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Social Work Licensure Compact bills were introduced in 10 states in 2023. The bill was passed by both houses in one state, and bills are pending in several others.

Collaborating across disciplines and navigating complex systems are familiar to licensed clinical social worker Endsley Real, who emphasizes the importance of clinical supervision and ongoing professional development for social workers.

"Basically, I've been an advocate my entire life," says Dr. Hyacinth McKee, LCSW-BACS. That determination to speak up for those who may not be able to speak for themselves has led McKee into a varied social work career and to service in three governor-appointed positions in her home state.

Last year, ASWB took the groundbreaking step of publishing pass rate data for the social work licensing exams to contribute to and lead engagement in profession-wide conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion. At that time, we also pledged to include a more diverse set of voices in our exam development process and provide more support and resources for educators and supervisors as they prepare licensure candidates. We are committed to listening to and learning from the social work com

Mobility and portability are here to stay, and the regulatory community must consider and embrace models used to address social work practice through technology and otherwise.

We are, together, on a justice journey, leading opportunities to advance equity in professional regulation. We, as regulators, want to have fair and just paths to licensure—that is something that benefits everyone. This effort calls for us to trust one another, to rely on one another, to elicit the aid of our allies, and to think differently and innovatively about how we make progress.

The webinar offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the ASWB exams are developed and the steps ASWB takes to guard against bias and maintain reliability and validity. Harless shared information about ASWB’s initiatives to bring more voices into the creation of exams for the future of social work and to enhance the testing experience to reduce barriers.

ASWB and CSG are encouraged by the progress made in 2022 toward a final compact and expect to have a draft ready for states in the first quarter of 2023. This means that the compact legislation will not have an opportunity to be considered in some states during 2023 legislative sessions. 

Be assured that ASWB adheres to and maintains a valid examination program for use by member boards. The process is highly technical, so bear with me as we navigate the details.

The 2022 Bylaws and Resolutions Committee submitted two items for discussion and voting at the Annual Meeting of the Delegate Assembly: a set of minor changes to the ASWB bylaws that update and clarify terminology about membership and operations, and a resolution calling on member jurisdictions to include ASWB on their regular meeting agendas.