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Equity and Justice

Write a letter to the editor: Drop the ASWB exams

March 7, 2023 by Ben Caldwell

Newspaper on a flat wooden surface. Photo via Pexels, used under licenseSome problems can have large impacts, and still go unnoticed by the public and policymakers. ASWB’s racist exams for social work licensure are a great example. When people learn of the problem, they tend to be rightly horrified. But most people don’t know about the problem. A letter to the editor of your local newspaper can be a great way to raise awareness of this issue. Here’s a quick guide to writing one.

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The mental health workforce shortage solution is right there

April 8, 2023February 14, 2023 by Ben Caldwell

People assembling a puzzle solution. Photo by Diva Plavalaguna via Pexels, used under licenseThere is a severe mental health workforce shortage in the US. You have heard this time and time again. In a time of unprecedented demand for mental health care – and deaths from lack of it – we simply don’t have enough therapists. And the therapists we do have aren’t representative of the communities they serve.

The solutions proposed for this problem so far are trivial. But there is a readily available solution to the mental health workforce shortage. It could immediately grow the field by thousands of qualified practitioners. It would dramatically improve diversity within the field at the same time. Even better, it would cost states virtually nothing to implement, and could be done in a week.

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The ASWB Clinical Exam reckoning has begun

February 7, 2023 by Ben Caldwell

Woman holding out hand in Stop gesture // photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels, used under licenseThis week, legislators in Maryland introduced a pair of bills (SB0871, SB0872) to let clinical social workers get licensed without first taking the ASWB Clinical Exam. Other jurisdictions are likely to follow. The current social work exams, like all clinical exams in mental health care, simply don’t work. Worse, they fail in remarkably biased ways. Professionals, the policymakers, and the public are all catching on to the sham.

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Report: Clinical exams in mental health licensing are structural racism

January 12, 2023October 31, 2022 by Ben Caldwell

Empty track with hurdles in one lane. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels, used under licenseThe California Board of Behavioral Sciences will discuss clinical exams this Friday. My colleague Tony Rousmaniere and I decided to dig into these exams, beyond just the horrifying report ASWB released this summer. (TLDR: Wildly disparate passing rates by race/ethnicity.) While I’m previously on record as not a fan of clinical exams, they’re widely accepted. We figured we would follow where the data leads us. And so here it is:

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📣 New Posts 📣

  • Prologue: A poem for new graduate students August 21, 2023
  • By not pursuing an interstate compact for MFTs, AAMFT is making a big mistake June 21, 2023
  • What artificial intelligence can do for your therapy practice right now May 3, 2023
  • Who owns the technology companies that serve therapists? April 27, 2023
  • Why there isn’t an interstate compact for MFTs April 12, 2023

Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam

Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics ExamThe easiest way to get ready for California’s MFT Law & Ethics exam. Includes a study guide and more than 100 practice test questions with rationales.

📈 Trending 📈

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  • Decoding counselor alphabet soup: LPC, LPCC, LMHC, and more
  • California sets new rules for therapists writing ESA letters
  • Therapists should not write Emotional Support Animal letters
  • What's the difference between an MFT (or LMFT), an LPC (or LPCC), and an LCSW?
Ben Caldwell Labs

Psychotherapy Notes is the official blog of High Pass Education

All content and images © Copyright 2009-2023 Ben Caldwell Labs d/b/a High Pass Education unless otherwise noted.
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Ben Caldwell Labs, the Ben Caldwell Labs logo, and Psychotherapy Notes are registered trademarks of Ben Caldwell Labs Inc. High Pass Education and the High Pass Education logo are trademarks of Ben Caldwell Labs Inc.

The opinions expressed on posts on this site are solely those of the author.
While this blog does sometimes cover legal issues, unless otherwise noted authors are practicing clinicians and not attorneys.
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  • Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LCSW Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • CE Courses
    • California Law & Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs) – 2023
    • California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, & ASWs) – 2024
    • Telehealth for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs
    • Supervision of California BBS Associates
    • Supervision for Clinical Effectiveness
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (10th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2023 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Resources
    • Think Like the Test™ Podcast
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy