clinical social work association

CSWA is concerned about a change in the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners’ rules which allows LCSWs to refuse to provide services to clients on the basis of disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.  This change was made to make non-discrimination rules consistent with existing Texas statutes.  Governor Greg Abbott proposed the change to LCSW rules.  See the article on this issue in the Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/14/texas-social-workers-rule-discrimination-lgbt-disabilities/#:~:text=New%20Texas%20rule%20lets%20social,conform%20with%20existing%20state%20law .

This change is completely at odds with the ethics and values of clinical social work. This kind of attack on our profession should be fought as strongly as possible whenever it occurs.  The fact that the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners and the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, which oversees behavioral health boards, accepted the proposed rule without objection (on advice of counsel) is even more concerning than the fact that it was proposed in the first place. 

CSWA will be filing a complaint with the Texas Social Work Board and the Governor’s office as well as signing on to a Declaration from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, an organization that opposes discrimination in all forms.  To see the Declaration go to https://hogg.utexas.edu/who-we-are/racism-declaration?utm_content=82b8b13291ac3a2233b0e8193b1bb908&utm_campaign=Healthy%20Mind%20Project%20RFP&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email .

If this can happen in Texas, it can happen anywhere so we wanted to make all members aware of this situation. CSWA encourages all members to oppose any laws and rules that threaten our values and the rights of all clients to our services.