Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S93 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1967 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 93
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Adam Gomez
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 :Adam GomezHampdenJacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester1/25/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/27/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/27/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk1/27/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/27/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex1/31/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/9/2023Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester2/9/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk2/9/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/9/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/13/2023 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1967 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 93
18	18	By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 93) of Adam Gomez, Jacob R.
19	19	Oliveira, Jack Patrick Lewis, Rebecca L. Rausch and other members of the General Court for
20	20	legislation to ensure parity in social work licensure. Children, Families and Persons with
21	21	Disabilities.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to ensure parity in social work licensure.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 131 of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
31	31	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in the first paragraph, the following:- “has
32	32	3passed an examination prepared by the board for this purpose; and”.
33	33	4 SECTION 2. Said Section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by
34	34	5striking out, in the second paragraph, the words “he has passed an examination prepared by the
35	35	6board for this purpose; and will conduct his”, and inserting in place thereof the following: “they
36	36	7will conduct their”.
37	37	8 SECTION 3. Said Section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by
38	38	9striking out the third paragraph in its entirety.
39	39	10 SECTION 4. Said Section 131 of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
40	40	11hereby amended by striking out, in the fourth paragraph, the words “he has passed an 2 of 5
41	41	12examination prepared by the board for this purpose; and will conduct his” and inserting in place
42	42	13thereof the following: “they will conduct their”.
43	43	14 SECTION 5. Said section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is further amended by
44	44	15striking out the fifth paragraph in its entirety.
45	45	16 SECTION 6. Said section 131 of Chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
46	46	17striking out, in the sixth paragraph, the words “and has passed a specialty examination in clinical
47	47	18social work prepared by the board for this purpose”.
48	48	19 SECTION 7. Section 132 of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
49	49	20Official edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in the first paragraph, the words “licensed
50	50	21certified social workers, including those in independent clinical practice, licensed social workers
51	51	22and”.
52	52	23 SECTION 8. Chapter 112, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended
53	53	24by inserting after section 132 the following new section:-
54	54	25 Section 132A: (a) A provisional license shall be granted to those applicants who have
55	55	26taken the examination for a social work associate no less than two times and failed within 15
56	56	27points. The provisional license shall be valid for a maximum of one year. The licensee shall
57	57	28complete professional development, supervisory and educational requirements within no less
58	58	29than one year. Upon completion of the provisional license requirements the licensee shall be
59	59	30exempt from the testing requirement within section 132 and granted a full license.
60	60	31 (b) A licensee operating with a provisional license shall maintain a professional portfolio
61	61	32that shall include the following: 3 of 5
62	62	33 i. Affidavits of understanding regarding the provisional licensing process and
63	63	34requirements;
64	64	35 ii. Eleven separate 3-5 page typed, double spaced papers, each one covering a separate,
65	65	36specific core content area of social work practice;
66	66	37 iii. A daily journal of the probationary licensee’s activities and supervision for the
67	67	38probationary period;
68	68	39 iv. A 7-10 page typed, double spaced case analysis covering the probationary licensee’s
69	69	40work with a typical client during the probationary period;
70	70	41 v. A 3-5 page typed, double spaced self-evaluation completed by the probationary
71	71	42licensee which includes an analysis of the licensee’s professional knowledge, skills and abilities;
72	72	43 vi. Quarterly evaluations completed and submitted to the board by the supervisor
73	73	44regarding the probationary licensee’s development;
74	74	45 vii. An evaluation of the supervisor’s supervision skills completed by the probationary
75	75	46licensee;
76	76	47 viii. A notarized affidavit from the supervisor attesting to the readiness of the
77	77	48probationary licensee’s ability to perform as a professional social worker based on the
78	78	49knowledge, skills and abilities observed during the supervision period.
79	79	50 SECTION 9. There shall be established a special legislative commission, hereinafter the
80	80	51commission, to investigate the creation of a new certification for child welfare workers at the
81	81	52department of children and families. The commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs
82	82	53of the joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, or their designees, who 4 of 5
83	83	54shall serve as co-chairs; the child advocate, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of
84	84	55children and families, or their designee; two current workers employed by the department of
85	85	56children and families and appointed by SEIU Local 509 who have served at the department for
86	86	57over five years; two representatives of child or family welfare organizations from communities
87	87	58which are disproportionately involved with the department of children and families, appointed by
88	88	59the co-chairs; and two individuals previously personally involved with the department of
89	89	60children and families, appointed by the co-chairs. All appointments shall be made not later than
90	90	6160 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall convene its first meeting not
91	91	62more than 90 days from the effective date of this act.
92	92	63 The commission shall examine the feasibility and make recommendations regarding the
93	93	64creation of a new certification for child welfare workers at the department of children and
94	94	65families, including, without limitation: 1) whether social work licensure, as outlined in section
95	95	66121 of Chapter 112 of the general laws, is the only appropriate qualification to be a child welfare
96	96	67professional employed by the department of children and families; 2) explore the possibility of a
97	97	68new certification or form of licensure to be made available in addition to social work licensure,
98	98	69with training and education requirements specific to child protection and the work of the
99	99	70department of children and families; 3) consider what would qualify an individual for this new
100	100	71certification, recognizing that standardized tests are inherently biased and do not effectively
101	101	72evaluate a person’s ability to provide services to children and families; 4) ensure that the
102	102	73recommended criteria for child welfare certification not serve as a barrier to certification for
103	103	74members of communities disproportionately involved with the department of children and
104	104	75families, and ensures parity for workforce access regardless of primary language, cultural
105	105	76background, or race. 5 of 5
106	106	77 The Commission shall, no later than fifteen months from the effective date of this act,
107	107	78report to the general court on the results of its investigation and study together with its finding,
108	108	79by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and senate who shall forward
109	109	80the same to the secretary of the executive office of health and human services, the house and
110	110	81senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on children, families, and persons
111	111	82with disabilities, and the joint committee on consumer protection and professional licensure.