Interstate Licensure Compact for Social Workers Introduced

Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact

We know that state-by-state licensing is extremely difficult to navigate for social workers and our clients. Telehealth has grown in such significance that it is unacceptable to have social workers who need to be licensed in multiple states to serve clients or for a client to move and not be able to continue to see their therapist. Or for those on state lines, it is difficult to carry licenses in all of those states. NASW nationally has been working with the Council of State Governments to create an interstate licensure compact to ease these burdens. 

The interstate compact would be a separate license that someone could choose to obtain on top of their regular state license. The compact license would then authorize the social worker to practice in any other state that has also implemented the compact by passing the legislation. The compact will start when seven states across the country have passed the compact legislation. Anytime licensure is discussed it is important to acknowledge that there are significant concerns about the ASWB exams that are used for licensure. States across the country, including Ohio, are looking at how to make changes to the exam to ensure that social work is not gatekeeping people from our profession. NASW had a significant victory on this front by ensuring that the interstate compact legislation did not require states to use the ASWB exams moving forward. We were concerned that we would be in an impossible situation of either making a change to the exam in Ohio or having the compact. But fortunately NASW’s advocacy was successful and we can move forward with potentially changing the exam without endangering the compact.The ASWB exam would be required to obtain an interstate license.

Ohio could be one of those original seven states as SB 90 has been introduced in the Ohio Senate. Read the bill draft here>>

Read more about the compact>>

Take Action

To help pass the interstate compact contact your state Senator (look up their information) and ask them to support SB 90 when it comes before them.

Learn More

Attend a special member meeting Friday, March 24 from 10am-11am to learn more about the compact (and other issues NASW is working on). The recording will be posted on this webpage following the meeting. RSVP to attend the meeting live via Zoom or have the recording e-mailed to you.