Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners
Term ends: 07/01/2029
Please give a brief biography, including your education, licensure or certification level and employment history:
Since 2019, I have had the privilege of serving in one of the Licensed Clinical Social Worker positions on the Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners, including several terms as Chair. My professional journey began in school social work and has evolved through a variety of leadership and clinical roles. As a school social worker/counselor, I helped launch an alternative middle school during its inaugural years, drawing on my Master of Social Work to support students facing significant academic, behavioral, and social-emotional challenges. Wanting to engage in systems-level support, I later earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and currently serve as a school superintendent. Like many social workers I know, my career has also included a range of professional side hustles that have served to strengthen my practice. I have served as adjunct faculty in both Master of Social Work and graduate educational leadership programs. In addition, I spent many years practicing as a medical social worker in hospital medical units, as well as in home health and hospice settings.
Give a synopsis of your regulatory and professional experience. Please emphasize your involvement with ASWB:
My involvement in social work regulation began through my work with ASWB. I had the privilege of serving on a Practice Analysis Task Force, which began its work in 2015. A colleague and I were given the opportunity to represent the task force and present its work to the 2016 ASWB Delegate Assembly. Through that experience, I developed a deep understanding of the fundamental charge of social work regulation, public protection, and the critical role that ASWB and the ASWB examination play in that process. Following my initial experience, I continued volunteering with ASWB on a variety of ad hoc groups, including a Passing Score Panel and Examination Resource Advisory Panel. In 2019, I participated in New Item Writer Training and began writing items for the ASWB examination. In 2021, I was invited to serve on the Examination Committee, and since 2023, I have served as one of the committee’s co-chairs. It was through the connections and knowledge gained through ASWB that a then-current member of the Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners encouraged me to consider applying for a vacant board seat. In December 2019, I was appointed by the governor and have since been reappointed.
Finally, make a brief statement on the major issues you see facing ASWB, and how you would address them:
I have witnessed the extensive work, expertise, and commitment that go into the development and maintenance of the social work examination. I have observed the challenges of recent years, during which the examination has been unfairly characterized as something other than a comprehensive method of assessing a candidate’s competency to practice safely on day one. As a member of the Nominating Committee, I will leverage my commitment to social work regulation and my understanding of the critical role ASWB plays in providing support and safeguards from my state, and throughout and communities across North America. Our future ASWB leaders must share a commitment to public protection through effective regulation. As a Nominating Committee member, I would contribute in the way I most enjoy: networking, engaging with colleagues, and encouraging emerging association leaders to become more involved. By identifying and supporting individuals committed to the profession through its regulatory mandate, I hope to help cultivate the next generation of ASWB leadership.