Icon

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.

2023 Examination Committee

The Examination Committee is made up of successful former item writers who are subject matter experts representing the diversity of the social work profession. This committee, appointed by the ASWB Board of Directors, typically meets up to four times a year to review and approve questions for use on the ASWB examinations.

2023 examination development meetings

  • January 4–6, Form review, online
  • March 3, Social Work Workforce Coalition, online
  • March 24–26, Exam Committee, Tampa, FL
  • March 29–31, Form review, online
  • May 17, Practice Analysis Task Force, online
  • June 16–17, Exam Committee, online
  • June 21–23, Form review, online
  • August 4–6, Exam Committee, Westminster, CO
  • August 25, Social Work Workforce Coalition, online
  • September 8–9, Practice Analysis Task Force, Reston, VA
  • September 29–30, Exam Committee, Washington, DC

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 2023, compared to 2021 data on social work graduates compiled by CSWE.

2023 item writers

The gallery below includes information for all item writers contracted to write for the social work licensing exams in 2023.

Consultants

ASWB contracts with experienced social workers who work directly with item writers in the creation of the questions that are presented to the Examination Committee. The consultants are all successful former item writers and Examination Committee members. These consultants also attend Examination Committee meetings to provide guidance and gather feedback from the committee on the work of item writers.

2023 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

Vicki Coy (New Brunswick), BSW, MSW, RSW
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, gender and sexual minority-related issues, integration of spirituality and psychotherapy

Tammy Dyson (British Columbia), RCSW
Caucasian • she/her
Direct practice: Medical social work, end of life care, assisted dying. Regional leader for health authority (Canada)

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

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

Michelle Piper Tremba (Florida), LCSW
Caucasian/Asian • she/her
Direct practice: Counselor for military families

Trish Smith (Alberta), RCSW
Caucasian • she/her
Direct practice/Academia: mental health, child protection, services to children and adults with disabilities, northern and rural social work, clinical supervisor and sessional instructor

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

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