Education and supervised experience as part of licensure

In my last column, I addressed the nuances of the entry-level competence examinations that are developed and administered by the Association of Social Work Boards. These validated entry-level competence exams are the only uniform, defensible, objective measures used in the licensure process. This column explores additional requirements of licensure that ensure quality and competence to practice.

Entry into the social work profession requires multiple layers of demonstrated knowledge: education, a licensure examination, supervised experience where required, and good moral character. While education and supervised experience are crucial to the professional development of social workers, they can vary a great deal.

Education

Education prepares one for a lifelong career through the allowance of academic freedom to explore all avenues of a profession. Curriculum, coursework, and tests are not subject to validation and statistical analysis.

Educational program accreditation is a private sector process that does not involve government participation. It is confidential and not subject to public scrutiny. This protects academic freedom in both curriculum and research, but it also means that degree programs can vary widely, from their admission standards to their graduation requirements.

Supervision

Similarly, supervised experience required for licensure is subject to the decisions and recommendation of the candidate’s supervisor(s). There are no uniform, national standards addressing who qualifies as a supervisor or consistent expectations for supervision content. A comprehensive review of state, territory, and provincial regulatory boards has revealed significant criteria disparities in supervising licensure candidates including:

• Length of supervisor’s supervision experience: Ranges from 18 months to 5 years.
• Contact hours: Total time the licensure candidate must spend with the supervisor: 75-200 hours.
• Frequency of supervision: Not specified in all jurisdictions, approximately 1 hour per week for most.
• Use of teleconference or other electronic means: Varies from zero hours (not allowed) to using this mode of communication for a percentage of total supervised hours. This requirement varies greatly among jurisdictions.

While this list is not comprehensive, it illustrates that supervision requirements are so diverse in length, frequency, and mode of delivery that supervised experience isn’t objectively uniform across the United States and Canada. Individual supervisors have the authority to sign off on a candidate’s experience and ultimately that candidate’s eligibility for licensure, but there is often little oversight of the supervisor’s work.

Necessary, but not sufficient

A social work education and supervised experience are critical to preparing social workers for licensed practice. When combined with uniform, validated competence assessments, they can provide a fuller picture of a candidate’s fitness to practice safely and competently.

Dale J. Atkinson, Esq., is an attorney licensed in Illinois and Utah who received his law degree from Northwestern School of Law in Portland, Oregon, and is now the sole managing member of The Atkinson Firm in Northbrook, Illinois. Atkinson represents associations in all matters relating to their operations as not-for-profit corporations, including regulatory activities, education and accreditation, and disciplinary actions. He is a frequent speaker before these association clients as well as other regulatory groups, agencies, and stakeholders, and produces numerous writings on these topics for publication. Atkinson has been involved with the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards (FARB) for more than 30 years.