My first anniversary as ASWB’s CEO is an opportunity for deep reflection. While I am looking back on a year unprecedented in ASWB’s history — and the social work profession’s history — I  am also focused on the future of social work regulation.

Creating the next version of the ASWB examinations requires making connections and understanding context. That’s exactly what happened during recent meetings of two groups directly involved in providing input into how ASWB will gather workforce data and build new social work licensing assessments.

Leaders of major social work organizations in the United States and Canada gathered in Northern Virginia, April 21–23, 2022, invited by ASWB as part of the association’s commitment to including more diverse voices in the examination development process.

The momentum is building. ASWB’s effort to collaboratively reenvision the examination development process is ramping up, and exciting developments are getting under way. The current work is aimed at making progress on the goals identified in the association’s Strategic Framework 2022–2023—specifically, to “engage with stakeholders to educate and increase transparency around the licensing exams.” That […]

ASWB is committed to listening to the entire social work community, learning from the profession’s diverse voices, and including as many perspectives as possible as it builds exams for the future of social work.

ASWB’s new strategic framework positions the social work licensing examination program as a central focus, directing the association to expand understanding and acceptance of the necessity for assessing social work competencies through valid and reliable competence measures.