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Social‑worker licensure requirement prompts resignations, staff warn of service gaps
Summary
Multiple Peoria Unified social workers and mental‑health staff told the board the district’s new policy requiring licensure has led many to plan not to return; speakers said the district denied requests for paid licensure and a longer timeline and warned that dozens of students could lose in‑school supports.
Several Peoria Unified social workers, district liaisons and a foster/McKinney‑Vento liaison addressed the governing board at its public comment period, saying the district’s new licensure requirement for social workers and mental‑health counselors is forcing experienced staff to leave and will create service gaps for students.
Multiple speakers said the board’s policy change — which requires licensure in line with a recent board directive — was implemented without covering licensure costs and with an accelerated timeline the speakers called unrealistic. Several social workers said they had asked the district for either paid licensure or more time to complete testing and credentialing; they said the requests were denied. The speakers said that, to date, 16 of 33 social workers and mental‑health counselors had…
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