Regulatory research funding
A final update on the 2023 research projects and a new request for proposals
In 2023, ASWB’s Regulatory Research Committee, made up of volunteer regulators, issued a request for proposals to contribute to a growing body of research that will inform systems changes and help both the profession and the clients and client systems served. The committee selected three research projects to receive a total of nearly $400,000.
The three research teams have carried out their proposed research and have submitted their findings for publication. Two articles have been accepted for publication by social work journals so far, and several others are under review or being prepared for submission.
“It has been rewarding to see how committed each of the selected researchers has been to adding to the understanding of social work regulation,” says ASWB Senior Director of Member Services Jennifer Henkel, LCSW, CAE, who staffs the committee. “I’m also impressed by the quality of their work, which has been recognized by the journals that have selected these articles for publication.”
It has been rewarding to see how committed each of the selected researchers has been to adding to the understanding of social work regulation.
The Regulatory Research Committee, in the meantime, has issued a new request for proposals for research on the topics of supervision and technology. “The committee felt these topics are especially relevant to regulators and the profession,” said Amy Ashton-Williams of Oregon, the Regulatory Research Committee chair. “We urge anyone with a research idea to apply for funding.”
Identifying Opportunities to Enhance Equitable Paths to Social Work Licensure
Western Kentucky University researchers Erin Warfel, DSW, MSS, MLSP, LCSW, and Whitney Harper, Ph.D., MSW, used a survey and focus groups to learn more about three research questions: 1. What factors impact disparity in pass rates for social work licensure? 2. What is the impact of disparity in licensure pass rate on the social work profession? 3. What are solutions to reduce disparity in pass rates for social work licensure?
They presented findings in poster presentations to the Baccalaureate Program Directors conference, the National Association of Social Workers conference, and the Council on Social Work Education in 2025.
In addition, Warfel and Harper’s manuscript on the quantitative findings of their survey, “Examining Disparity in Social Work Licensure Pass Rates: Opportunity for a Stronger Profession,” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Social Work Education. It describes findings based on 3,585 survey responses. According to the manuscript, “Results indicated that participants believe social work education has an important role in preparing social workers to take and pass the licensure exam and that disparities negatively impact the profession.” They also report differences in the perceptions of white respondents and respondents from historically marginalized populations. They note that their findings “highlight the need for all arms of the profession (CSWE, NASW, and ASWB) to take action to ameliorate racial and age disparity of licensure pathways that impacts our profession for people of color, specifically.”
Results indicated that participants believe social work education has an important role in preparing social workers to take and pass the licensure exam and that disparities negatively impact the profession.
Another manuscript, “Examining Disparity in Social Work Licensure Pass Rates: Lived Experience,” shares information about participants’ perceptions of the causes and consequences of pass rate disparities on the social work licensing exam as well as potential solutions for the disparities.
Understanding the Impact Licensing Policies have on Scaling-up the Social Work Workforce and Mitigating Harm
Researchers Cole Hooley, Ph.D., LCSW; Katherine Marçal, Ph.D., MSW; and Gabby Cunningham, Ph.D., MBA, of Brigham Young University have developed a web-based tool that helps to assess the impact of licensing laws on the size of the social work workforce and the safety of services.
The project was motivated by the necessity of meeting mental health needs rapidly, lastingly, and equitably in the researchers’ home state of Utah. The research addresses two study questions: 1. What are the long-term impacts of licensure changes on the size of the social work workforce? 2. What potential impact will these policies have on mitigating public harm?
Using the internet-based interface Cole and his colleagues developed, policy makers may input various licensing policies — including exam, experience, and supervision requirements. The tool uses systems thinking to predict the impact of policy decisions on the number of licensed social workers and the number of violations.
The model enables policymakers to test proposed licensing changes and assess whether projected outcomes align with policy goals. Some combinations suggested that licensing laws could expand the workforce but might involve trade-offs with service safety — tradeoffs that policymakers must consider.
The research team has completed and submitted for review the first academic article stemming from the research, “Scaling-up mental health services: Using simulation modeling in clinical social work workforce policy practice.” In it, they conclude, “The model enables policymakers to test proposed licensing changes and assess whether projected outcomes align with policy goals. Some combinations suggested that licensing laws could expand the workforce but might involve trade-offs with service safety — tradeoffs that policymakers must consider.”
The Effects of Social Work Regulatory Rules on Public Safety and Social Workers’ Earnings
Researchers Joy Kim, Ph.D., MSW, and Michael Joo, Ph.D., MSW, of Rutgers University School of Social Work explored the effects of social work regulatory rules on indicators of public safety and social workers’ earnings.
The first manuscript, “Regulations for Clinical Supervision in Social Work: Analysis of State Statutes and Clinical License Applicants,” has been published in the open access journal Clinical Social Work Journal (Kim, J. J. & Park, J. (2026). Regulations for clinical supervision in social work: Analysis of state statutes and clinical license applicants. Clinical Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-025-01025-5). Kim and doctoral candidate Jiyoon Park found that the ASWB Model Practice Act and the Best Practice Standards in Social Work Supervision, developed in 2013 by the National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Social Work Boards, provide four domains for regulating clinical supervision: supervisor qualifications, supervision plans, documentation and reporting, and supervision timeframe and hours. They learned that seven states — representing approximately 21 percent of clinical license applicants nationwide — had weaker regulations, lacking rules in all or most regulatory domains in their social work statutes. In contrast, 23 states — representing approximately 24 percent of license applicants nationwide — had stronger regulation of clinical supervision, with rules in all four regulatory domains.
Seven states — representing approximately 21 percent of clinical license applicants nationwide — had weaker regulations, lacking rules in all or most regulatory domains in their social work statutes.
The second article, “Supervisees’ Payment for Clinical Supervision: The Case for Licensed Clinical Social Workers,” is currently under review by an academic journal. Kim learned that more than a quarter of licensed clinical social workers had to pay for their own supervision. Factors associated with an increased likelihood that a supervisee had to pay for supervision raise questions of equity. These factors include belonging to a recent licensure cohort, living in in the West South Central region of the United States, practicing in states with lower density of licensed clinical social workers, and working in private practice.
Two more articles have been drafted and are being prepared for journal submission. “State Regulation of Clinical Supervision and License Examinees’ Competencies Measured by Exam Passage” shows that social workers living in states with more rigorous supervision regulation and working in a direct service position are more likely to pass the social work licensing exam. “How Licensing Boards Regulate Clinical Supervision in Social Work: The Role of Regulatory Rules and Boards’ Capacities” collected data from 34 social work licensing boards and examined how their regulatory practices are associated with the rigor of social work statutes and the boards’ administrative capacities and challenges in implementing the rules. Among the findings is that supervisor evaluation of supervisees does not tend to have consequences on licensing decisions.