On December 20th, 2023 the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) published a report titled Community Conversations: Social Work Journeys. You can read ASWB's blog article and download the full 29 page report here.
The report is described as "an independent study aimed at gathering insights from social workers across the United States and Canada on their professional journeys and licensure exam experiences through a series of Community Conversations. Key themes that emerged from the Community Conversations are detailed".
The full report is organized into 5 sections: Introduction, Methodology, Findings, Summary of Key Themes and Reflections.
Each section of the full report is summarized in this article below with additional information and a summary of the February 2024 ASWB webinar at the end. Statements in the report that directly mention disability and neurodivergence are highlighted in blue.
Contents:
DWSW Summary of ASWB Report
Introduction
"The Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) and The CODE Group, a woman- and Black-owned firm with expertise in developing innovative and inclusive organizational strategies, collaborated on the vision for and facilitation of focus groups titled “Community Conversations” from January 2023 through May 2023".
584 social workers across the United States and Canada participated in facilitated in-person and virtual conversations, as well as an online self-paced survey.
In-Person Participation Total = 57 participants
Virtual Participation Total = 134 Participants
Self-Paced Survey Total = 393 Respondents
Participant demographics reported on included gender, years of experience, race and ethnicity, exam taken and licensure held, degree and community setting, across the three session types (in person, virtual and survey). 466 participants responded to the demographics sections.
Most participants identified as women (over 80% in each session type).
Most in person participants had 20+ years of experience. Most virtual and survey participants had 5 - 20 years of experience.
Most in person participants identified as African American/Black (72%). Most virtual and survey participants identified as White (50% and 55% respectively) with African American/Black as the second largest demographic group representing 38% and 27% respectively.
Less than 10% of participants identified as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish descent in each session type.
Most participants had taken at least one of the ASWB social work licensing exams (over 80% in each session type).
Most participants held a social work license (over 80% in each session type).
Most participants held a a Master of Social Work degree (MSW) (over 80% in each session type).
Most participants indicated they practice social work in urban areas (over 50% in each session type).
This quote was provided at the end of the the demographic section regarding additional demographics. "Additionally, participants were prompted to include other demographic characteristics that they wanted to share (e.g., sexual orientation, age, neurodiversity, location, etc.). For the in-person sessions, 20 participants responded to the prompt, 10 of whom disclosed their age, seven their sexual orientation, and five their location. For the virtual sessions, 40 participants responded to the prompt, 28 of whom disclosed their age, 21 their sexual orientation, six their neurodivergence, and four their disability status. Finally, six participants responded to the prompt for the self-paced survey, four of whom disclosed a genderqueer/non-binary identity"
Methodology
The report indicates the sessions used "a journey map technique to gather information about community members’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences regarding their social work journey".
Participants were guided to through discussing "their motivations, feelings, actions, and perceptions of challenges and opportunities for improvement across four phases of their social work journey: (1) becoming a social worker, (2) pursuing an education, (3) the licensing exam, and (4) present circumstances and re-envisioning the licensure process".
Data from the sessions was collected and a natural language processing technique was used to analyze the qualitative data and identify topics in participants’ responses and then grouped into themes.
Findings
The themes in this section describe participants' motivations, experiences, and challenges in becoming a social worker.
3 themes related to inspiration to become a social worker:
A "general motivation and passion for helping others".
A "desire to support or advocate for historically marginalized communities and people with disabilities" (A specific quote from a participant reads “I grew up with a sister with Down Syndrome and through this personal experience wanted to advocate, assist others who are marginalized.”).
An "interest in directly improving the lives of vulnerable populations or groups who are more likely to face obstacles, such as single mothers, individuals in nursing homes, and those in the criminal justice system".
3 themes related to experiences of becoming a social worker:
"Participants’ pivotal life experiences, including having family members who were social workers or received social work services or experiencing traumatic or difficult personal events".
"Participants’ firsthand experiences that were generally less oriented toward negative life events" like "volunteer work, early job experiences, and realizing that social work aligned with their personality or disposition".
"Participants’ nonlinear path to social work" such as "pivoting from their original educational intentions or undergraduate degrees" or "wanting a career change after being established in a different field".
3 themes related to challenges/obstacles faced during the social work journey:
The "professional stigma social workers may encounter" such as social workers "being undervalued in society, receiving lower pay than comparable professions, and having reservations due to negative stereotypes about the profession".
The "barriers to entry for a career in social work" such as "difficulties with paying for school and exams, returning to school after a delay, and passing the exam to begin practicing".
The "financial struggle and [struggle for] support many participants experienced regarding their education and the exam".
The themes in this section describe the resources or lack of resources during the educational journey as well as experiences in social work education.
3 themes related to resources during the educational journey
People who helped participants during their education like "instructors, advisors, colleagues, classmates, and online communities".
Exam preparation resources like "YouTube videos or the preparation course offered by the National Association of Social Workers, most comments under this theme mentioned how education failed to prepare participants for the exams as well as the lack of consistent test preparation materials".
Financial resources, mainly the "lack of financial resources" and the idea that "emergency funds and scholarships should be more readily available, as well as that student loan forgiveness should be applicable to social workers".
4 themes related to educational experiences during the social work journey
Graduate school experiences, "which often included descriptions of their trajectory from undergraduate to graduate education"
Applied field experiences, including "internships, practicums, and field placements" which were described as useful for "preparing them for the demands of a career in social work".
Challenges for non-traditional students (i.e., older students, those who work full-time jobs, and/or students with children), focusing on "logistical challenges associated with traveling to classes while simultaneously balancing other responsibilities".
Usefulness of coursework, describing "clinical courses as a useful part of social work education" and other effective coursework structures such as "skill development courses (e.g., active listening), interactive courses, and courses that emphasized lived experiences".
The themes in this section describe participants' motivations, experiences, and challenges in the Licensing Exam.
3 themes related to challenges with the exam
Exam structure, including "that questions on the exam were intentionally confusing, left out critical information, and underemphasized cultural differences" as well as "negative perceptions of the exam administration experience, specifically that the testing centers felt unwelcoming and were distracting".
Procedures of taking the exam, such as "negative experiences with testing centers but also described issues registering for the exam and apprehension about paying for the exam".
Accommodations for taking the exam, "participants described difficulty acquiring accommodations and the need for better accommodations for some examinees (e.g., more time for English language learners)".
2 themes related to preparing for the exam
Helpful test preparation strategies, such as "practice tests, tutors, advice from instructors, and study guides".
Usefulness of study groups, such as "professional networks, and the sharing of study materials within those networks".
2 themes related to ideal licensure process
Potential modifications to the current process and/or exam, such as "including more diverse perspectives in the exam content, the sufficiency of supervision for licensure, and requiring test preparation courses in graduate school" as well as "alternative assessment methods such as a portfolio".
Opportunities to retake the exam, such as "free or reduced-cost retakes, less time required between retakes, and retakes that only featured the parts of the exam an examinee did not successfully pass".
1 theme related to motivation to take the licensing exam
Need for licensure to pursue certain jobs in certain state, participants "explained they needed to pursue licensure to be eligible for particular jobs".
2 themes related to the future of the licensure exam for Canadian social workers
Need for an exam tailored to the Canadian experience, and "explained that there is currently no exam in parts of Canada (e.g., Ontario)".
General concern about "implementing a licensing exam requirement in Canada"
1 theme related to the the usefulness of education as exam preparation
Inadequacy of the exam as a means of measuring "whether one is qualified to be a social worker, as well as whether formal educational experiences adequately prepared them for the exam"
The themes in this section describe proposed modifications to the social work licensing process and re-envisioning the process.
8 themes related to proposed modifications to the licensing process:
Modifications to the testing experience, such as "shortening the test, omitting the unscored questions, minimizing distractions, improving operations in the testing centers, and including scheduled breaks during the exam".
Difficulty of capturing social work demands in an exam, including "apprehension that a standardized exam is appropriate for the field, as well as perceptions that the exam often involves choosing answers that go against one’s experiences".
Standardized test alternatives, such as the ability "to apply for licensure directly through the state, pay the necessary fees, or fulfill other requirements to obtain their license" with the aim of "addressing concerns about fairness and accuracy associated with standardized testing".
Desire for universal licensure, noting that "other career fields that have adopted universal licenses (e.g., physicians), and the desire to reinstate policies that allowed social workers to practice during the pandemic".
Retaining the exam with potential modifications, comments highlighted the "need for an exam to reach parity with other licensed professions but recommended more prominent official study materials, updating the interface of the exam, reducing the subjectivity of the questions, increasing the relevance to current social work demands, and lowering the cost of exam preparation and the exam itself".
Transparency and equity in the licensing process, including a "desire for the exam to be open for review, clarify how items are developed and tested, and abide by the code of ethics".
A specific comment related to this theme said "“Transparency on how items are developed, tested, and by whom; ASWB needs to be proactively transparent on efforts current and future to address disparity/bias; state licensure regulations need to be clear on how to access disability accommodations; ASWB needs to understand the huge variety of types of disability accommodations that should be offered.”
Reevaluation of the licensure process, this theme focused on "a big picture desire to reconsider the purpose of the exam".
Call for "more mentorship and training during the process".
Summary of Key Themes
Below is a visual summary shown in the report, of the key themes in each of the 4 phases of the data collection. A plain text RTF version of the image information is also available for download below.
Reflections
This final section of the full report focuses on 6 topics and shares reflections and future suggestions based on the feedback collected. Here, quotes related to ASWB's potential future intentions in the 6 topic areas are shared below.
Social Work Experience: This reflection topic identified a need for "future initiatives to identify strategies for enhancing compensation for social workers and recognition of social work as a profession".
Education: "It would be beneficial to make sure that test preparation materials are effectively communicated and accessible, and to explore options to expand financial support for various communities, with a particular focus on those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged"
Exam Structure: Structural changes to the exam could include, content reflecting more "situations experienced by social workers engaging with diverse communities", "clear and frequent communication of the test development process to both test takers and the public" as well as ongoing engagement related to the exam development and licensure process, "considering section retesting/partial retesting" and exploring whether the exam "is appropriate and relevant to Canadian regulations, requirements, and culture".
Exam Administration: Changes in exam administration could include "addressing accessibility, standardization of protocols, and overall “feel” (e.g., welcoming, professional, supportive) of the onsite exam administration experience" and "exploring the potential of remote exam administration".
Finances and Resources: Future changes related to finances and resources may include "complimentary or reduced cost access to study resources, such as exam preparation workshops, review materials, and practice tests", "considering the implementation of a reduced fee" for exam retakes and "partnerships with educational institutions to help bridge the gap between social work curricula and the content evaluated in licensing exams".
Alternate Assessment Options: Alternative options in the future could include "providing opportunities for test takers to showcase their knowledge, skills, and real-world application, including, but not limited to, project-based assessments, portfolio submissions, and supervised work hours".
It should be noted again that these future changes are portrayed as potential options and considerations rather than exact changes that are certain to be implemented.
Additional Information & Webinar Summary
Some interesting references related to alternate assessment options (not discussed in the ASBW report) include the 2008 Final Report on Alternative Paths to Licensure For the Minnesota Board of Social Work and the 2023 article Alternative Pathways to Social Work Licensure: A Critical Review and Social Equity Policy Analysis (Hirsch, DeCarlo, Lewis & Walker, 2023).
ASWB does not release the raw data associated with the report, so this review is based only on the publicly available information.
Additionally, ASWB held a 1 hour webinar on February 15th, 2024 to review the report information and how it will be used in current and future initiatives "aimed at closing gaps in exam performance between demographic groups".
As with most (if not all) CSWE webinars, the chat function was not active. There was 1 interactive poll asking participants' current role (over 70% responded that they were practicing social workers and 9% were students) and a Q&A portion at the end that was said to include questions from participants, which were general and mainly repeated information shared previously in the presentation.
Resources and takeaways from the webinar included the following.
Big areas of focus mentioned were exploring potential for only retaking the failed sections of exam and remote proctoring options.
A Practice Analysis Taskforce is convened every 5-7 years.
Throughout the webinar there was a large focus on Social Work Census, which is happening in March 2024 and will be available to the full workforce, not only licensed social workers.
2024 Initiatives included:
Switching testing providers to PSI, the Social Work Census, online remote proctoring (expected in Fall 2024) and the Practice Analysis Taskforce building exam content outlines for the 2026 competence assessments.
Two additional initiatives mentioned included establishing a scholarship for repeat test takers and exploring additional assessment models.
Additional information regarding the 2024 initiatives can be found at the ASWB website here.
Current resources mentioned included Exam resources for educators (released in Aug 2022 and currently being evaluated) and Test Mastery Inclusion pilot program, a support program since January 2023 (in partnership with Fifth Theory organization) which is free for those who have not passed the exam, a report is coming soon on the first year of data from this program.
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