|
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) on August 5 released a long-awaited 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis. This resulted from years of advocacy from social work organizations, schools of social work, and individual advocates to force a report on data which ASWB has been unwilling to release for decades. NASW-MN, with our partners at the MN Association of Black Social Workers and MN Hmong Social Workers’ Coalition were leading voices both locally and nationally in pushing for this data.
The data revealed glaring disparities in pass rates among racial groups – particularly Black test-takers - and raised concerns about disparities in pass rates for other demographics, including 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 work toward reforms 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.
-
Please join NASW-MN for a Minnesota Social Work Listening Session: Tuesday, September 13 from 12-1:30 p.m. via Zoom. We invite all Minnesota social workers to join us in discussion about how we might address the inequities in the exams within our State. Register here.
In the coming weeks, NASW-MN will evaluate how we move forward, what recommendations will be made to the appropriate entities and how we, as a united social work community in Minnesota, can advocate together. Please contact Dr. Karen Goodenough at [email protected] if you would like to discuss further.
In Social Work solidarity,
Dr. KG
Karen E. Goodenough, PhD, MSW, LGSW, NASW-MN Executive Director
| 
