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From June 2001 NASW NEWS Four master's-level social workers in the legislature aid a three-profession effort. With a lot of hard work and the help of social workers in the state legislature, a licensing act was passed in Washington state in April. The act, which includes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors, creates two categories of licensing for social workers with master's degrees: licensed individual clinical social worker and licensed advanced social worker. It passed unanimously in the Washington House and by a 33-13 vote in the Senate. Social workers first tried to get licensure in Washington 20 years ago but failed, said Glee Palmer-Davis, NASW Washington Chapter executive director. In 1987, there was another effort that resulted in certification, which allowed third-party payments to social workers but was a "weak substitute" for licensure. By some oversight, certification didn't even allow social workers to diagnose, said Palmer-Davis. About two years ago, Laura Groshong, a member of NASW and the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work, approached NASW about another try for a licensing act, and NASW created a task force to push for licensing. Social workers joined forces with marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors, who were certified under the same state law. In January 2000, a licensing bill was introduced in the state House and Senate and was put through a "sunrise" process, a formal procedure for bills that require the state to issue licenses. Those sponsoring the bill had to submit written justification for licensing to the Board of Health, a body traditionally cool to additional government regulation. To persuade the Board of Health that certification wasn't enough, a poll was taken indicating that 90 percent of state residents felt that the three professions should be licensed. Times and national standards have changed and licensure is needed to protect the public, advocates argued. A public hearing brought much support for licensing from individuals, consumers and agency heads. Other professions either supported or didn't oppose the licensing act. Last November, the Board of Health issued a report opposing the bill, but by then many state legislators had been educated about the need for licensing, and it was decided to reintroduce the bill this year, said Palmer-Davis. Social workers knew they could count on the support of Pat Thibaudeau, a social worker who chaired the key Senate Health Committee, and three other master's-level social worker members of the legislature, Reps. Val Ogdon, Kip Tokuda and Mary Lou Dickerson. An amendment was attached to the bill that confused the issue, but a clean bill eventually was reported and passed. Late in April, the members of the NASW Licensure Task Force — Groshong, Ellen Roberts, Sara Ellingson and Beverly Underwood — were celebrating victory in the two-year effort which they attributed to hard work and a cooperative coalition with other professions. Back to NASW NEWS Contents
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