MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS: COMMUNITY NEEDS CAN’T BE MET
July 13, 2021, 4:38 pm | in
MEDIA ADVISORY
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS: COMMUNITY NEEDS CAN’T BE MET
What: Virtual press conference following the State of New Jersey’s Board of Social Work Examiners Meeting to discuss the community crisis, delays in licensure and call to action.
When: July 14, 2021, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Where: Virtual
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+19292056099,,96984173231# US (New York)
Who: National Association of Social Workers-New Jersey (NASW-NJ) joined by social workers and community members impacted by bureaucratic process.
Why: Hundreds of qualified social workers wait in limbo for license approval due to months long delays (sometimes upwards of a year or more) due to the inefficiencies of the Board of Social Work Examiners. These delays have led to missed job opportunities for otherwise qualified workers and agencies’ inability to meet the needs of the broader community—as licensure delays impact their ability to offer services. Emails, phone calls and applications have sat without response for over a year. While social workers were called to action as first responders in the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to address the mental health crisis in our nation, the Board of Social Work Examiners has failed to provide the basic services needed to support the profession and must be held accountable.