Endsley Real

Georgia Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists

Term ends: January 2027

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

I have been practicing social work for 27 years primarily in mental health and substance use disorder treatment as both a direct service practitioner and program administrator. I have a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. I obtained my MSW at Clark Atlanta University in 1997 and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Emory University in 2014. I have been an LCSW since 2003. I have been with the Atlanta VA for 11 years. I have for the past eight years been the Professional Practice Specialist for the Social Work Service Line. We have 400 social workers in our service line. In my role, I am essentially the regulator for social work practice at the Atlanta VA.

I have experience in program implementation as the director of several programs. I have developed three programs from inception including a 26-bed residential substance use disorder treatment program with a budget of approximately $3 million per year. I was the Regional Director for a company providing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services. I managed 4 ACT teams across west Georgia with a budget of 4 million per year. I have studied non-profit management in my graduate work.

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

I was first appointed to the Composite Board in Georgia in 2015 and served as the Chair of the Composite Board in 2019-2020. I rolled off my board in December 2020 and was reappointed to my board in January 2024. I attended my first ASWB Delegate Assembly in 2016. I began volunteering for ASWB after my first meeting. I was first asked to join the REAL Committee and then served as the REAL Committee Chair. I was then elected to the Nominating Committee and also served as the Chair of the Nominating Committee in the second year of my term. I served on the Diversity, Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Committee for two years and am just finishing my third year as we wrap up the work of the Practice Analysis Task Force for the next exam blueprint.

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

While ASWB knew that the publishing of the exam data would be met with some opposition, it initially left us all on shaky ground. Watching how ASWB has adapted and regained its footing is something to be proud of. I believe in the directions that ASWB is taking to strengthen collaborations. These collaborations will be essential to work of the Social Work Licensure Compact. ASWB’s voice in those states where the Compact has not passed will be critical and collaborators can help with this.

I know the work that was done on this practice analysis as a member of the Practice Analysis Task Force and
understand the directions that this work is leading us toward for the next generation of exams.

The research that ASWB has sponsored has provided consequential information for moving forward. This will also shore up ASWB’s standing as one of the three pillars of the profession.

I believe the work of the past two years has built a new strong foundation for ASWB moving forward. It is a foundation that has been built with the knowledge that foundation needs some flexibility for when the ground moves below us. If elected to the Board, I will be proud to represent ASWB on this foundation.