It is with great concern for families in the State of Virginia that I write to you. It is indeed most distressing to know that there is a shortage of qualified mental health professionals to serve Virginia's famlies and that the shortage is a direct result of the misguided and flawed licensing process practiced by the Virgina Board of Social Work. The current process clearly is biased against licensed Social Workers from other states that have had a lapse in active emloyment in the field for over 24 months (2 years). No exceptions. This is discrimination against professional mental health workers who have been licensed, accredited and practiced in other states, but for some reason moved to VA, and for one reason or the other did not seek to get licensed or work in the field for more than two years. Surely the great state of Virginia recognizes that we now all live in a 'Global Society'. People move and become employed in their chosen professional all over the world daily. Equivilently educated and qualified licensed mental health workers should be fairly granted license to practice in VA without predjudice of where they were educated or how long they have been on a professional leave of absense. Assuming that the applicants qualify in every other area of the approval process, those two issues should NOT NOW OR EVER delay or prevent the granting of licenses to these badly needed mental health professionals.

 of  in regards to the

I support the petition.  Generally speaking, a regulation should be reasonable and should serve the public interest.  As currently written, the Virginia Board of Social Work's licensure regulations fail on both counts.  First, the regulations unreasonably prevent qualified licensed clinical social workers from other jurisdictions from obtaining their licenses in Virginia.  As the petition states, if a licensed clinical social worker stops practicing for 24 or more months in the 5 years before seeking licensure in Virginia, the regulation bars the social worker from obtaining a license in Virginia without regard for the reason why the social worker stopped practicing, and without regard to the professional experience that the social worker may have developed over the course of his or her career.

Second, Virginia's citizens are not well served by the Board's regulation.  Specifically, because the Board's "checklist" approach to reviewing licensure applicants excludes well qualified licensed clinical social workers, Virginia's citizens lose the benefit of the applicants' expertise and the support that their assistance would provide.

I urge the Board to take action to correct its regulations as quickly as possible.

Dear Sirs:

We are neighbors of the author, Sarah Carter, in Charlottesville and have known her for several years.  She is a responsible, approachable professional and we believe she would be an asset to the social work profession in Virginia.

Sincerely,

Mark and Caroline Planting

1628 Yorktown Drive

Charlottesville, Va 22901

I am disappointed to learn that if a social worker from another state moves to Virginia and, if they were not employed as a social worker for more than 2 years or more any time in the 5 years preceding their application for licensure in Virginia--no matter the reason--they cannot be granted licensure through simple reciprocity.  There are a variety of valid reasons why any professional may take an extended leave of absence from their field.  The fact that many professional women take extended leaves of absence to raise their small children is a primary cause of such absences suggests this legislation has a sexist bias.  Additional and equally valid reasons for extended absences from a profession include caring for an older or elderly family member, illness (such as prolonged cases of cancer), and military service.  The fact that they could have been working, practicing their profession, for 3 years prior to seeking licensure but have licensure delayed and complicated beyond simple reciprocity because they took 2 years off prior to that three year period seems ridiculous.

Care-giving professions--especially those that serve needy populations, like children, the elderly,  and the underemployed or unemployed--have been underfunded in this state, not to mention the country in general, due to the terrible economy.  In this context, the fact that Virginia is limiting the number of social workers that can practice due to poorly considered legislation is particularly disappointing and should be remedied quickly for the benefit of the Commonwealth and its citizenry.

This regulation prohibits social workers from obtaining a license by endorsement even if they have a license and are experienced if they have stopped practising for more than 24 months in the five years before applying for a license in Virginia.  This is a foolhardy practice, as it means that experienced, well-regarded social workers who have taken time off to have children, care for a family member who is sick, or for other valid reason, cannaot return to their profession.  At a time when we need more social workers, this seems like a short-sighted reuglation.  I strongly recommend dropping this requriement and ocnsidering each applicatin on its merits. 

Misguided current regulations are restricitng services to Virginia residents who need mental health services. 

I write to urge you to approve and sign the revised regulations proposed by the Virginia Board of Social Work, which, among other things, would make it easier for persons fully trained, licensed and aproved for profressional social work in other states, to practice in Virginia.

In almost any professional field, persons who are well-educated and trained and fully licensed in their home state are eligible through reciprocity to nmove and work in another state.

As a former college dean, I am a big supporter of high academic and professional standards.  However, there is no logical reason for denying well-trained persons with top references from practicing social work in Virginia.  I urge you to approve and sign off on the new standards proposed by the Virginia Social Work Board.

I am writing in support of the proposed change to allow social workers licensure in Virginia with 36 months of active practice within five years, or 36 months of active practice and verification of 30 hours of continuing education within a year before application.  

This regulatory change is an important step in attracting and licensing highly qualified social work professionals.  As currently written, the regulation creates unnecessary and illogical barriers to licenure, and therefore penalizes Virginia  families who would greatly benefit from experienced and talented social workers.  

I support this petition and the proposed amendment, along with the revised set of social work licensure regulations submitted by the Board of Social Work (Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work [18 VAC140-20]). I encourge Governor McDonnell to quickly sign and approve these important measures. Qualified social workers, particularly those with licensure from another state who wish to obtain licensure by endorsement in Virginia, should not be met with such overly restrictive regulations. The process, as it stands now, is both a disservice to the profession and the public -- essentially slowing and even preventing the efficient and timely delivery of social services to those in need. Given the current and growing shortage of social workers in Virginia and around the country (the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics projects that an additional 100,000 social workers will be needed by 2018), and given the particular need for services to children, the mentally ill, the homeless, and veterans in Virginia, the matter is of critical concern and requires immediate action. 

I am writing in support of this petition to amend the licensure by endorsement regulation.  Virginia stands to benefit from qualified clinical social workers, and the current regulation is excluding qualified social workers from obtaining a clinical license.  As a social worker who has taken time off from work to stay at home with my children, I believe that qualified individuals should not be penalized for taking time off from practice.  Please amend the regulation accordingly.

Zarina Morais Burdge, MSW

Charlottesville, Virginia

I am retired from practice in Colorado and now live in Maryland. I have read with interest articles in publications like "Voices for Children" and in newspapers about the shortage of Qualified Mental Health Practitioners in Virginia. Help for children with mental health problems should be in the forefront of every governments concerns since children are the adults of the future who will become the leaders of tomorrow.

While I was in Colorado, I was in private practice and also on the staff of The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC) and was Chief Social Worker in the children's mental health clinic. Besides seeing patients I was also responsible supervising staff social workers and for training of social work students, psychology interns and psychiatric residents. Since the social work students came from the University Denver School of Social Work and Smith College of Social Work in Northhampton Mass. I held Adjunct Professor titles from both schools. I list these not to tout myself, but to demonstrate that I really know the importance of Qualified mental health professionals.

I understand the Board's revisions to the statutes have been on the Governor's desk for over a year. I know there are always reasons why some revisions to statutes just do not move ahead, but I believe it would be unconsionable to drag this out. The Governor should "step up to the plate" and sign the bill.

With caring and concern for children,

Erlyne Cooper LCSW (retired)

I  have to believ that the Virginia Board of Social Work has not intentionally created a large and growing pool of licensed, available, highly trained and educated social orkers who are prevented from working in the Commonwealth.  Surely the Board is both eager to uphold the standards and etehics of the social work profession and to provide a pool of highly-qualfied social workers which are sorely needed.

Instead, the Board ofSocial Work has created a choke-hold on the widely accepted licensure by endorsement.  It is clear that the Board is willing to further jeoparadize the already l imited access to mental health services by Virginians.

Graduate social work licensure standards which rest upon educated at an accredited graduate school of social work, hands-on training, endorsement by their clinical supervisors and successful completion of the licensing examination are considered the 'gold standarad' for social work practitioners.  Yet Virginia's Board says that it will not accept licensure by endorsement from other states if that individual has temporarily interrupted their practice by a "time out" for baby card, military serice, or other such  needs.

In such cases in similar professions, the widely accepted practice is to accept otherwise highly qualified social workers once they have completed the requisite continuing education units to update licensuire.

As a clergyperson and a pastor concerned about human needs for help and healing, I urge the Board to make a course correction and to rewrite the licensing reequirements to bring them into conformity with best practices nationally and to thereby allow access to quality mental health services by Virginia residents.

I support the proposed amendment.  There are two critical issues in any scheme of professional licensure:  ensuring the quality of the services provided and ensuring public access to needed professional services.  The proposed amendment will not in any respect diminish quality and will enhance the public's access to professional services.  I respectfully urge approval of the amendment.

I am writing in support of the petitioned change that would allow qualified social workers licensure in Virginia following a period of inactivity.  As Virginians we are in desperate need of Social Workers and because of our own regulations are limiting the pool of qualified individuals.  I urge you to amend the current regulations so that we as a Commonwealth stand to benefit from the knowledge and experience of those previously not considered qualified due to a flawed regulation.  

I fully endorse this petition . Please work to make it easier for good social workers to get state licensing in Virginia. As a state, we will benefit from more social workers with a wider range of experiences and enough passion to stay in or return to the field. Please make it easy for us to add to the licensed social workers in Virginia. 

I am writing in support of this petition. Virginia is in need of qualified clinical social workers and the current regulation excludes qualified social workers from obtaining a license and filling much needed positions. We can only benefit from this petition and improve the current state of available services. I urge approval of the amendment.

Thank you,

Jessica Nelson

It is extremely concerning that hundreds of applicants who are more than qualified are unable to practice in our state.  Children and their families in Virginia deserve what these applicants have to offer.  I fully support this petition. 

It is essential to allow Virginian residents access to qualified social workers. There are countless lives that could benefit from the increase that this petition would allow. Please consider the overwhelmingly positive outcomes that would immediately ensue from allowing the terms of this petition to be recognized. I fully support this petition.

I am writing in support of the proposed change to allow social workers licensure in Virginia with 36 months of active practice within five years, or 36 months of active practice and verification of 30 hours of continuing education within a year before application.  

This regulatory change is an important step in attracting and licensing highly qualified social work professionals.  As currently written, the regulation creates unnecessary and illogical barriers to licenure, and therefore penalizes Virginia  families who would greatly benefit from experienced and talented social workers. 

I am writing to express my support for this petition. With such a need for solid social workers in the state of Virginia there is no reason why we should be turning away educated qualified individuals with linscensing from other states. Please pass this petition so that Virginia can gain the support it needs! 

There is a tremendous need for social worker, a thankless humanitarian job. Please pass this petition...social workers especially those immensely qualified should not have to jump through so many hoops

Virginia is missing out on qualified human resources.

Virginia's regressive process is hurting the public of Virginia. Social workers like Sarah Carter are being kept from using their formidable skills in the state.

In today's climate, Social workers are needed more than ever. It makes no sense to deprive Virginia of good social workers such as Sarah Carter simply because they did not work for 2 of the past 5 years.

I fully support this petition.

I fully support Sarah Carter's petition. She provides an excellent example of why the current regulation needs improvement.

I am dismayed that Virginia is willing to maintain antiquated legislation that makes it hard for excellent social workers to practice in Virginia without endless hurdles and excessive bureaucracy.  Current legislation is flawed, outdated and not in keeping with a good standard of practice.  I strongly support the proposed change in legislation. the

On behalf of the National Association of Social Workers- Virginia Chapter, we respectfully support this petition for rule making to amend the regulations regarding licensure by endorsement.  

We believe this change, in addition to the regulation changes awaiting approval by the Governor’s office, will help to ameliorate some of our concerns about the current confusion and unnecessary hurdles many qualified and experienced out-of-state applicants are encountering when applying to obtain licensure in Virginia.

At a time when we are working to increase Virginia’s mental health workforce, we believe we should make the process for licensure by endorsement clear, concise and reasonable to complete when Social Workers have been appropriately licensed in other states.  
This small change will clarify that previously licensed out-of-state Social Workers will still be eligible for the Virginia licensure by endorsement process even if they took some time off, but still kept their license and their continuing education hours active during the preceding five year period.

Thank you for your consideration of this rule change and our comments.