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Examination Program Yearbook

The success of the Association of Social Work Boards social work licensing examination program depends on the hard work of a diverse group of volunteers, consultants, and contracted item writers committed to public protection. Together, these social workers ensure that the ASWB examinations remain fair, valid, and reliable.

Demographic information is self-reported by participants at ASWB’s request.

2022 examination development meetings

  • January 4–7, Form review, online
  • March 25–27, Exam Committee, San Diego, CA
  • April 1–3, Form Review, online
  • April 21–23, Social Work Workforce Coalition, Tysons Corner, VA/hybrid
  • June 17–18, Exam Committee, online
  • June 24–26, Form Review, online
  • August 5–7, Exam Committee, Alexandria, VA
  • August 19–20, Social Work Worforce Coalition, Washington, DC
  • September 9–10, Practice Analysis Task Force, Alexandria, VA
  • September 30–October 2, Exam Committee, Reston, VA
  • September 30–October 2, Form Review, Reston, VA

Item writers

Item writers are practicing social workers contracted by ASWB to write questions for the social work licensing exams. ASWB works to recruit item writers who are representative of the social work profession. The charts below show the racial/ethnic and gender proportions of active item writers in 2022, compared to 2020 data on social work graduates compiled by CSWE.

2022 form reviewers

Subject matter experts conduct a final review of each complete form of an examination before it goes online for administration. Form reviewers are primarily emeritus members of the ASWB Examination Committee.

Miriam Balen (British Columbia), BSW, MSW, RCSW
Caucasian • she/her
Direct practice: mental health practice with children, adolescents, and adults

Adolpha Bassett (North Carolina), MSW, LCSW
African American • he/him
Direct practice: hospital and community mental health practice with children and adults in crisis

Shannon Bender-Bell (British Columbia), BSW, MSW, RCSW
Caucasian • she/her
Direct practice: trauma, domestic violence, grief, sexual harassment investigation

Vicki Coy (New Brunswick), MSW, RSW-PP
White • she/her
Direct practice: bilingual private practice specializing in grief, family violence, couples, adjustment issues

Sharon Cutts (Connecticut), BSW, MSW, LCSW
Caucasian • she/her
Direct practice: teens and adults in the area of trauma, anxiety, depression, sexual minority-related issues, integration of spirituality and psychotherapy

Joseph Harper (Illinois), MSW, LCSW
White • he/him
Direct practice/Academia: behavioral health management

Deborah Jones (British Columbia), BSW, MSW, RCSW
White • she/her
Direct practice: mental health, trauma, supervision

Julia López (Missouri), Ph.D., LCSW
Latina • she/her
Academia: research, public health, sexual health, community mental health, substance use treatment

Jil Meadows (North Carolina), MSW, LCSW
White • she/her
Direct practice: medical social work, veterans social work

Jay Memmott (Kansas), Ph.D., MSW, LSCSW, LCAC
White • he/him
Academia: mental health, substance abuse, gerontology, research

Mary Stebbins (Virginia), MSW, LCSW
Caucasian/White • she/her
Direct practice: children’s mental health and child welfare

Charu Stokes-Williams (Guam), Ph.D., MSW, LICSW
African American, Asian • she/her
Direct practice/Academia: mental health, alcohol and substance abuse prevention and treatment, trauma, clinical social work supervision

Susanna Sung (Maryland), MSW, LCSW-C
Chinese • she/her
Direct practice: mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, research, community engagement, government relations, policy

Bora Sunseri (Louisiana), MSW, LCSW
Asian • she/her
Direct practice: child welfare, continuous quality improvement, clinical work with military members/families as well as clients in the correctional system, private practice specializing in adoptions, and clinical social work supervision

Leana Torres (Arizona), MSW, LCSW
Pacific Islander • she/her
Direct practice: military social work, community mental health, inpatient psychiatric hospitals

Stephanie Washington (Texas), Ed.D., MSW, LCSW-S
African American/Black • she/her
Direct practice/Academia: supervision and consultation to individuals and agencies