The Association of Social Work Boards announced today its selection and funding of research proposals on social work licensure and regulation. Research results will promote the profession’s understanding of — and response to — timely, critical questions around what it means to be a social work professional.

ASWB recently took a major step forward in building competence assessments for the future of social work when a group of volunteers gathered for a working meeting. The Practice Analysis Task Force, composed of social workers selected for expertise and diversity, met in Reston, Virginia, September 7–9, 2023.

The Association of Social Work Boards today announced a strategic partnership with PSI, a leading testing provider, to administer its social work licensing examination program beginning in early 2024.

With sadness, ASWB shares news of the passing of Mildred ‘Mit’ Joyner, who served as president of the board of directors of the National Association of Social Workers from July 2020 to June 2023.

ASWB has undertaken a series of initiatives that will inform the development of updated competence measures that are even more reflective of today’s practice of social work. Our work on these new assessments builds off more than a year of ASWB’s investment in qualitative and quantitative research on the social work profession and individual practitioners’ experiences with licensure.

My first anniversary as ASWB’s CEO is an opportunity for deep reflection. While I am looking back on a year unprecedented in ASWB’s history — and the social work profession’s history — I  am also focused on the future of social work regulation.

As part of our ongoing investment in creating competence measures for the future of social work, ASWB has invited social workers to share their experiences with social work licensing and the licensing exams via two independent research efforts.

In a sense, all regulators are public members, but some bring social work expertise to the table.

Social Work Licensure Compact bills were introduced in 10 states in 2023. The bill was passed by both houses in one state, and bills are pending in several others.

Unfortunately, factors such as disability, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other parts of one’s identity can impact how individuals view others’ intelligence and abilities. A license demonstrates to everyone that its holder does indeed possess the knowledge and skill needed.