Whitney Cassity-Caywood

Kentucky Board of Social Work

Term ends: June 2025

Please give a brief biography, including your education, licensure or certification level and employment history:

I have been a licensed social worker for 25 years and hold both an MSSW and a Ph.D. in social work. Currently, I am the Program Director for the Bachelor of Social Work program at Western Kentucky University. My family and I relocated to Bowling Green, KY, in August 2024 for this new role at WKU. Prior to this, I spent 18 years as a faculty member at Murray State University. In addition to my educational work, I have maintained my own clinical practice since 2009 and have experience in the community mental health system. I am the proud mother of two college students, a first-year student and a senior, as well as four cats and one dog. I have been happily married to my husband, John, for 25 years.

Give a synopsis of your regulatory and professional experience. Please emphasize your involvement with ASWB:

I have been a licensed social worker for 25 years, including 3 years as a CSW and 22 years as an LCSW. I have also served as a social work educator for 20 years and have been a social work regulator since 2020, when Governor Andy Beshear appointed me to the Kentucky Board of Social Work. I completed my New Board Member Training with ASWB online during the height of the pandemic, and my first in-person ASWB event was the education meeting in Chicago. I have attended every education meeting and delegate assembly since 2022. Additionally, I served on the Regulatory Research Committee in 2023, am currently a member of the Regulatory Education and Leadership Committee, and participated in both the 2023 and 2024 Leadership Weekends.

Finally, make a brief statement on the major issues you see facing ASWB, and how you would address them:

I am running for a position on the Nominating Committee because I have a passion for getting to know people and recognizing their strengths — key functions of this committee. I believe ASWB’s most important task moving forward is to identify and leverage effective, creative leaders who will work collaboratively with staff to drive the organization and fulfill its mission while adapting to a changing professional landscape. Effective leaders within ASWB will be crucial in advancing equity across all areas and initiatives of social work regulation, while maintaining a strong focus on public protection.