It is beyond time to advocate for a federal system of regulation for the practice of social work and social work licensure. Before Illinois enacted Public Act 103-433 where they are allowing every MSW (Master of Social Worker) the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) clinical authority to diagnose who failed the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Exam as long as they receive an additional 3000 supervision hours, the social work profession was disjointed and dysfunctional.

Every state is drumming to its own beat with different license acronyms, different course requirements, different hours for supervision, some states having title protection, etc. Things were already bad and have gotten even worse. The Illinois legislation has taken the social work profession’s dysfunction to a whole nother level which could be the detriment of social work as a “profession”. It is time for an intervention on the federal level to protect the public, protect the corporations, and protect the credibility of the LCSW license and the social work profession.

The field of social work in the United States is diverse and broad, with professionals assessing and addressing the social needs of individuals, families, and communities. However, the practice and licensing requirements of social workers vary greatly from state to state, leading to disparities and confusion. This lack of uniformity not only creates unrealistic expectations but also hinders professionals who plan to practice across state lines, affecting the quality and effectiveness of social work services. 

We are calling for the creation of a federal system of regulation for the practice of social work and social work licensure requirements. By standardizing the qualifications necessary, we will ensure consistency, increase interstate professional mobility, and ultimately improve the quality of social work provision across the nation.

This is an opportunity to raise the professional standing of social work and provide better services to those who depend on us. We owe it to our profession and to the people we serve to make this change. Add your voice to the call and sign this petition to help ensure that the practice of social work is uniformly regulated nationwide.

THE URGENCY:

Illinois Public Act 103-433 blurred the lines between Clinical Social Workers and Master Social Workers when they enacted legislation.

In this climate where the Biden-Harris Administration has invested 2.5 million through an HRSA Grant to further advance social workers' ability to practice across state lines, increase behavioral health access, and better facilitate telehealth services through the Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact, this has now become a federal problem that will harm the public, corporations, and the credibility of the social work profession and the LCSW license.

This is a matter of urgency, Illinois LCSWs who would not be eligible for the LCSW designation in other states that require passage of the ASWB Exam may be able to attain the LCSW designation even though they are ineligible by said state standards.

Additionally, states like Virginia are increasing barriers to licensure by requiring notarizations while states like Illinois have removed all barriers and testing standards to attain the LCSW clinical authority to diagnose.

THE POTENTIAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES:

The potential unintended negative consequences of Illinois Public Act 103-433 in combination with the Interstate Social Worker Licensure Compact:

An increase in the number of individuals receiving a mental health misdiagnosis as a result of Illinois legislation that allows every MSW that fails the ASWB Exam to become an LCSW with clinical authority to diagnose as long as they complete an additional 3000 supervision hours.

An increase in mental health malpractice claims which in turn would impact corporations and potentially cause limited access for LCSWs to attain malpractice insurance.

An elimination of the LCSW license being able to diagnose and bill for psychotherapy services due to the lack of standards and requirements to attain clinical authority.

Confusion and a lack of transparency for individuals seeking mental health services from reputable, credible, credentialed professionals. 

An increase in complaints of misdiagnoses to ethics boards and lawsuits against companies that provide mental health services could cause a substantial number of corporations to file for bankruptcy which then would cause massive layoffs.

THE SOLUTION:

Creating a Congressional Bill for a federal system of regulation for the practice of social work and social work licensure to remove the nuances of states enacting legislation that harms the public that specifies:

(1) Passing a national exam or jurisprudence exam is required to attain the LCSW clinical license with clinical authority to diagnose and bill for psychotherapy services.

(2) Removing testing requirements for the LMSW master’s license to practice in micro, mezzo, and macro roles that cover case management, policy analyst, program/project manager, etc. (Case management along with comparable services is billable through insurance.) Consideration: Grandfathering every LMSW/ comparable license who passed the ASWB Exam to attain the LCSW so they don't lose the clinical authority to diagnose that is allowed in their state once the LMSW testing requirement is removed along with the ability to diagnose.

And (3) Only recognizing the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) licenses. Consideration: Further exploration of bachelor-level licensure (LBSW) and the benefits.

Sign, Share, and Support the Social Work Licensure Federal Overhaul!