Spend an evening riding the subway in New York City, and it will be clear to you that we’re in the throes of a mental health crisis. It’s a humanitarian
crisis caused by decades of failed policy and disinvestment in mental health care. Policymakers have begun to take some steps to address it, notably with the restoration of 350 of the roughly 770 psychiatric hospital beds that were eliminated during Governor Cuomo’s administration.
We don’t have enough social workers to fill open jobs. Social work jobs have been ranked as the third most difficult to fill among all sectors in New York City. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a significant increase in demand for social workers, with about 74,900 annual openings predicted through 2031. A 2022 audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that 80 percent of New York City schools failed to meet the recommended ratio of one social worker for every 250 students.
Established in 2002, the licensing exam has been criticized for being unnecessary for entry level, non-clinical social work. There is no indication that success on a standardized test correlates with a social worker’s ability to do their job well. As Social Workers for Justice says, “Many graduating social workers have also worked for many years in social service positions. We are fully capable of competently performing in entry level social work positions.
There is legislation pending in Albany – the Social Worker Workforce Act – that would repeal the superfluous examination requirement. Inspired by Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas and State Senator Samra Brouk, the legislation has the support of a wide range of leaders in the field who recognize that this exam is standing in between thousands of qualified social workers and the communities they are eager to serve.
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