A bill making its way through the Legislature revises certain social work licensure provisions. Currently, a person can become a social worker with a baccalaureate degree in that field. They can also have a degree in another field plus two years of experience and completion of courses equivalent to a social work program. House Bill 1013 removes the second option. Representative Steve Hickey spoke in favor of the legislation.
“Individuals without the social work degree can still be a part of this profession under a social work associate credentialing, and they would be supervised,” Hickey says. “It is felt that they would want to raise the standard among those who are considered social workers. They view it as a truth in advertising deal, if you want to go see a social worker that person has a degree in social work.”
Opponents of the measure say it leaves employers with a smaller pool of people to choose from when trying to hire a social worker. They say if a person is competent and willing to take courses they should be allowed to work in that field. The measure passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 40 to 27.