Social Worker Licensure Compact update

Draft development

Starting in October 2021, The Council of State Governments (CSG) convened representatives from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA), National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and other stakeholders in the profession to develop the first draft of an interstate compact for social work licensure. The project team has made substantial progress and expects to complete a first draft in the coming weeks.

Stakeholder review

In early July 2022, CSG, in partnership with ASWB, CSWA and NASW, will circulate the Compact draft online and by request and distribute a stakeholder review survey to gather comments and assessments.

Additionally, CSG will host regular webinars and other public review sessions to provide information, review the draft and solicit feedback. This process is expected to occur throughout the summer and conclude in early fall 2022.

If you would like to participate, please email socialworkcompact@csg.org and check compacts.csg.org for additional details.

CSG will reconvene representatives from ASWB, CSWA and NASW throughout the stakeholder review phase to assess responses and make necessary edits to the draft.

The editing process will continue until stakeholder suggestions are thoroughly addressed.

Contributing stakeholders

Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners
Council on Social Work Education
Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners
Iowa Board of Social Work
Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners
National Institute of Mental Health
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensing and Certification
New York Assembly
North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board
Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers
South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners
Tennessee Department of Health
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
Vermont Social Work Advisory Board
Virginia Boards of Counseling, Psychology and Social Work

Model legislation

The project team’s goal is to complete the editing process in fall of 2022 to make the finalized model legislation available to states for their 2023 legislative sessions.