By Carla B. Monteiro, Special to The Reporter
On March 13, social workers and allies gathered at the Massachusetts State House to celebrate Social Work Month, and the Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) hosted by the National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter,. where I serve on the board. During this event, students learned how to find their representative and to lobby legislators effectively. Advocacy is a crucial component of social work.
During this event, I had the opportunity to moderate a workshop on Bill H1423/S218, Act Relative to Social Work Uplifting Practice and Exam Removal (SUPER ACT) that aims to eliminate the exam requirement for the Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) level, incentivizing Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) to supervise social work students for continuing education units (CEUs) and provides paid stipends for internships.
The bill is currently under consideration by the House Ways and Means Committee, while the Senate bill is under review by the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Funding for this initiative can be sourced from the Behavioral Health Trust Fund.
My experience as a social work intern illustrates the sacrifices and challenges that many of us in this field encounter. During my internship, I completed 24 hours of unpaid practicum, attended 10 hours of classes, and worked 40 hours per week. But those numbers don’t reflect the countless hours spent on schoolwork, or the additional roles I held as a mother and caretaker.
Many nights, my dinners consisted of Cheetos and Kit Kat candy bars, or whatever I could grab from the school vending machine. I racked up significant credit card debt because I simply did not have the time or energy to cook, and my son relied on takeout for all his meals.
The challenges for me went deeper than daily life, though, and highlight why the SUPER ACT is so critical to professionals like me who are coming through the ranks. In addition to my responsibilities, I constantly grappled with secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a Boston resident.
In 2018, the city had 202 shootings and 56 homicides. I remember keeping a mental count of each homicide and wondering when it would end; it felt so suffocating. Growing up in Dorchester, I lost friends to gun violence from a young age. The sound of gunfire and fireworks blurred the lines between danger and celebration, leaving me in a constant state of hyper-vigilance. Every gunshot sent my heart racing as I anxiously awaited news about the location, fearing it might involve someone I knew.
This constant exposure to violence had a profound impact on my cognitive abilities. I struggled to concentrate on daily tasks, and academically, my thoughts often drifted back to the latest shooting or the faces of friends I had lost. It also did not help that my internship was in an Emergency Department, where some of the victims of violence were transported. These external factors perpetuate cycles of anxiety and other mental health challenges, which can further impede a student’s ability to thrive academically and socially.
Support systems within schools, such as counseling services and trauma-informed teaching practices, are crucial for addressing these challenges and fostering a safer, more understanding learning environment.
That year, I also experienced more head colds than I could count and felt utterly exhausted. Sleep was elusive, and my health suffered as a result. Despite my best efforts after graduation, I did not pass the LCSW exam on my first two attempts; I missed it by just a few points the first time and by a single point the second. I later failed the LICSW exam by just one point on my first attempt, which cost me upwards of $1,700.
As a Black Cape Verdean American social worker who speaks English as a second language, I am a strong advocate for the SUPER ACT. Research conducted by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) in 2022 indicated that individuals like me—social workers of color and those whose English is not their first language—are significantly less likely to pass licensure exams on their first attempt.
From 2011 to 2021, only 59.2 percent of Black test takers passed the master’s level exam on their first attempt, compared to 93.4 percent of white test takers. Among first-time test takers, those whose first language was English had a pass rate of 74 percent, while those whose first language was not English had a pass rate of 58 percent. This disparity requires urgent attention, especially as we confront a shortage of social workers, particularly from diverse backgrounds.
States such as Connecticut, Illinois, and Rhode Island have enacted legislation to remove the exam requirement at the master’s entry level (LCSW). As a result, Rhode Island increased its master’s-level social work workforce by 160 percent.
To expand and diversify the social work workforce, we must demand change. It’s not just about passing exams; it’s about creating a supportive, equitable system where all social workers can thrive, regardless of their background. The future of social work depends on these kinds of changes.
Carla B. Monteiro, a Dorchester resident, is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor I. All views are her own.
