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Lack of CSW Reciprocity Has High
Cost
The lack of reciprocity described here has serious ramifications for DC and
Virginia clinical social workers who might hope to accept a supervisory position
in Maryland. The issue highlights the importance of reciprocity and of the
Clinical Social Work Federation project on national uniform standards for
licensing regulations. It is also a reminder of how important our advocacy
efforts are. Please get involved!
by Pat Harvey, LCSW-C:
I recently moved into Maryland after
living and working in Massachusetts for over 20 years. I began to research how
to get an LCSW-C license in Maryland even before I arrived. I was appalled at
the difficulties inherent in the process as well as the limitations that license
would have even when I completed the application process.
I have an MSW, passed my ACSW exam in 1981 and was licensed in Massachusetts
1980 as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. I did not need to take
the licensing exam at that time because it was so early in the licensing
process. I have done outpatient and residential treatment with many different
populations and, over the past several years of my career, I have been
supervising program managers, residential counselors, social work interns and
social workers seeking licensure. In my most recent employment, I was the
designated social work supervisor for any MSW in the agency that needed
supervision hours towards their license and I was the facilitator of the agency
training module on social work.
When I arrived in Maryland, I knew that I had to apply to be licensed in this
state. According to what I was told when I called the Licensing Board for
information, I had to locate the supervisors who supervised my direct service to
clients that took place over 20 years ago. In addition, as expected, I would
have to take the licensing exam. I was also informed, quite surprisingly, that I
would not be able to supervise social workers for licensure until I had a
Maryland LCSW-C for 18 months.
I had received a job offer to continue the work I had been doing with
adolescents in residential treatment. This job required that I supervise social
workers needing supervision hours for their own licenses.
In February, I went before the Maryland Board of Social Work Licensing. I
brought with me a letter from my most recent supervisor, who documented my role
in the agency, and a letter from a Director in the Department of Mental Health
in Massachusetts attesting to my clinical and administrative expertise. Although
Board members seemed to understand the problem the Maryland regulation had
created, the attorney for the Board felt that there was no possible way to
create a waiver. There was to be no exception, despite my many years of
supervisory experience.
Needless to say, the agency that had offered me a job in Maryland took back its
offer. Since I was not able to look for any other jobs in Maryland that would
involve supervising social workers, which was what I do at this point in my
career, I began to focus my job search in Washington DC and Virginia. I will be
working in DC as the Director of Clinical Services at Family and Child Service
of Washington DC shortly.
These regulations affect all in the region
I feel that this regulation in
Maryland (see the Code of Maryland Regulations reference below) creates a
serious loss for Maryland. Social workers trained and licensed in Virginia, DC,
and other states are being prevented from bringing their supervisory experience,
their new ideas and therapeutic frameworks into the state and will, surely, look
for employment elsewhere.
The supervision regulation can be modified to provide a waiver for experience
equivalent the Maryland LCSW-C, but that is a lengthy process involving review,
publication of proposed changes, periods of comment, and so on. Perhaps the
legal opinion could be reviewed and revised. Most important, though, I would
advocate for a broad change in social work legislation across the country, with
reciprocity based on uniform standards, so that we can combat the inconvenience
and the injustice, caused by current rigid local regulations untempered by
thought of the pure waste of clinical social work experience.
The regulation
Health Occupations Article, Title 19; Code of Maryland Regulations Title 10, Subtitle 42; Chapter 08 Supervision
10.42.08.04 Qualifications and responsibilities of a supervisor for candidates for advanced licensure
Qualifications of a Supervisor of Candidates for a Certified Social Worker - Clinical License
(2) Experience
(a) A Supervisor who obtained licensure between January 1, 2003 and
July 1, 2004, and who otherwise meets the requirements of this chapter, may
continue supervision in progress on July 1, 2004.
(b) Except as provided in A(2)(a) of this regulation, a supervisor
shall have completed 18 months experience as a licensed certified social
worker-clinical or licensed certified social worker.