News

Like many other ASWB member boards, the social work regulators in these two jurisdictions have worked with emergency legal provisions related to electronic practice, licensing out-of-state social workers, and continuing education—all while figuring out how to work and meet when gathering in person is impossible. The lessons learned may mean long-term changes for the regulation […]

The willingness of legislatures across the United States to enact laws that help licensed military spouses is a positive sign for ASWB members as they work to implement the 2019–2021 Strategic Framework goal of facilitating mobility through licensure by endorsement. The trend toward reducing barriers for military spouses has been the result of nearly a […]

Building on successes in 2019—which included training 25 new item writers and facilitating committee approval of 43 percent more items than the previous year—the department has new initiatives for ensuring item quality. To accomplish these tasks and help with ongoing work, ASWB recently hired three social workers with long experience in exam development. Item bank […]

Association Asides, May/June 2020

Awards for this kind of selfless service, whether related to the pandemic or not, will be presented at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Delegate Assembly in Scottsdale, Arizona. ASWB needs your help to recognize outstanding regulators in 2020. Tell us who deserves either the Sunny Andrews Award for regulatory board members or the Glenda McDonald […]

ASWB CEO Dwight Hymans has kept the ASWB Board of Directors up to date on staff activity during the pandemic, noting: “It certainly has been a time of uncertainty and disturbance. But the resilience of ASWB staff and their dedication to the organization have been key to meeting the challenges and making the adjustments. I […]

After delays in nearly every step of the building process, ASWB’s headquarters was finally ready—in the middle of a pandemic that has forced the association’s staff to work remotely for the past three months. (See related story.) “Instead of ‘Why move during a pandemic?’” ASWB CEO Dwight Hymans says, “the question was more ‘Why not?’” With […]

The COVID-19 pandemic should and will lead to changes in government and regulatory boards. Change can be positive and should be constantly embraced. Now is the time for social work boards to consider changes and to act where it is within their control and where deemed appropriate. ASWB member boards must reflect upon their roles, […]

As a profession, social work is uniquely positioned to address both of these crises. Social workers have the knowledge and skills to help those who are encountering economic and emotional distress as a result of the pandemic. With our profession’s lenses of systems theory and advocacy, social workers can be effective change agents at the […]

British Columbia Mark Hillenbrand, registrar and CEO of the British Columbia College of Social Workers, says his office closed in mid-March. “We haven’t been in the office since then.” Nevertheless, the college, which serves approximately 5,000 social work registrants, has continued to provide all services with minimal disruption. Provisional and temporary registrations  No new legal […]