Mobility implementation
At the beginning of the year, ASWB members began reviewing their laws and regulations to identify where barriers to practice mobility existed so that the work of implementation could get started. The 2018 Education Conference gave members opportunity to talk about strategies, gain awareness of legal issues that might surface, and learn about resources available from ASWB and other members.
The conference sessions were arranged so that each step served as a useful tool that regulators could use when they returned to their jurisdictions to begin or continue designing their Mobility plan.
ASWB’s mobility website got a lot of new content and was updated at least monthly with insights from experts. The number of visitors increased by an average of 81 percent compared to the previous year.
The adoption of licensure by endorsement language in the Model Social Work Practice Act provided a turnkey solution to the mobility challenge. States that offer licensure by endorsement accept the social worker’s current license as sufficient evidence that the licensee has met some or all of the requirements for licensure, such as supervised experience.
speaking at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Delegate Assembly
In 2018, fourteen states enacted 19 laws to reform either the state’s requirements or procedures to obtain an occupational license. Most states enacted bills reducing the requirements and regulations of licenses; some reform efforts focused on addressing concerns certain demographics face when acquiring a license.
Mobility statistics
- Out of 52 U.S. jurisdictions, 48 (92%) have a provision that could be used to make practice mobility a reality.
- The Canadian Free Trade Agreement makes labour mobility the default in Canada’s 10 provinces.
- 318 social workers expressed support for mobility initiatives.