Sanctioning Patterns of Social Work Licensing Boards, 2000–2009

Abstract

This article reports the results of a national study of social workers in the United States sanctioned by their state regulatory boards (N = 2,607) during the period 2000–2009. The purpose of this study was to identify the most frequent types of unprofessional conduct and common sanctioning patterns across state licensing boards. The highest incidences were found for unprofessional conduct including licensing-related problems (e.g., continuing education, working on a lapsed license); dual relationships; crimes; basic practice (e.g., record keeping, informed consent, and confidentiality); professionals practicing while impaired (e.g., alcohol, drugs, mental illness); and services below the standards of care. Revocation and license surrender were the most frequent types of sanctions followed by suspensions, letters of warning, or admonishment. Relevancies to education, training, and supervision are made and directions for future research are suggested.

Keywords:

• social work ethics
• sanctioned social workers
• social work regulation
• professional regulation
• unprofessional conduct