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NASW urges clearer title protection, removes ‘psychotherapy’ barrier in proposed OPR amendments
Summary
The National Association of Social Workers asked the Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee to expand title protection for "social worker" to private employers and remove a statutory reference to "psychotherapy" that NASW members say limits clinical supervision toward licensure.
BURLINGTON, Vt. — At a Feb. 18 meeting of the Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee, witnesses from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) asked lawmakers to adopt two amendments to an Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) bill that they say would protect the social work title and remove a barrier to clinical licensure.
For the record, Lynn Courier Stanley, executive director of the NASW Vermont chapter and also the New Hampshire chapter, told the committee she was proposing two changes: extend title protection so only degree-trained social workers may use the job title, including in private agencies, and remove language that requires the term "psychotherapy" to appear in a job description in order for supervision hours to count toward licensure. "We're not asking for organizations to hire only social workers. We're just asking that the job title be called something else if they're not going to hire a social worker," Stanley said.
The changes would add a requirement that the title "social worker" be used only for employees holding a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an accredited social work program — specifically accredited by the Council on Social Work Education — and would remove or clarify the statutory reliance on the single word "psychotherapy" to determine whether a position qualifies for supervised clinical experience.
NASW witnesses said the current statutory language and its interpretation have narrowed the set of positions that count as supervised clinical experience for new social workers. "If the term psychotherapy is not in the job description, then that new social worker who is working towards licensure, it doesn't count," Stanley said, describing guidance she and members have received in the field. She told the committee that social work clinical practice often occurs outside the narrow view of one-on-one office therapy — for example, in schools, hospitals and community settings — yet those roles may be excluded from qualifying supervision if job descriptions omit the word "psychotherapy."
Committee members pressed for detail about enforcement and prevalence. A committee member asked whether complaints or punitive actions had been filed over misuse of the title; NASW representatives said they were aware of frequent problematic job postings across sectors but did not report that formal enforcement actions had been taken. "We have a number of board members who are constantly looking because this is a point of contention about jobs that are called social worker," Stanley said.
Gail Sass, testifying on behalf of NASW, said she believed legislative council had run the first proposed amendment by OPR and that the language for that amendment "has been run by OPR," while the second amendment regarding psychotherapy wording had been raised with OPR but had not yet received a response. Committee leadership said they would follow up with the secretary of state's office and continue communication with NASW as they consider the proposals.
No formal motion or vote on the amendments occurred during the session. Committee leadership indicated a desire to advance the bill once fiscal questions about fee changes are resolved and signaled further work sessions and follow-up with relevant offices. "We're gonna follow up with the Secretary of State's office just to get their opinion on those recommendations," the chair said.
The testimony clarified licensure basics referenced during the discussion: Vermont recognizes an LICSW (licensed independent clinical social worker) as the clinical license; candidates typically need a master's degree from an accredited social work program, about two years of post‑graduation supervised experience under a licensed clinician, and must pass the ASWB clinical exam to apply for the LICSW. NASW witnesses said the proposed statutory edits aim to make more positions eligible settings for the supervised experience required for that license.
The committee adjourned discussion on the OPR bill pending further review of fiscal impacts and consultation with the secretary of state's office and OPR. The committee’s next agenda item was a Criminal Justice Council budget presentation scheduled for 2 p.m.
