Passing The Social Work Workforce Act
We’re working to end the requirement of the LMSW Licensure Exam in New York. This test has been proven to disadvantage social workers of color and there is no evidence that passing a standardized test is an indication of the ability of a social worker. There is a bigger and more important context. New York desperately needs a strong and diverse social work workforce.
It is estimated that 80% of the clients and communities served by New York State’s social workers are people and communities of color. It is also well documented that social workers who represent the lived experience of the people they serve are more effective in providing services in communities of color. Consequently, not only does the disparities in licensure impact the graduates who have spent time and money getting their degree (and who often have many years of experience in social services), but it has deleterious effects on the clients and communities that need them.
In effect, the very principle of licensure– to protect the public by ensuring that social workers are competent to practice is being undercut by an exam that results in such great racial disparities. Want to learn more about our campaign and get involved? Join our weekly membership call by registering below.
Join our campaign by signing our petition below!
Sign the petition to expand, include, and diversify the social work workforce to meet the current crises we face in homelessness, youth mental health, addiction, and immigration by passing the Social Work Workforce Act (Assembly bill A05291 and Senate bill S5975).
New York still has a licensing law for social workers that has a long history of prohibiting Black and Latino social workers from serving as social workers in our communities. The bills will reform current certification requirements by eliminating the entry level Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) LMSW licensure exam—a test that has demonstrated wide discrepancies in pass rates for Black and Latinx social workers. SIGN NOW to support the Social Work Workforce Act (only your name and city will be made public).
New York State requires social workers to be of good moral character, be at least 21 years of age, graduate from an accredited social work program with a clinical curriculum and internship program approved by the State, and complete training in the identification and reporting of child abuse. Many graduating social workers have also worked for many years in social service positions. We are fully capable of competently performing in entry level social work positions.
Yet, the State still requires that entry level MSW social workers pass the ASWB exam, an exam that has a long and national history of racial disparities, and creates unnecessary barriers for social workers of color to increase their pay and more into leadership positions. Because of the long history of problems with the exam four states have already eliminated this requirement and eight other states are working on similar legislation. Several states, including California, never required the exam. And similar disciplines in New York, like mental health counselors, have no entry level exam requirement in our State at all. New York cannot afford to have more than half of their Black social workers and more than a third of their Latino graduates barred from serving our communities in need because of a discriminatory exam.
Social workers in New York should reflect and speak the languages of the communities they serve. AND WE NEED THEM NOW.
I fully support the Social Work Workforce Act ending the requirement of passing the entry level exam for licensure .
(Your Name)
NYS REPRESENTATIVES: PASS THE SOCIAL WORK WORKFORCE ACT
THE SWWA is endorsed By:
The National Association of Black Social Workers
The Black, Latinx, Asian Charter Collaborative
The Black Women’s Social Work Coalition
The Dominican Women’s Development Center
United Neighborhood Houses
The NYC Social Work Network
New York City - Department of Health
Buffalo Public Schools
The Latino Social Work Coalition
National Association of Social Work - New York State
New York City - Department of Education
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
NYU - Silver School of Social Work
The Chinese American Planning Council
Equality NY
National Alliance on Mental Illness - NYC
Women’s Community Justice Association
Human Services Council
Samaritan Daytop Village
Progressives Educating New York Inc.
Puerto Rican Family Institute
UNIDOS Works
University of Buffalo School of Social Work
Urban Outreach Center of NYC
Urban Resource Institute
Lodestar Children’s Services
Greenwich House
No Kid Hungry NYC
The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families
Education Reform Now
Phipps Neighborhood House
The New York State Deans and Directors of Social Work
Lehman College School of Health Sciences, Human Services, and Nursing
Hospice and Palliative Care Association of NYS
New York State Association of Counties
Touro University Graduate School of Social Work
Day One
Thrive US
The Jewish Childcare Association of NY
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
JOIN SW4J
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Have you taken the licensing exam?
If you’ve taken the licensing exam, whether successfully or otherwise, whether you’ve taken it once or 20 times, we’d love to hear about your experience! From the conditions, to the preparation, to the questions, and everything in-between. Take a moment and share your experiences with us so we can continue to inform our agency partners, Deans, and State Representatives about the reality of the exam process.
Do you work for an agency or Organization?
If you’re currently working for an agency anywhere in New York State - take a moment and fill out our Agency Survey. We’ve had hundreds of agencies across the state share their thoughts with us already, and we’re continuing to collect data that helps inform our continued campaigns!
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Social Work Workforce Act - Assembly bill #A05291 and Senate bill S5975
Why do social workers need to be licensed?
Like other professions (nursing, law, medicine, physical therapists, teachers, etc) the concept of licensing is to protect the public from unsafe, incompetent and unethical practice. That is, licensing is designed to protect clients from inadequate or incompetent social workers.
Are social workers required to be licensed?
Yes, licensing of social workers is required in all fifty states, although the requirements vary from state to state. State Boards establish licensing requirements for social workers in their state, but all states require licensing at the MSW level. In all 50 states and in some Canadian provinces, graduates of MSW programs must take an exam which is constructed and administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Some states have no entry level licensing exam, some states require a BSW, MSW, and advanced exam. Some states require an entry level, the LMSW, upon graduation, and both supervised hours and the LCSW clinical exam later on, which licenses social workers for clinical, independent, psychotherapy practice.
What is ASWB?
ASWB is a 501 (c ) 3 organization that develops, constructs, tests, and administers the LMSW and LCSW exam in all fifty states and in some Canadian provinces. There is no other existing organization which offers an exam for social workers so ASWB has a monopoly on licensing social workers. ASWB was chartered in Virginia in 1996. In its 2021 990 statement (a form required by the federal government), ASWB reported an income of $17,650,000 and net assets of over $40 million. No other social work organization has assets even close to that. They are now making more revenue from repeat test takers than from first timers. Their profit margins have been steadily increasing, in 2021 our most recent year of public records, their profit margin increased to 29%.
What are the licensing requirements in NYS?
There are two licenses in NYS: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). We are the only mental health profession in New York State that requires two exams. NYS social workers have much more rigorous requirements to licensure than other mental health professions. The 163s (MHC, MFT, and Psychoanalysts) have one exam right now. It does not look like the new law that grants these professions the right to diagnose after education and experience requirements, requires another exam.
The LMSW license, which is an entry level license, allows MSWs to engage in supervised clinical practice. A LMSW cannot practice independently. That is, a LMSW may only practice clinical social work, including diagnosis, psychotherapy, and assessment based treat planning under the supervision of a LCSW, LCSW-R, licensed psychologist or board certified psychiatrist in an acceptable setting. To be licensed as an LMSW in NYS, a person must graduate from an accredited MSW program, complete mandatory reporting training, and pass the LMSW exam that is given by ASWB. A limited permit to practice can be granted to MSW graduates for a period of up to one year if they are supervised by a LMSW or LCSW before passing the exam. Importantly, New York has more graduates taking the exam than any other state.
A Licensed Clinical Social Work ( LCSW) encompasses the scope of practice of licensed master social work and, in addition, includes the diagnosis of mental, emotional, behavioral, addictive and developmental disorders and disabilities and of the psychosocial aspects of illness; the interpretation of tests and measures of psychosocial functioning; development and implementation of appropriate treatment plans; and the provision of crisis oriented psychotherapy and brief, short-term and long-term psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic treatment to individuals, couples, families and groups. Social workers who hold the LCSW can practice independently.
What does it cost to be licensed in NYS?
The State application costs $294, and a limited permit is $70. The ASWB LMSW exam has a fee of $230, and the LCSW exam’s fee is $260. You must pay the fee every time you take the exam.
If people don’t pass the exam, can they retake it?
Yes, graduates can take the exam as many times as they want, but are required to pay all the fees each time they retake the exam.
What happens if you don’t pass?
The practice of social work in New York is limited to those who hold the LMSW or LCSW license. You may not practice as an MSW social worker in NYS if you do not pass the licensing exam. According to the Social Work Degree Center MSW level social workers are estimated to make $20,000 more annually than BSW level social workers, placing a severe financial burden on those who fail the exam.
So, what’s the problem?
For at least the last 12 years, social workers have suspected that social workers of color, particularly Black and Latinx graduates, were failing the licensing exam at disproportionate rates. In 2015 the Office of the Professions released information to the departments of social work that allowed them to conduct a very basic assessment of pass/fail rates of their graduates. The results indicated that all social workers of color, but especially Black and Latinx graduates failed the exam at much higher rates. Over the years schools implemented a variety of preparation techniques to increase the pass rates, but no efforts helped, an indication of how flawed the exam is. Working with the National Association of Social Work Deans and Directors (NADD), the NYS Deans began to strongly request that ASWB release data on pass/fail rates by age and race. Finally, in 2022, ASWB published a trend analysis of data from 2011-2021.
What did the data show?
The data showed significant disparities between white graduates and Black and Latinx graduates across 10 years of data and nationally. In NYS, 86% of white graduates passed the LMSW on the first attempt, while only 49% of Black graduates and 62% of Latinx graduates did. Eventual pass rates also showed disparities; while almost 91% of white graduates eventually passed the exam, only 52% of Black graduates and 71% of Latinx graduates did. Only 63% of graduates for whom English is not their first language pass the exam (the exam is only offered in English). Consequently, slightly more than half of Black graduates and only two-thirds of Latinx graduates become licensed MSW social workers in NYS. Importantly, Black and Latino social workers account for 56% of those who fail the test in New York State over 10 years.
When pass rates are compared to other professions (education, nursing) that are also licensed we find that they have much smaller disparities than social work (10-12% compared to our 37% disparity). Their national organizations have also done significant work to correct the inequities and make their workforce more inclusive, including proposing alternative pathways to licensing.
Is the licensing exam a good measure of a social worker’s competence?
There is no evidence whatsoever that passing the exam measures competence or effectiveness of the test taker. There is no evidence that the exam reflects a social worker’s competence or effectiveness. Researchers with expertise in test methodology and the validity of testing have shown the exam’s inadequacies. In fact, a recent study compared AI research to the exam’s questions and found that items on the exam did not even match the social work literature’s best practices. (AI Analyzes the Social Work Licensing Exam, Concerns Deepen )
What is important here?
There is a bigger and more important context than the exam. New York desperately needs a strong and inclusive social work workforce. It is estimated that 80% of the clients and communities served by New York State’s social workers are people and communities of color. It is also well documented that social workers who represent the lived experience of the people they serve are more effective in providing services in communities of color. Consequently, not only does the disparities in licensure impact the graduates who have spent time and money getting their degree (and who often have many years of experience in social services), but it has deleterious effects on the clients and communities that need them. In effect, the very principle of licensure– to protect the public by ensuring that social workers are competent to practice is being undercut by an exam that results in such great racial disparities.
What does this mean for the employers and communities that need culturally competent social work and mental health services?
We did a State survey of workforce needs. SW4J’s survey of 363 agencies across NYS (over half from outside NYC) showed all have open social work positions, 92% are looking to hire BIPOC social workers, while 65% of their applicants are white. The very social workers who are disproportionately barred by the exam from practicing are the ones needed in NYS.
But do we really believe every social work graduate should be licensed? Isn’t gatekeeping in the profession important?
We do not argue against licensing. We believe in protecting the integrity of the profession. The schools of social work have a major role to play in gatekeeping because they are required to deliver curriculum based on social work competencies, review that students have met those competencies, and most importantly, evaluate how their students perform working with clients in actual agency settings in their internships. We urge the schools to review and strengthen their gatekeeping policies.
On the other hand, an exam, especially one with such obvious racial disparities manifested over a number of years, preventing people with language fluency and the lived experience of communities they serve, is an obstacle to service. The exam is a very blunt instrument for assessing competent practice, and there is no evidence that it measures effectiveness.
That is why many standardized exams, including the SAT, are no longer being used as predictors of success.
One might argue that successful work history and supervision would be a more nuanced approach to measuring competency, at least as an alternative pathway to the exam or until an exam without these disparities is developed.
The LCSW exam seems to have even bigger disparities in the results. Why not take that on?
While both exam results are problematic, we believe it is important to start with the LMSW exam. First, we can build on a precedent to eliminate the LMSW exam in Illinois, Rhode Island, Utah, and Connecticut. Second, the LMSW is not a clinical license and still must practice with supervision, making the threat to the public lower than the LCSW practitioners. Moving ahead first with the LMSW exam will give us time to do more analysis of options that might complement or replace the LCSW exam.
What are the arguments against changing the requirements for licensing?
Arguments we have heard are about the role of licensure in protecting the public and how it would look to other professions we work with doctors, lawyers, and nurses if we were to make a change. First, several states don’t have an entry level exam at all, and they are viewed exactly as New York social workers are. More importantly, we are not protecting the public if we don’t have enough social workers, particularly bi-lingual social workers and Black social workers to serve them. That is especially true at this moment when the mental health crisis among youth and the homelessness crisis are at their peaks. Finally, remember we support licensing that eliminates disparities.
What are other states doing to address this issue and what has been the impact?
Several states, including California, Florida, and Michigan do not currently require the entry level exam- only the LCSW. (CA is second in the number of social workers after NYS).
Four states (IL, RI, CT, and UT) have passed legislation that dropped the requirement for the exam. Eighteen states, including New York, are working on legislation to eliminate the entry level exam as a requirement for licensure.
When Illinois eliminated the entry level exam requirement, more than 10,000 new entry level social workers entered the workforce in two years. Importantly, the increase in the workforce did not show any increase in ethics violations.
IL has also passed legislation amending the requirement for the LCSW exam ( the disparities in this exam are even more extreme). They created two pathways to achieve the LCSW- the exam and three years of experience for those who failed their first exam.
So what can we do in New York State to change this?
NYS can follow Illinois, Rhode Island, Utah, and Delaware by passing legislation that allows MSW graduates who have graduated from an accredited school of social work and meet all other State requirements to apply for the LMSW license without passing the ASWB licensure exam. Illinois has removed the licensure exam as a criteria for the first level of licensure in the state, and RI has suspended it until another exam or other licensing pathway can be developed. We ask the New York legislature to follow suit.
Who is joining this fight?
Our national organizations have joined us. NASW nationally and CSWE, both under new leadership, are both questioning the legitimacy of the exam. Their statements are here:
What can I do to help make this happen?
If you agree with this proposal and would like to get more information about joining our effort to change licensing requirements in New York State, please contact info@socialworkersforjustice.org