California Introduces A Social Work Title Protection Bill

As New York Social Workers struggle for license protection by protesting a proposed license exemption, California has taken steps to protect their license via legislation. California NASW and legislators  have set an example for the rest of the country, the time to fight back is not right before axe falls, but preëmptively.

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis) and Assemblymember Susan Eggman
(D-Stockton) introduced AB 252 today to ensure that individuals who are classified as social workers
have earned a degree in social work at an accredited college or university.

“Social work is both a calling and a profession,” Yamada said. “The title ‘social worker’ presumes a high
standard of education, a solid grounding in professional ethics, and rigorous real-world training. A
consumer has the right to assume that a person with the title meets a high standard of competency and
integrity, which cannot be guaranteed when services are provided without a social work degree.”

Employers use the title “social worker” inconsistently to describe many types of workers with varying
experience and training. This misrepresentation can be harmful to vulnerable citizens who believe they
are receiving care and services delivered by a qualified social worker who can use his or her professional
judgment in life-threatening situations, including protecting the elderly from abuse and neglect and
intervening in situations posing a serious danger to children.

“The title ‘social worker’ invokes the shared history, training, ethics and practices of a 115-year-old
profession,” said Assemblymember Eggman. “We need to ensure that anyone who uses the title meets
those well-established standards. This is about truth in advertising.”
AB 252 will require employers to assign the title of “social worker” only to individuals who hold a degree
in social work from a school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social
Work Education (CSWE). Individuals will be prohibited from identifying as a social worker without the
appropriate educational qualifications.

CSWE accreditation ensures that all who graduate with a social work degree have had coursework
grounded in professional ethics, best practices and cultural diversity supplemented by at least 400 hours
of supervised field instruction. Additionally, social worker conduct is bound by a Code of Ethics.
Legislation protecting the professional title “social worker” has already been enacted in 37 other states.

Social Work cannot allow itself to be disempowered by the division of its members into states. As one country of social workers, we must support each other on all initiatives. Please go to www.protectsocialwork.com to help protect Social Work in New York. Many thanks to Susan Copple for bringing this to our attention. Our ability to report is often determined by your willingness to share, so please do so!