Congratulations, new licensed professionals! After countless hours of hard work, you’ve earned your degree, gained your LCSW license and are ready to take the next big step into the workforce. The question now is: where will you start your healthcare career?
Your decision might come down to choosing between two common paths: working at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or a private practice.
- FQHCs are nonprofit health centers dedicated to providing affordable, comprehensive care to underserved communities. They serve patients regardless of income, often using a sliding fee scale to ensure care remains accessible for everyone.
- Private practices, on the other hand, are smaller clinics, often owned by physicians, that focus on more specific types of care. While they may offer highly personalized services, their fees and insurance requirements can limit accessibility for low-income individuals.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your priorities: are you driven to serve the broader community to help them get accessible care or focused on providing specialized, one-on-one care? Both paths have unique rewards and challenges, and understanding the differences is the first step to making the right decision for your future.
Mission-Driven Purpose
Working at an FQHC means contributing to a mission that truly matters: improving health outcomes for underserved communities. Providers often describe it as a rewarding and inspiring experience, knowing their work directly impacts lives and bridges critical gaps in healthcare equity.
Many rural areas face unique challenges, including limited access to providers, technology barriers and stigma around seeking care. These factors contribute to higher rates of depression and suicide, yet fewer resources to address them. FQHCs like Cornerstone Care are breaking these barriers by offering affordable, stigma-free services on a sliding fee scale to ensure care is accessible for everyone.
As our LCSW Kylee Henderson put it, “Being part of an FQHC allows you to advocate that everyone deserves access to quality care, regardless of income, insurance status or social circumstances. Working at an FQHC provides a window into the resilience of patients who face adversity daily. Helping them find hope, stability and healing is rewarding and inspiring.”
If making a tangible difference in the lives of underserved populations aligns with your priorities, an FQHC could be the perfect career choice.
Professional Growth Opportunities
At an FQHC, you’ll gain hands-on experience with diverse patient cases that can fast-track your professional growth. These environments prioritize career development, offering a strong foundation to build a well-rounded skill set while making a meaningful impact. By gaining a better understanding of the challenges people of all economic classes face, you fully develop a compassionate, patient-centered approach to care that prepares you to address a wide range of needs and situations throughout your career. If growth and support are your priorities, an FQHC is an excellent place to start.
A Supportive Culture
'At its core, working at an FQHC connects you to a mission bigger than yourself. It’s not just about delivering care—it’s about advancing health equity, building stronger communities and knowing that every day, your work truly matters,' shared Kylee). This sense of purpose is what drives many professionals to choose FQHCs, as they offer more than just a job—they offer a meaningful career dedicated to making a real difference.
At Cornerstone Care, you'll experience this mission firsthand while also benefiting from a strong support system. Not only will you be backed by a collaborative, team-oriented environment, but you’ll also receive financial support to help ease the burdens that often come with pursuing a counseling career.
FQHCs like Cornerstone Care provide significant financial perks, including student loan forgiveness programs. These programs have helped many employees eliminate their student debt, a critical benefit for those in the field. Counselors in an FQHC require masters level education and further licensure and that often carries $68,000–$76,000 in loans. 'Working at Cornerstone Care, I have been able to take advantage of student loan forgiveness programs that eliminated my student loans so I could achieve my career goals,' said Kylee. 'This has allowed me the freedom to focus on patient care and make a real difference in people’s lives while reducing stress and improving my financial situation.'
For new licensed professionals seeking a balance of support, financial stability and a mission-driven career, FQHCs provide a sustainable and rewarding path to professional growth and personal fulfillment.
Autonomy and Patient Relationships
At FQHCs like Cornerstone Care, you have full autonomy over your caseload, allowing you to build meaningful connections with patients of all ages. Services include individual counseling, couples/family counseling, group therapy and telehealth options, offered across multiple locations in Pennsylvania. If you value close patient relationships and ownership in your work, an FQHC could be the perfect fit.
Leading the Way in Community Health
“Every day we are building relationships with our patients and making an impact on their health in significant ways. Witnessing their progress over time offers not only professional but personal fulfillment too,” said Kylee. “We talk a lot about care integration but at the very heart of it, we are watching our patients overcome mental health challenges, manage their chronic conditions and improve their well-being.”
This powerful experience of seeing patients make meaningful strides is what makes working at an FQHC so rewarding. It’s not just about providing care—it's about being part of a system that creates lasting change in underserved communities. A study by the National Library of Medicine found that FQHCs are excelling in delivering quality care to these communities. In fact, they often perform just as well, or even better, than private practices, demonstrating that FQHCs are a vital solution to the increasing demand for accessible healthcare.
Make a Difference at an FQHC!
Choosing a career at Cornerstone is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact on underserved communities while growing professionally in a supportive, mission-driven environment. With hands-on experience, financial perks like student loan forgiveness, and the autonomy to build meaningful patient relationships, FQHCs offer a fulfilling path for new professionals. If you're passionate about health equity and want a career that aligns with your values, an FQHC could be the perfect place to start.
Ready to start your career by making a real difference? https://cornerstonecare.com/resources/careers.
