1/10/2023 - 2022 Year in Review
2022 was a busy year for us here at NASW-ME! Read our Year in Review to learn all about it.
8/12/2022 - 2 Statements from NASW National
It’s been a very (yet ANOTHER) busy week in the world of NASW, and I wanted to take a few moments to share 2 important updates on recent national issues impacting social workers right now.
The first item to draw your attention to is the NASW National statement in response to the recent release of pass rate data from ASWB (currently, the only nationally recognized testing body for social work examination). As folks may be aware, to some, this data was quite shocking. To others, the release of this data only validated what had been suspected for decades…. Please see below for the NASW National statement.
8/11/2022 - ASWB social work licensing exam pass rate data confirm concern over racial disparities
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) on August 5 published data in a 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis. This disclosure stems from years of advocacy by NASW and other social work organizations, schools of social work, and individual advocates to push ASWB to post data that it has been unwilling to release for decades.
The data revealed glaring disparities in pass rates among racial groups, particularly for Black test takers. It also raised concerns about disparities in pass rates for other demographics, including social workers who are older adults.
All social work institutions - including ASWB and licensing boards, NASW and other associations, and social work higher education programs - must openly confront systemic racism within our profession. We must all commit to work to ensure reforms are made to ensure the licensing process is equitable for all, protecting the public without unnecessary gatekeeping and discrimination.
NASW through its national office and its 55 chapters is committed to working closely with partners to develop a coordinated and timely response to this issue and propose innovative solutions that reduce harm and increase diverse representation at all levels of social work practice.
https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2531/ASWB-social-work-licensing-exam-pass-rate-data-confirm-concern-over-racial-disparities
Additional reading:
Secondly, I wanted to update you all on where things are at with the CareDash website. Earlier this month, I shared concerns about the practice of this website (which had been associated with BetterHelp) creating online profiles for social worker based solely on NPI public data. Many folks (including myself) checked out our “profiles” and found information horribly outdated, misleading, and inaccurate. At the time, CareDash had been refusing to remove individual provider sites and instead, requested that social workers create memberships to their website to “take ownership” of our profile pages. Well, I’m very pleased to report that thanks to YOUR advocacy and the hard work of our NASW Legal Team, we’ve seen some significant progress on this issue:
NASW National Statement: NASW Combats Troubling Business Practice Harming Social Workers and their Clients | Social Work Blog
Here’s the highlight:
- We previously informed you of our concerns about the posting of psychotherapists’ profiles, without their knowledge or consent, in soliciting business for online psychotherapy platforms.
- As a result of our actions and your response, NASW is currently engaged in productive discussion with BetterHelp regarding this practice.
- As a result of these efforts, as noted above, BetterHelp has disassociated itself from CareDash – for which we are grateful. THANK YOU!
We are grateful to our members for bringing this practice to our attention and for advocating to end it. This is more proof that your voice and engagement is critical to the work we do!
Additional Reading:
This only reinforces the collective power of our joined advocacy and voices in righting what we see are wrongs in our field. Thank you, all!!