News

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 […]

Sohani Fernando, LCSW, who has served ASWB as an item writer since 2016, sent this March 26 dispatch from Sri Lanka. Educated at Baylor University and licensed in Texas, Sohani returned to the South Asian island nation to work in humanitarian aid and orphan care and to be close to family. As of April 25, […]

Executive orders may also provide directives to individuals that effectively have force of law and can lead to sanctions if violated. Executive orders can come from the federal government via the president and from individual states via the governor. When executive orders are issued, regulatory boards have the challenging responsibility of determining how to respond […]

In fulfilling its charge to develop proposals for additions or changes to the Model Social Work Practice Act, RAS Committee members will be considering how social work regulation is affected by emergencies such as the current pandemic. Although this public health emergency is unprecedented, regulators need to consider how emergency provisions affect public protection in […]

ASWB’s signature program, the development and maintenance of the social work licensing examinations, remains strong in the face of challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most significant of the challenges has been Pearson VUE’s suspension of testing at its test centers in the United States and Canada beginning on March 17. Cancellation of the March […]

The pandemic interrupted all the warm goodbyes and fond farewells. And that is regrettable. It’s regrettable that we will not be able to do an in-person send-off at this time. Plans are being made to make sure everyone can offer her a resounding farewell once we are no longer social distancing. One of the biggest […]

Dwight and I had been having regular transition meetings as outlined in ASWB’s Policy 7.4, CEO Succession Plan, so that we could execute a smooth, seamless, and coordinated transfer of power and responsibilities of the executive leadership of ASWB. Then, unexpectedly in mid-March, the dang Coronavirus Pandemonium arrived and upended our careful planning. It threw […]

Regulatory challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic The public health emergency has produced many problems that affect the social work regulatory community, including: The increased need to provide continuation of care via electronic means because of social distancing protocols, students leaving universities and their support networks, and clients and practitioners being separated by state lines […]