Event at a glance
Theme: Supporting Social Work Standards
Format: In-person
Audience: Social work regulators, board administrators, social work educators, thought leaders, policy experts
Expected attendance: 100–150 participants
Dates: April 16–17, 2027
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Daily schedule: Approximately 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. each day (two days)
About the Education Meeting
ASWB hosts an annual two-day educational meeting for social work regulators. The topic of the meeting is determined by the ASWB Board of Directors. Past topics have included continuing competence, social work practice mobility, supervision, and working with legislators.
The ASWB Education Meeting emphasizes the importance of licensure and registration, underscoring them as a public promise of competent, ethical practice and a commitment to protecting the public. The meeting aims to reinforce trust in the profession and to highlight the significance of maintaining rigorous regulatory standards.
A key focus is to strengthen alignment across the profession and its regulatory bodies. This collaborative approach seeks to advance consistent standards, ensuring alignment among social work practitioners and regulators of the profession. Additionally, the meeting explores ways to advance standards and regulatory approaches that foster readiness, mobility, and sustainability within the workforce.
Throughout the meeting, attendees will be encouraged to identify concrete actions and tools they can bring back to their own jurisdictions. The goal is not only to foster dialogue and share best practices, but also to equip ASWB members with practical strategies for enhancing regulatory excellence within their local contexts.
Who should submit
- Current or former regulators, board administrators, and ASWB members with expertise in social work regulation, licensing/registration, professional qualifications, supervision, examinations, compact implementation, or related areas.
- Educators, researchers, practitioners, association leaders, and policy experts with applied, evidence-informed, or cross-jurisdictional perspectives that support regulatory excellence.
Priority topic areas
- Regulation as the public promise of competent, ethical practice; public protection and professional readiness.
- Aligning jurisdictional statutes/rules with model law; implementation lessons; balancing consistency with jurisdictional authority.
- Practical regulation-focused collaboration among social work thought leaders; shared accountability for standards.
- Definitions and variability in supervision standards across jurisdictions; supervisor qualifications and training; renewal; complaint handling; retaliation and impairment concerns; mobility and public trust.
- Translating research into practical guidance; principled approaches amid varying legislative environments.
- Board governance and member readiness; continuity amid turnover; inclusive decision-making and policy implementation.
- Crosswalks for regulators and educators; professional readiness in regulated practice; applied tools and examples.
- Compact readiness and cross-jurisdiction alignment; statutory alignment, regulatory expectations, portability, and communication strategies to support compact implementation.
- Workforce efforts, demographic trends, and complaint patterns; ethical use and clear interpretation for policy decisions.
- Modernizing regulation; technology and AI; responsible use of AI/technology in licensing and oversight; privacy/risk considerations; operational practices that strengthen public protection.
- Regulation-based mentoring models; regulatory outreach to students and emerging professionals; reducing isolation and strengthening readiness.
- Sessions that produce take-home tools (templates, checklists, model policy language, training outlines) and concrete next steps for jurisdictions.
Proposal requirements
Required
- Presenter name(s), email address(es), and phone number(s)
- Resume/CV for each presenter (demonstrating expertise relevant to the proposed topic)
- Session title
- Abstract (maximum 300 words)
- Short session description for promotional use
- 1–2 measurable learning objectives (knowledge/skill-focused)
- Session outline (maximum 1 page)
- Presentation history or prior speaking experience (brief)
- Brief biography for each presenter
- Headshot(s)
Optional
- Sample slides or visual materials
- Links or citations to key resources (if applicable)
- Examples of practical deliverable if proposing an action-oriented session (e.g., checklist, template, model language)
Session formats and timing
- Standard session (most formats): Approximately 60 minutes (including Q&A)
- Panel discussions: 75 minutes
Formats encouraged: individual presentation, panel, case study, interactive workshop, research presentation, cross-jurisdictional comparison.
Proposals are encouraged to include participant engagement (e.g., scenarios, small-group discussion prompts, decision points, tool-building).
Continuing education (CE) and content expectations
- Ground content in research, practice guidance, data, or clearly described lessons learned.
- Connect takeaways to licensure/registration, supervision, examinations, oversight, and/or standards implementation.
- Sessions must not be promotional or sales-oriented.
- Use plain language where possible and define technical terms.
Presenter expectations
- Deliver the accepted session as scheduled and participate in AV/run-of-show preparation as needed.
- Attend up to three pre-event planning meetings/information sessions (30–60 minutes via Zoom).
- Submit requested materials by the stated deadlines.
- Coordinate with co-presenters to ensure clarity of roles, timing, and audience engagement.
Compensation and support
- No honorarium will be offered for this event.
- ASWB will provide complimentary meeting registration for accepted presenters.
- Travel support will be provided in accordance with ASWB travel policy (details shared upon acceptance).
- Dedicated ASWB staff will coordinate logistics and support meeting content design.
Review and selection criteria
- Alignment to theme and priority topics
- Regulatory usefulness: practical application across jurisdictions
- Evidence base and clarity: well-defined problem, approach, and takeaways
- Feasibility: achievable within the proposed session format and time
- Presenter expertise
- Diversity of perspectives: including jurisdiction type/size, role, and lived/professional experience
What accepted presenters receive
- Complimentary meeting registration
- Eligibility to participate in CE sessions (as applicable)
- Opportunity to share work with regulators and partners across the U.S. and Canada
- Visibility in meeting materials and promotional communications
How to submit
- RFP opens: May 28, 2026
- Proposal deadline (non-ASWB members): July 17, 2026 (no extensions)
Please submit the entire proposal package in one email to Dionne Brown-Bushrod, Director of Professional Practice.