Social work compact update
Getting the compact right is critical, both for the profession and the clients we serve.
Over the last year, ASWB has worked alongside the Council of State Governments and a broad coalition of supporters, including regulators, representatives from NASW and the Clinical Social Work Association, practitioners, and educators to develop an interstate compact to increase license portability for licensed social workers. This work is part of a cooperative agreement between CSG and the United States Department of Defense.
One of the key elements CSG prioritizes in the compact development process is to find consensus among the working groups to ensure a high-quality, legally sound, and effective compact that can serve the profession for many years. Considering the importance of this work, it is essential that the social work compact is thoroughly vetted and fully capable of meeting the needs of professionals, regulators, and the public. These are the reasons that CSG’s National Center for Interstate Compacts is keenly focused on ensuring that any compact they assist with is released to the state legislatures only after CSG is confident the compact can be enacted and regulated properly throughout the country.
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.
“CSG heard from thousands of social workers about the importance of the compact during the draft comment period,” says ASWB Senior Director of Member Engagement and Regulatory Services Jennifer Henkel. “Getting the compact right is critical, both for the profession and the clients we serve.”