Virginia Regulatory Town Hall View Comments

Department of Health Professions

Multiple Boards

Guidance Document Change: Consistent with the established position of the NASW, the Board considers “conversion therapy” or “sexual orientation change efforts” to be services that have the potential to be a danger to clients, especially minors. Thus, under regulations governing practitioners licensed or registered by the Board, practicing conversion therapy/sexual orientation change efforts with minors could result in a finding of misconduct and disciplinary action against the licensee or registrant.

Previous Comment Next Comment Back to List of Comments

5/14/19 9:19 pm

Commenter: Nick Macedonia

"Freedom of Choice?"

U.S. courts have held that, in the name of personal autonomy and choice, the government has no right to insert itself into the private healthcare decisions/choices of patients with providers (e.g., abortion). Yet, with reparative/conversion therapy, the government seeks to prevent these private healthcare decisions/choices from ever taking place. I hope the Board of Social Work considers this glaring inconsistency before banning reparative/conversion therapy. Do we have "freedom of choice" for ourselves and our children as it relates to health and wellbeing, or not?

CommentID: 72464