Mobility

Mobility highlights of 2016

A record number of ASWB members, staff and invited guests from U.S. and Canadian social work organizations as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) attended ASWB’s 2016 Education Conference, “Moving Forward: Social Work in the Age of Mobility”.

From the Education Conference focus groups, ASWB compiled 816 comments related to six topics. Staff interviewed 133 participants representing member social work regulatory boards and colleges of the U.S. and Canada, social work practitioners, social work educators, and attendees from other regulated professions.

The top three core categories based on number of comments compiled within the categories are:

  • standards and consistency
  • stakeholders
  • complaints and investigations/discipline

From a public protection point of view, resolving the issues surrounding the complaint process, discipline, and investigation as well as responsibility seems to be equally important.

Presentations at other conferences included:

  • “Millennials Want Mobility: The Educators’ Role in Achieving Social Work Practice Mobility” at the 33rd annual Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD) conference in Dallas, Texas.
  • “ASWB’s Collaboration with Educators and Practitioners to Achieve Licensure Mobility” at the Council on Social Work Education 2016 Annual Program Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

ASWB has seen an increase in score transfers over the years, which highlights the mobility cause.

The mobility initiative got under way in 2013 and will continue into the future. See the complete Mobility Timeline

The cause is driven by technology, an increasingly mobile society, and the increased need for access to quality health and mental health care.”

-ASWB President M. Jenise Comer, Missouri

2016 Mobility Task Force, left to right: Mark Hillenbrand (IA), Jim Akin (FL), co-chair Dorinda Noble (TX), Harold Dean (AR), Joan Cloonan (ID), Lisa Crockwell (NL), Ellen Burkemper (MO), Florence Huffman (KY), Carmen Collado (NY), Courtney Papale Newton(LA). Not pictured: co-chair M. Jenise Comer (MO), Fran Franklin (DE).