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Legislative Information |
The Society's Legislative Mission
The Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work Legislative Committee strives to advocate for the interests of licensed independent clinical social workers and their clients in Washington. We employ lobbyist, TBD, who track all legislation and regulation which affects clinical social workers. The WSSCSW lobbyists read over 100 bills a year and attend committee hearings to lobby legislators, agencies, and the Governor. They work with fellow mental health lobbyists and legislative chairs to support the positions developed by the Society Board.
Legislation and Regulation
WSSCSW lobbyist work to support our policy priorities, including lobbying on our behalf, arranging meetings with elected officials and workers, and connecting with staff and lobbyists for allied organizations.
Political advocacy and lobbying involve participants sharing their opinion on an issue to elected officials through emails, calls, letters, and social media. An advocate’s primary goal is to increase support for an organization, cause, or policy. Concerning nonprofit organizations, advocacy generates advancements in issues concerning people and their communities.
What exactly is Lobbying?
Lobbying is a form of advocacy and involves communicating with legislators about existing or pending legislation to influence their decision to support or abandon policies.
Lobbying as an Activity
There are two main types of lobbying:
- Direct lobbying is any attempt to influence legislation through communication with a legislator. This form of lobbying is about directly communicating support for or opposition against specific legislation and the possible effects of the bill if implemented.
- Grassroots lobbying involves encouraging the public to contact their legislators in support of or against particular legislation. Grassroots lobbying is an indirect form of lobbying, as grassroots lobbyists encourage others (typically constituents) to contact their legislators.
Importance of Lobbying
Sometimes, the term lobbying has a negative connotation as only benefiting groups with a lot of money and power. But ultimately, lobbying is an essential educational tool and impacts change.
Lobbying requires engagement from both lobbyists and legislators. Mobilization is essential to legislators because the reality is that tens of thousands of bills are introduced in each congressional cycle. Even if a legislator supports an issue, they might not know that a bill on the matter has been submitted. Without support, bills can easily stall and die when a legislative cycle ends. Therefore, lobbyists are vital in informing a legislator on an issue and advocating for policies that drive change.
Are you registered to vote? If we vote, we can have a major voice on election results and legislation. Elected officials create policies that affect our clients and profession. Our vote is our voice. It’s our power. It’s how we can build communities where we can thrive. From Congress to our local government, there’s so much on the ballot: access to health care, how communities are policed, the judges who make decisions in courts at every level, how we combat climate change, and more. WSSCSW knows people sometimes wonder if their vote is just a drop in the ocean—but we want you to know that every bit counts. Voting in every election is an investment in our future and takes us one step closer to securing a democracy that works for us all. |
WSSCSW Legislative & Regulatory Updates As a member of the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work (WSSCSW), your membership supports dedicated legislative and regulatory advocacy. Through direct lobbying, coalition partnerships, and active engagement with the Washington State Legislature and the Department of Health (DOH), WSSCSW protects the standards of clinical social work, improves licensure pathways, and advocates for the interests of clinical practitioners. Below are several policy initiatives that WSSCSW is working on in advance of the 2027 legislative session. Professional Licensure Reform: Social Work Alternative Pathways WSSCSW continues to advocate for the reintroduction of the Alternative Pathways to Social Work Licensure legislation (successor to last session's HB 2286 / SB 6060). Data published by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) demonstrated systemic disparities in exam pass rates across racial, ethnic, age, and language demographics. Relying on the ASWB exam as the exclusive method to verify competency restricts workforce capacity and creates unnecessary barriers for otherwise qualified professionals. For the Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) credential, WSSCSW supports a rigorous, 3,000-hour postgraduate supervised alternative pathway. Under this framework, enhanced supervision and supervisor clinical attestation of competency will serve as an alternative for the clinical exam. To ensure social work licensure portability, the standard ASWB exam pathway will remain fully active as an option. This allows clinicians to qualify for interstate compacts and reciprocity. WSSCSW continues to advocate reintroduction of the legislation in 2027. Professional Governance: A Dedicated Board of Governors WSSCSW is advocating for legislation to establish a dedicated Washington State Board of Governors for Licensed Social Workers (reintroducing the framework of SB 6059 / HB 2466). The proposed bill will transition professional oversight into a dedicated board composed of clinical social workers and mental health practitioners. A dedicated board provides licensed social workers with a direct role in decisions about professional licensing, ethical standards, practice regulation, and continuing education requirements. Coalition Work WSSCSW is a founding member of the Behavioral Health Professionals Coalition, which works on issues affecting mental health clinicians, including fair commercial insurance contracting. Clinical social workers and other behavioral health providers frequently encounter highly restrictive terms and administrative barriers in commercial network contracts. This limits provider sustainability and reduces consumer access to care. WSSCSW and coalition partners are reviewing past legislative efforts and considering whether a proposal focused specifically on behavioral health offers a workable approach. Coalition members continue to discuss the scope, timing, and leadership for future legislation. Consumer Protection: Regulating Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Spaces As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more common, WSSCSW and allied organizations are considering how state law would distinguish between services provided by licensed mental health professionals and interactions generated by AI. One priority is preventing companies from representing AI applications as licensed human therapy. WSSCSW also supports clear, upfront disclosure when consumers interact with AI rather than a licensed mental health professional. You are invited: Achieving these goals requires our collective efforts, as does deciding on future priorities. As a member of the Society, you are invited to join in these efforts! This can be as simple as reaching out to your representatives when the call goes out to members. If you both share our passion for manifesting a socially just society and have energy to give to the effort, come join the Legislative Committee! Big thanks to Jeremy Arp, MSW, our new lobbyist for all of his efforts, including drafting this policy update. With gratitude, Ben Packard, LICSW |
Want to learn more about the power of social workers and voting? Voting is Social Work has all the information you need.
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