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LEGISLATION AND ADVOCACY - VIRGINIA
Defeat of HB-1146 Leads to
VA Social Work Licensing Board Focus Group
As a result of successful efforts last spring by the Virginia Society for
Clinical Social Work (VSCSW) and the Greater Washington Society for Clinical
Social Work, working together to block passage of HB 1146, a disturbing bill
that would have created a new category of social work, the Virginia Social Work
Board was charged with a review of the social work law. Extensive work has
already gone into this process.
The Board has created a nine-member Focus Group to sort out scopes of practice,
including the interests of agencies, organizations and Societies. Alice
Kassabian is representing GWSCSW, and Mark O’Shea is representing VSCSW. Also
represented are academia, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW),
Social Services, Family Services and the Virginia League of Social Services
Executives, plus two public policy experts. The definitions of social work from
all states are being reviewed, along with the scope of practice recommendations
from the Model Social Work Practice Act.
The assistance of the Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) has been extremely
valuable as we develop our position for the Focus Group; our hope is to more
clearly define and protect clinical social work practice in Virginia.
Alice and Mark will keep you posted on our positions and the progress of the
Focus Group, scheduled to work until July 2007.
Mark O’Shea, LCSW, Legislative Vice President for
Virginia Society for Clinical Social Work, prepared this report. Alice Kassabian
is the Virginia Legislative Chair for GWSCSW. The two clinical societies work
together, with the assistance of lobbyist Chris Spanos, on mental health and
clinical social work advocacy issues in Virginia.
For GSCSW Legislative
Information contact:
GWSCSW
PO Box 3235
Oakton VA 22124
202-537-0007
Fax: 703-938-8389
email: gwscsw@gmail.com
Website http://www.gwscsw.org