New Bill AB 456: Mental Health Professions Parity

This bill would Allow Social Workers to Begin Accruing Hours Toward Licensure Soon After Graduation

By Noriela Flores, Gabriela Gomez Aquino, Sophia Kien, and Deysi Torres, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) MSW Students

A new bill introduced by Assemblymember Tony Thurmond (D – Richmond), to amend Sections 4996.18 and 4996.23 of the Business and Professions (B&P) Code, would allow social work graduates to receive credit for post-degree hours of experience toward licensure before obtaining their Associate Social Workers (ASW) number, as long as they apply for the ASW registration within 90 days of receiving their master’s degree and are granted their ASW registration. This bill has been introduced in an effort to remove barriers for social workers and promote parity among public mental health workers in California. (The B&P Code has been previously amended for Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)).

The Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) currently requires recent social workers who are interested in becoming licensed in the State of California to register with the BBS and become ASW registrants before beginning to earn hours toward licensure. Licensure is essential for the social work practice and for adherence to the ethical values and principles of the social work profession.

Delays in processing time of ASW applications increase the time social workers can begin accruing hours and subsequently delays the licensing process. In addition, to apply for the ASW registration, an applicant’s degree needs to appear on their official transcript and the applicant needs to complete the application carefully to prevent further delays in processing time.

This new bill, if passed, would reduce the time it takes social workers to fulfill their licensure requirement and receive credit for hours of experience while they wait for their ASW registration, and at the same time it will remove barriers for employment and clinical practice.

Amendments have been proposed by the BBS which would require obtaining a verification of receipt of application by the BBS before beginning to log in hours. In addition, the applicant cannot enter private practice until registered as a clinical social worker by the board.

For more information, please contact the office of Assemblymember Tony Thurmond at a15.asmdc.org or (916) 319-2015 (Sacramento) or (510) 286-1400 (Oakland).

Gabriela Gomez Aquino can be reached at ggomez.aquino@gmail.com. 

NASW-CA is actively working on this bill as one of our major legislative priorities this year.