Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Work Title topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears proposal to protect 'social worker' title in county employment
Summary
Sponsors and social-work organizations urged the committee to restrict use of the professional title 'social worker' to persons with a social‑work degree or license, citing transparency and public protection; the bill includes a grandfather clause for current county employees. Committee laid the bill over after questions about implementation.
The Health and Human Services Committee on March 4 considered Senate File 36,82, a bill to restrict the professional title "social worker" in county employment so it applies only to individuals with a social‑work degree or state license.
Dr. Karen Good Enough, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, Minnesota Chapter, told the committee that title protection would bring county practice in line with other settings and improve transparency for Minnesotans. "The professional title of social worker signifies a rigorous, standardized education," she said, noting the field’s required supervised field internship hours and professional competencies.
Elizabeth Partington, a former foster parent, described a case in which a county employee using the title "social worker" did not hold a social‑work license and, she said, provided misleading information that harmed her foster child’s placement. "We were shocked and deeply troubled," she testified, urging the committee to support the bill to protect families and clarify expectations.
Supporters, including county commissioners and rural‑care advocates, argued the change would not force current county employees from their jobs because the bill contains a grandfather provision that lets existing title holders keep their designation. Committee members pressed sponsors on how grandfathering, job classification, collective bargaining and county implementation would work in practice. Sponsors emphasized that the measure addresses title protection only and does not change the separate, long‑standing county licensing exemption.
The committee laid Senate File 36,82 over for further consideration; members asked staff to clarify statutory language and the timing and administrative steps counties would need to take if the change proceeds.
