Social‑worker licensure requirement prompts resignations, staff warn of service gaps

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 indicated they will not return under the new requirement, and they reported that those 16 staff supported campuses with a combined 867 parental consents for mental‑health support.

Shannon Threadgill, Kashy Ayers and Kenya Houston — each identified in public comments as Peoria Unified social workers — described the kinds of work they do in schools: grief groups, 1:1 counseling, family outreach for housing and other crises, support for students experiencing suicidal ideation and cross‑department case coordination. They warned that losing staff would reduce access to supports for students whose parents have given consent for school‑based counseling and for high‑need groups like foster and McKinney‑Vento students.

Rhys Stevens, the district’s foster‑care and McKinney‑Vento liaison, told the board his caseload has grown sharply and that the program’s capacity depends on social‑work staffing. He described a recent family of 12 that needed support and said he is already stretched thin. Several social‑work speakers asked the board to reconsider the licensure‑support decision or to allocate funds to cover licensure for currently employed staff.

District leadership response: Superintendent Doctor Summers and board members acknowledged public comments and said district staff had been asked to follow up. Summers said the district’s point person had been asked to check how quickly licensure could be obtained; board members reported receiving conflicting information in the meeting about recommended timelines and encouraged staff to return with follow‑up clarification. The board did not take an action to change the licensure policy during the meeting; some board members requested additional briefings and legal/operational follow‑up be scheduled.

Why it matters: Social workers and school‑based mental‑health counselors provide in‑school interventions that families may request; losing experienced staff could reduce the district’s in‑school capacity and shift care to outside providers or leave needs unmet. The speakers framed the issue as both a workforce‑retention and student‑safety concern.

What’s next: Board members requested follow‑up reporting and asked administration to provide clarification on the timeline and on whether the district can cover licensure costs for currently employed staff. Several board members also suggested discussion with the state licensing contact the district used, to verify recommended timelines for licensure completion.