Championing Change for Social Workers & Communities
Through advocacy, leadership, and community engagement, we work to advance equity within the mental health workforce and ensure that the communities most impacted have access to culturally and linguistically responsive care.
Our policy efforts are grounded in the belief that social workers are essential to the well-being of our communities. We proudly partner with Social Workers for Justice to advocate for the Social Work Workforce Act (SWWA – S988/A701), a critical bill aimed at strengthening and expanding the social work workforce. This legislation seeks to eliminate the ASWB entry-level licensure exam—an exam that has created inequitable barriers for MSW-trained professionals and has already been removed in 17 states and Washington, D.C.
By removing these barriers, we can open pathways for more qualified, compassionate social workers to enter the field and serve communities in need. Together, we stand to make a lasting difference—because when social workers are supported, our communities are stronger.
Advocacy & Policy
New York’s communities are diverse—but the mental health workforce is not keeping up.
Systemic barriers—from inequitable licensing exams to limited financial support—are preventing too many bilingual and culturally competent social workers from entering and staying in the field. The result? Communities are left without the care they need and deserve.
At the Latino Social Work Coalition & Scholarship Fund, we are taking action. Through policy advocacy, scholarships, and mentorship, we are building a stronger, more representative workforce—one that reflects and serves our communities with dignity and understanding.
Because access to culturally relevant care isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Partnership in Action
Through our partnership with Social Workers for Justice, the Latino Social Work Coalition has been an integral part of the data and advocacy featured in the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health’s white paper, "Bridging the Gap: A Thriving Behavioral Health Workforce."
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Our efforts to champion diversity and equity in the mental health workforce are shaping policies that will benefit social workers and the communities they serve.
On January 20, 2026, the Latino Social Work Coalition (LSWC) joined Social Workers for Justice at the New York State Capitol in Albany to advocate for the Social Work Workforce Act (SWWA – S988/A701), a critical bill designed to strengthen and expand the social work workforce by eliminating the ASWB entry-level licensure exam. This exam has created inequitable barriers for MSW-trained professionals—barriers already removed in 17 states and Washington, D.C.—and its repeal would open pathways for more qualified social workers to serve communities in need.
LSWC strongly supports Assembly and Senate bill A00701 (González-Rojas)/S00988 (Brouk), which aims to remove the examination requirement for Licensed Master Social Workers in New York State. Data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) shows the urgent need for reform: between 2011–2021, first-time pass rates in New York were 86% for white graduates, but only 49% for Black graduates and 62% for Latinx graduates, with subsequent attempts revealing persistent disparities. As a result, only slightly over half of Black graduates and two-thirds of Latinx graduates obtain licensure.
LSWC opposes the ASWB licensing exams due to these inequities, which disproportionately affect prospective social workers of color, older adults, and those for whom English is a second language. We are actively advocating for the passage of A5291/S5975 in the 2024 legislative session and continue to fight for policies that remove systemic barriers and expand access to the social work profession. This is what collective power looks like—and the momentum is growing.
Read our memo in support of the legislation HERE.