May 21, 2002

Dear Colleague and NASW Member:

In the continuing process of negotiating a social work licensing bill, NASW is committed to achieving a bill that will protect clients, enhance the public's understanding of social work, avoid fragmentation within the profession, and assure that the workforce in health and human services is strengthened.

The purpose of this letter is to provide some basic information about licensing and to clarify a specific issue that has arisen in the past several weeks, reflecting a proposal advanced by the politically influential New York State Medical Society about requiring social workers to make referrals to physicians or psychiatrists (which is explained below). A social work bill could move quickly in the legislature in the next several weeks.

In a nutshell, NASW has proposed two levels of licensing: 1) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and 2) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). The LMSW would be defined broadly across the array of social work functions. The LCSW would include the functions of the LMSW and also include providing differential diagnoses and interventions that follow from it. Only LCSW's would be able to engage in clinically oriented private practice.

The issue immediately in front of us relates to political pressure for a social work licensing bill to include language that would require social workers to refer clients with "serious mental illness" for a one time medical evaluation and consultation. (Note that supervision under an M.D. has not been an issue here). Given that it is usually good practice, when clients manifest such conditions, for social workers to make referrals, NASW gave consideration to the language as part of the negotiating process. Legislation to license marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors, which is moving toward becoming law, already adopted language proposed by the Medical Society, and this added pressure on us to give the proposal consideration.

However, we want to make it clear that the NYC-NASW's position now, following a meeting of our Executive Committee in mid-May, is for social work licensing to go forward without language that requires social workers to make referrals to physicians or psychiatrists. Among our concerns, and we have been informed by a great many members, is that clients cannot be forced to accept referrals that they may not want and that the requirement could result in denial of treatment by social workers. These concerns will guide the Chapter if further negotiations are needed in the legislature to get licensing passed.

For additional information beyond what this letter provides, we invite you to review the May issue of the chapter newsletter, Currents, and go to our website at www.naswnyc.org. Also watch for updates as things unfold in the weeks ahead.

We hope that this information is helpful.

Sincerely,