LD 1298 - The Alternative Pathway to the ASWB Exam for Licensing

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel

LD 1298 outlines a proposed alternative pathway for social work applicants who do not successfully pass the ASWB exam. It describes eligibility after an additional year of supervised experience, supervision requirements by licensure level, and continued ability of licensed clinical social workers to join insurance panels through certification by the state authority. The document addresses stakeholder support, impacts on licensure parity, public safety concerns, and why reforms to the ASWB exam may take years, including an expiration date of March 1, 2031.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Key Facts: LD 1298 - Alternative Pathway to the ASWB Exam for Licensing

Proposed Alternative Pathway and Eligibility

Stakeholder Support and Other State Experiences

Impact on Licensure, Insurance Panels, and Public Safety

Supervision Requirements and License Levels

Rationale, Future Options, and Expiration

LD 1298: The Alternative Pathway to the ASWB Exam for Licensing What is the proposed Alternative Pathway? A social work applicant who does not successfully pass the ASWB exam can choose to take an additional year of supervised experience. They will be eligible to continue or gain their license after completing an additional year of supervised social work experience and verification from their supervisor at the LMS, LMSW, LMSWcc, and LCSW levels of licensure. How did we get here? After the initial results were published regarding the inequities in the ASWB exam pass rates among different groups, NASW Maine held extensive conversations with other state chapters and conducted four to five town halls with social workers around the state. They then collaborated with social workers who had been affected by the test, the Office of Professional Licensing, other professional organizations, non-profit behavioral health organizations, and others to craft and propose the bill. The Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services has provided extensive feedback on both the original and current bills, resulting in the current amended version. Are there other groups supporting this bill? The Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work, and the National Association of Social Work have all called for a pause on the ASWB exam after the pass rate inequities became public. Groups that have stepped up to support include professional organizations, nonprofit advocacy organizations, and coalitions of employers struggling with Maine’s mental health workforce issues. Among them are the National Association of Social Workers, Maine Chapter (NASW-ME), Maine Education Association, Maine Primary Care Association, Maine Counselor and Mental Health Therapist Association, Maine Mobile Health, Council on Social Work Education, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maine, Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services, the Consumer Council System of Maine and others. What other states/advocates have advocated for a testing pause or removal of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) clinical exam? Three states have implemented alternative pathways. Four have eliminated the ASWB exam for various levels of licensure. Six states other than Maine have alternative pathway bills currently being considered. Illinois and Rhode Island’s experience is that they more than doubled their annual licenses in the two years following the implementation of their laws. How will this affect the social work compact? The social work compact allows states to set their own requirements for licensure and then allows social workers to “shore up” by taking the test if they wish to apply for a multi-state license. Will LCSW social workers who utilize the clinical exam alternative be able to join insurance panels and bill for services? Yes. The standard used is that the state licensing authority certifies that the social worker is a licensed clinical social worker. We have existing models, including those that were grandparented in, who continue to fully practice as licensed social workers without having passed the ASWB clinical exam. Is this going to create a public safety issue? No. In fact, there is no data to show that the ASWB clinical exam has been successful in determining competency or protecting the public. How does this affect social workers who have already passed the test and are licensed? It doesn’t—their license will remain the same. An existing LCSW will see no difference in their practice if an alternative to the clinical exam is created in Illinois. Who will provide supervision? The current licensing statute prescribes supervisors at each level of licensure as follows: LSWs can be supervised by an LMSW or LCSW. LMSWs can be supervised by a LMSW. LMSWccs can be supervised by LCSW, LCPC, Psychologist or Psychiatrist. No supervision is prescribed for LCSWs. Are we creatin

FAQs

What is the proposed Alternative Pathway in LD 1298?

If an applicant does not pass the ASWB exam, they may complete an additional year of supervised experience and obtain eligibility to continue or gain licensure after supervisor verification.

Will this affect existing licensed social workers, such as current LCSWs?

No. Their license remains the same, and they would see no difference in practice if an alternative pathway is created.

How does LD 1298 address public safety concerns?

The document states there is no data showing the ASWB clinical exam successfully determines competency or protects the public.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Dozel