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Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20130&cosponId=11576
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: February 7, 2013 11:01 AM
From: Senator Charles T. McIlhinney, Jr.
To: All Senate members
Subject: Memo #3 - Social Worker Bachelor Level Licensure
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would amend Act 136 of 1998 (the Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act) to create a voluntary license for individuals who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in social work or social welfare from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Currently, thirty Pennsylvania colleges or universities in every corner of the state offer nationally accredited bachelors’ degrees in social work (BSW). The creation of this license will create much-needed revenue for the Department of State in the form of licensing fees, and hold bachelor’s-degreed social workers accountable, by the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists and Professional Counselors, for professional conduct and ethical standards. In addition to an existing board, a national exam already exists to test the competency of BSWs, so the Commonwealth will not incur expenses to create something new.

Social workers with master’s degrees already have a voluntary license in place, but we need to acknowledge that there are thousands of BSWs who have no mechanism for licensure in place. It is time that Pennsylvania join the 36 other states that credential social workers at the bachelor’s level.

If you have questions concerning this legislation, please contact Gail Reinard 787-7305. Thank you.



Introduced as SB807