grindstone. The company provides licensure prep, mentoring and case consultation to social workers as well as continuing education and training to professional and human service organizations.
She was at Florida International University’s Stempel School of Public Health and Social Work and has taught practice, human behavior, interviewing and child welfare courses from 2007 through 2019.
Susan is proudest of her primary work with exam re-takers – many great social workers who have struggled to pass the exam. Her techniques have already helped many hundreds of social workers, some who’d all but given up hope, to persist, practice and ultimately pass.
Susan has been educating social workers about technology since 1995, when she founded the AOL Social Work Forum, one of the earliest and the longest running online community for social workers. She also developed and has served as Community Manager of www.socialworkchat.org, an online community for social workers, co‐sponsored by NASW and The New Social Worker Online.
A pioneer at the intersection of technology and social work, she is internationally recognized for her expertise on Internet ethics and practice. She has keynoted or delivered half/full day presentations to leaders in the field of social work – including NASW’s National Board of Directors, and The Association of Social Work Boards Annual Spring Meeting.
A proud professional social worker for over 30 years, Susan received her MSW from Barry University in 1989, and her LCSW in 1994.
COHORT 5
New 12 Week Cohort on April 10th Classes are live on Zoom every Monday from 7-8:30 Eastern Standard Time. The next Cohort will not begin until June, 2023 TAKE ME THERE!Conversations on Social Work Careers: On Taking and Retaking Social Work Licensing Exams – With Susan Mankita
By Susan Mankita, LCSW
In this episode of Conversations on Social Work Careers with Your Social Work Career Coach Jennifer Luna, spend almost an entire hour with Susan Mankita, LCSW. In her individual and group tutoring programs, Susan works with retakers – social workers who have previously failed the ASWB licensing exams to help them pass the next time. Jennifer and Susan discuss how Susan’s “Mankita Method” helps retakers think differently about exam questions, licensure equity, and more.
Testimonials
“I suffered from test anxiety, but after having Susan as my tutor and mentor, I was able to pass the ASWB clinical social work exam. Susan spent countless hours patiently teaching me the strategies to prepare for the ASWB clinical social work exam. She helped me take a step outside my fears and believe in myself. This gave me the confidence I didn’t have prior to working with her and the ability to pass the exam. I will forever be grateful for her patience, teaching, guidance, and inspiration. I highly recommend any social worker who is preparing for the clinical social work exam to enroll in her tutoring sessions or courses!”
“I am so thrilled to have LMSW after my name! It wasn’t easy getting those letters but thanks to Susan Mankita, I proudly hang my license in my office. Despite my high anxiety, I am proud to say that I passed the test! I know I would not have the LMSW after my name if it weren’t for Susan and her skill, patience, understanding and ability to make me feel like ‘I could do it.”
“The one thing that made me want to work with her was that she had experience with re-takers, and when I decided to work with her, I was taking the LMSW exam, and she helped me pass the LCSW. Susan taught me to read the questions and become comfortable with my answers. The biggest lesson that Susan taught me was to “Believe in myself” and always to remember that I will pass the exam. I promise if you invest in this program, you will not be disappointed, and you will feel very supported during the licensing journey. I am happy to say since I earned my LCSW, I now own my private practice, and I am a school-based therapist. If I can do it, then you definitely can do it. ”
A Love Letter to Social Worker
By Susan Mankita, LCSW
Dear Social Work,
I cannot say it was love at first sight for me, though you undeniably found your way into my heart. Ours is a romance of 25 years … & like relationships of any length, it’s certainly complicated. …You have become a comfortable life companion, though occasionally you challenge me beyond reason.
When we first met, I wasn’t sure you were my type… I mean, face it – you didn’t have the best reputation – the whole taking away kids thing… the bleeding heart bit…the salary…but once I started taking you seriously, my thinking changed forever…
Comprehending the Social Work Licensing Exams: A Brief Intro
There is nothing that frustrates me more than when a good social worker can’t pass the licensure exam. I am a firm believer that every good social worker can earn his or her professional license, once he or she has the appropriate tools.
According to the website of the…
The Critical Importance of Thinking Like a Social Worker To Pass Your Licensure Exam
There are certainly a lot of tips and tricks for passing social work licensure exams floating around in the licensure prep stratosphere. A few of them are not skill related at all. Silly recommendations such as “if you don’t know, pick only Cs” or “always assess first” are some common, but dangerous, examples. I’ve worked with enough retakers to know that these are failing test-taking strategies. Although it is certainly true that we should assess before taking any action, in most cases, looking for the word “assess” will not help you to…