Reflections on the social work workforce

This week marks three years since I stepped into my role as CEO at ASWB. In that time, I have had the privilege of overseeing our organization’s ongoing investment of time, funds, and expertise in initiatives that simultaneously advance the profession and safeguard the communities we serve. In my role, I have also participated in countless conversations about the challenges facing our profession and how leading social work organizations can address them.

Achieving substantive change for our profession – for any system or institution – will require collaborative discussions and decision-making that is driven by data, not by conjecture, opinion, or personal agendas. This holds true regardless of the topic at hand.

Discussions without data lead to decisions without discernment.

I am proud to say, unequivocally, that ASWB remains committed to investing in the profession of social work – and remains committed to doing so with input from the diverse professionals who comprise the social work workforce. Every step of the way on this journey, I have encouraged individuals and organizations from all corners of the profession to join ASWB to identify systems-based solutions that address social work’s challenges.

One of ASWB’s most significant investments in social work was a first-of-its-kind initiative that sought to reach all corners of the profession. And I am proud to share the important research findings from that effort.

Led by ASWB and the members of the Social Work Workforce Coalition, the Social Work Census was a groundbreaking research project conducted from March to June 2024. This historic undertaking collected responses from more than 42,000 licensed and registered social workers across the United States and Canada, making it the largest and most comprehensive workforce survey of the profession to date.

ASWB’s publication of the 2024 Social Work Workforce Study Series marked a milestone for social work. This series of reports is the culmination of a multi-year collaborative effort that demonstrates what authentic leadership can offer. Authored by researcher Joy Kim, Ph.D., MSW, of Rutgers University, the series comprises four in-depth reports along with an executive summary. I am confident that the workforce study findings will be integral to the entire social work community’s advocacy, research, and strategies moving forward.

The results offer substantial evidence to inform advocates, policymakers, and regulators as they work together to make important decisions about the future of social work. I am proud and honored that ASWB is continuing to invest in our profession by presenting the regulatory community, social workers, and our peers across the profession with this historic research.

This research’s benefit to the profession will undoubtedly be long lasting. Without reliable workforce data, social work has lacked a way to assess how well equipped it is to meet projected service demands. I have found that the vacuum left by missing data is too often filled with misinformation and half-truths. I have seen that discussions without data lead to decisions without discernment.

This data could not come at a better time when some proposals call for rolling back licensure requirements and weakening the professional standing of social work. The findings identify licensure as a public assurance and an essential standard that upholds quality of care, protects clients, instills confidence in social work services, and strengthens the professional identity of social workers.

These reports – covering the self-identified social work workforce in the United States, licensed social workers, nonlicensed members of the workforce, and the Canadian social work workforce – fill critical gaps in our understanding of the profession. The findings offer important guidance for the regulatory community and have considerable implications for educators, employers, advocacy efforts, individual social workers, and the communities we serve.

Advancing the social work profession will come from actionable insights, not aspirational thinking. This research is one example of ASWB’s determination to drive real, lasting change. It is not the beginning of our investment, and it is certainly not the end. I look forward to continuing our work together in our respective roles as regulators, researchers, educators, employers, advocates, licensure candidates, and members of the public.