Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H208 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 2
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3733 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 208
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	James J. O'Day
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to ensure parity in social work licensure.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James J. O'Day14th Worcester1/20/2023Daniel M. Donahue16th Worcester1/25/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/25/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire1/25/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/25/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/25/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/25/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/26/2023David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex1/26/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/26/2023Josh S. Cutler6th Plymouth1/26/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/26/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk1/26/2023Adrianne Pusateri Ramos14th Essex1/26/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/30/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/30/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex1/30/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/1/2023 2 of 2
16	16	Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/1/2023Jon Santiago9th Suffolk2/7/2023Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester2/7/2023Frank A. Moran17th Essex2/8/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex2/8/2023Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire2/8/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/9/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/9/2023Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk2/9/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/13/2023Adrian C. Madaro1st Suffolk2/14/2023David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex2/15/2023Daniel Cahill10th Essex2/22/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/22/2023Christopher Richard Flanagan1st Barnstable2/28/2023Christopher J. Worrell5th Suffolk3/13/2023Michael P. Kushmerek3rd Worcester3/13/2023 1 of 5
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3733 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 208
19	19	By Representative O'Day of West Boylston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 208) of
20	20	James J. O'Day and others relative to social work licensure and establishing a special
21	21	commission (including members of the General Court) relative to the creation of a new
22	22	certification for child welfare workers at the Department of Children and Families. Children,
23	23	Families and Persons with Disabilities.
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act to ensure parity in social work licensure.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Section 131 of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
33	33	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in the first paragraph, the following:- “has
34	34	3passed an examination prepared by the board for this purpose; and”.
35	35	4 SECTION 2. Said Section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by
36	36	5striking out, in the second paragraph, the words “he has passed an examination prepared by the
37	37	6board for this purpose; and will conduct his”, and inserting in place thereof the following: “they
38	38	7will conduct their”.
39	39	8 SECTION 3. Said Section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by
40	40	9striking out the third paragraph in its entirety. 2 of 5
41	41	10 SECTION 4. Said Section 131 of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
42	42	11hereby amended by striking out, in the fourth paragraph, the words “he has passed an
43	43	12examination prepared by the board for this purpose; and will conduct his” and inserting in place
44	44	13thereof the following: “they will conduct their”.
45	45	14 SECTION 5. Said section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by
46	46	15striking out the fifth paragraph in its entirety.
47	47	16 SECTION 6. Said section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
48	48	17striking out, in the sixth paragraph, the words “and has passed a specialty examination in clinical
49	49	18social work prepared by the board for this purpose”.
50	50	19 SECTION 7. Section 132 of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
51	51	20Official edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in the first paragraph, the words “licensed
52	52	21certified social workers, including those in independent clinical practice, licensed social workers
53	53	22and”.
54	54	23 SECTION 8. Chapter 112, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended
55	55	24by inserting after section 132 the following new section:-
56	56	25 Section 132A: (a) A provisional license shall be granted to those applicants who have
57	57	26taken the examination for a social work associate no less than two times and failed within 15
58	58	27points. The provisional license shall be valid for a maximum of one year. The licensee shall
59	59	28complete professional development, supervisory and educational requirements within no less
60	60	29than one year. Upon completion of the provisional license requirements the licensee shall be
61	61	30exempt from the testing requirement within section 132 and granted a full license. 3 of 5
62	62	31 (b) A licensee operating with a provisional license shall maintain a professional portfolio
63	63	32that shall include the following:
64	64	33 i. Affidavits of understanding regarding the provisional licensing process and
65	65	34requirements;
66	66	35 ii. Eleven separate 3-5 page typed, double spaced papers, each one covering a separate,
67	67	36specific core content area of social work practice;
68	68	37 iii. A daily journal of the probationary licensee’s activities and supervision for the
69	69	38probationary period;
70	70	39 iv. A 7-10 page typed, double spaced case analysis covering the probationary licensee’s
71	71	40work with a typical client during the probationary period;
72	72	41 v. A 3-5 page typed, double spaced self-evaluation completed by the probationary
73	73	42licensee which includes an analysis of the licensee’s professional knowledge, skills and abilities;
74	74	43 vi. Quarterly evaluations completed and submitted to the board by the supervisor
75	75	44regarding the probationary licensee’s development;
76	76	45 vii. An evaluation of the supervisor’s supervision skills completed by the probationary
77	77	46licensee;
78	78	47 viii. A notarized affidavit from the supervisor attesting to the readiness of the
79	79	48probationary licensee’s ability to perform as a professional social worker based on the
80	80	49knowledge, skills and abilities observed during the supervision period. 4 of 5
81	81	50 SECTION 9. There shall be established a special legislative commission, hereinafter the
82	82	51commission, to investigate the creation of a new certification for child welfare workers at the
83	83	52department of children and families. The commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs
84	84	53of the joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, or their designees, who
85	85	54shall serve as co-chairs; the child advocate, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of
86	86	55children and families, or their designee; two current workers employed by the the department of
87	87	56children and families and appointed by SEIU Local 509 who have served at the department for
88	88	57over five years; two representatives of child or family welfare organizations from communities
89	89	58which are disproportionately involved with the department of children and families, appointed by
90	90	59the co-chairs; and two individuals previously personally involved with the department of
91	91	60children and families, appointed by the co-chairs. All appointments shall be made not later than
92	92	6160 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall convene its first meeting not
93	93	62more than 90 days from the effective date of this act.
94	94	63 The commission shall examine the feasibility and make recommendations regarding the
95	95	64creation of a new certification for child welfare workers at the department of children and
96	96	65families, including, without limitation: 1) whether social work licensure, as outlined in section
97	97	66121 of Chapter 112 of the general laws, is the only appropriate qualification to be a child welfare
98	98	67professional employed by the department of children and families; 2) explore the possibility of a
99	99	68new certification or form of licensure to be made available in addition to social work licensure,
100	100	69with training and education requirements specific to child protection and the work of the
101	101	70department of children and families; 3) consider what would qualify an individual for this new
102	102	71certification, recognizing that standardized tests are inherently biased and do not effectively
103	103	72evaluate a person’s ability to provide services to children and families; 4) ensure that the 5 of 5
104	104	73recommended criteria for child welfare certification not serve as a barrier to certification for
105	105	74members of communities disproportionately involved with the department of children and
106	106	75families, and ensures parity for workforce access regardless of primary language, cultural
107	107	76background, or race.
108	108	77 The Commission shall, no later than fifteen months from the effective date of this act,
109	109	78report to the general court on the results of its investigation and study together with its finding,
110	110	79by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and senate who shall forward
111	111	80the same to the secretary of the executive office of health and human services, the house and
112	112	81senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on children, families, and persons
113	113	82with disabilities, and the joint committee on consumer protection and professional licensure.