Today, my colleague Kristen Samuels and I were scheduled to present at the 6th Annual Social Work Distance Education Conference: Removing Barriers and Expanding Borders Through Social Work Distance Education in San Antonio, TX. Due to COVID-19, the conference was cancelled. Below is the proposal we submitted for the conference.
Abstract
Removing barriers to expand our professional reach exposes us to increased state regulatory risks. Mindfully developing our programs and course sequences in compliance with those regulations, informing students of any limitations or concerns, and providing constant and convenient access to their state licensure information is vital. This presentation will discuss how to provide such information while managing multiple stakeholders expectations and legal requirements.
Proposal
With the need arising to increase accessibility for secondary education in rural communities, opportunities emerge for higher education institutions to offer culturally responsive and universally designed courses and programs across the globe (Reamer, 2019). As we “Remove Barriers” and “Expand our Borders” with online social work programs, we must carefully consider the implications of admitting students beyond our state boundaries. There are significant state-specific regulatory risks to remain vigilant of. These regulations influence course development, field experience, supervision requirements, etc. We must mindfully develop our programs to be in compliance with these regulations, but also demonstrate “sufficient understanding of the cultural, social, and legal contexts” (NASW, CSWE, ASWB, & CSWA, 2017, p. 50) of our program locations.
It is also important to inform students of any limitations or concerns regarding licensure between states, as some states require specific coursework or other criteria to be eligible for licensure upon graduation. Specifically for the explicit social work curriculum, it is incumbent upon the program to publicly notify prospective students regarding if the program will meet a particular states educational requirement for specific licenses. Prospective students may not be aware regarding their preferred institutions affiliation with the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) so it behooves the program to provide immediate and specific disclosures. This public notice also provides an opportunity for prospective students to understand what their enrollment options are regarding the permissions allowed in their state regarding taking online courses out of state.
Close collaboration with the Association of Social Work Boards is necessary in order to maintain compliance with licensure standards. Licensing requirements and policies vary greatly between states as well as bachelor/master-level preparing programs. Considering these factors in your online program development, and consistently monitoring any changes to the regulations is critical for each program. There are fewer bachelor-level licensing opportunities for students, and more complex regulations for master-level or clinical licensing, presenting programmatic and ethical considerations for online programs.
We will present a model that provides constant and convenient access to state specific licensure information, and processes to consider for student disclosures. This workshop with provide space for online administrators to discuss and learn best-practices for educational requirements and licensure disclosure. As a result of attending this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Understand the differences in educational requirements for baccalaureate versus graduate level licensing
- Describe what are appropriate disclosures of social work regulations and licensure requirements for online social work programs
- Adapt and apply the presented model to their home institution
References
National Association of Social Workers, Association of Social Work Boards, Council on Social Work Education, & Clinical Social Work Association. (2017). Technology standards in social work practice. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers.
Reamer, F. G. (2019). Social Work Education in a Digital World: Technology Standards for Education and Practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(3), 420–432.
How to cite this blog post:
Johnson, S. C. & Samuels, K. M. (2020, April 17). State licensure and regulatory considerations in online social work programs [Blog Post]. Retrieved from Becoming Dr. Clark website: https://becomingdrclark.com/state-licensure-and-regulatory-considerations-in-online-social-work-programs/