Setting Up and Maintaining an Interjurisdictional Registry

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Setting Up and Maintaining an Interjurisdictional
Registry

• Troy Elliott
• Association of Social Work Boards

Presented at the 2005 CLEAR Annual
Conference September 15-17 Phoenix,
Arizona
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Who We Are

• ASWB is the organization of the social work
  regulatory boards in 49 states, Washington, D.C.,
  the Virgin Islands, Alberta, British Columbia,
  Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and
  Saskatchewan
• Mission is consumer protection
• Primary responsibility social work licensing
  exams (about 25,000 administrations annually)
• Other services include disciplinary databases,
  continuing education provider approval, social
  work registry, licensure application processing

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The problem
Individual regulatory board requirements make it
difficult for social workers licensed in one
jurisdiction to become licensed in another
jurisdiction. The public suffers when qualified
social workers are not accessible Support for
regulation among the professionals begins to
suffer
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Possible solutions

• We werent altering the time-space continuum
  here. Lots of things have been/are being tried
  plenty of models out there.
• Fast endorsement
• Compacts
• Reciprocity agreements
• For us, endorsement model was the best fit.

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The big idea
Establish a repository for primary source
information relevant to social work licensure,
and a create a verification acceptance process
that will be quickly and easily adopted by member
regulatory boards. Then lunch. After lunchthis
whole Iraq thing.
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What we had going for us

• Some infrastructure in place
• Database of examination candidates
• Disciplinary databank already in place
• Examination information already in place

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What we had going for us

• A record of service to members
• Disciplinary databank and HIPDB reporting system
  in place
• Score transfer program in place
• Examination program widely usedhigh degree of
  satisfaction
• Continuing education provider approval program
  growing

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What we had going for us

• Connection to potential customers
• Some visibility with candidates
• Capture of some data already happening (exam
  scores, disciplinary actions)

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Challenges we anticipated more or less

• Cost programming, education, marketing, staff
• Social works non binary licensure structure
  (levels of licensure based on education, length
  of post degree experience, and type of
  experience)
• Slow growth
• Need for repository to (potentially) hold more
  than just primary-sourced, verifiable
  licensure-related information
• Resistance to change

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What we didnt count on

• The degree to which we didnt understand board
  operations
• The degree to which some boards didnt understand
  board operations
• Labor-intensiveness
• Degree of social worker familiarity with
  licensure process
• Resistance to change

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Timeline, 2002
March August 2002 Preliminary staff
planning Boards surveyed Sample record
summary developed Software and hardware
needs Research other professions (FSMB, NCARB,
etc.) September 2002 Focus group with 9
board administrators October 2002 Refinements
based on focus group November 2002 focus group
with 5 board administrators December
2002 continued research with FSMB credential
program
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Timeline, 2003
February 2003 Focus groups12 MSW students
VCU 5 MSW students UNC Chapel Hill 12 BSW
students UNC Pembroke March 2003 Focus
group with 4 practicing licensed social
workers March August 2003 Database
development cost analysis September
2003 Registry director hired October
2003 Pilot program begun in Florida, Indiana,
Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota Marketing
efforts begunletters mailed to dept. heads
in schools of social work in pilot states
passing candidates
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Timeline, 2004
November 2003 March 2004 Marketing continues
brochure developed, website content
created, mailings to ASWB volunteers,
schools of social work March 15,
2004 Registry program debuts nationally
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Where do we stand now?

• As of August 1, 2005
• 798 requests for applications received
• 232 paid applications
• 105 transfers (85 in/to MA)
• Annual Fees 60 35 students 30 MA
  applicants

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Is it a success?
Not yet. Buy in from regulatory boards
slow Critical mass of registrants not yet
reached Chicken-and-egg - A large number of
registrants, lots of transfers are needed to
demonstrate benefits to boards and get buy-in
social workers are reluctant to pay for a service
that doesnt have broad participation from
jurisdictions.
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Board buy-in

• Whats the problem?
• Identifying the decision-makers
• Decision-makers distance from ASWB
• Varying interpretations of what is required
• Mechanism for dealing with summary document
• Suspicion

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Registrant buy-in

• Whats the problem?
• Comfort with/knowledge of marketing
• Learning curve for new social workers do they
  know they need us?
• Identifying our opportunities
• Harder to sell to longtime social workers the
  ones who best understand how we could help

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If we had to do it all again

• Would we? Probably. But with some changes.
• Pilot program kind of useless
• More investment in marketing more involvement in
  marketing up front
• Earlier cost analyses
• Better understanding of individual board
  operations/personalities (personal visits?)
• Contracts with regulatory boards

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If we had to do it all again

• On the other hand, some things are working
• Database well-designed, integrates easily with
  existing resources
• Exam registration program a crucial link to
  customers
• Application review contracts very beneficial
• Pricing does not seem to be prohibitive
• Direct mail marketing returns acceptable
• Customer satisfaction high

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Wanna try it yourself?

• First, ask yourself a few questions
• Would the program support your core mission?
• Is there another organization better suited?
• How long can the program be subsidized? Is there
  an expectation that the program would break
  even/produce revenue over expenditures?
• What kind of exit strategy exists?
• Are there ways for the program to expand in the
  future?
• Do you have a clear understanding of member board
  workings?
• What kind of relationship do you have with your
  member boards currently? Would this program put
  those relationships at risk?
• How will document storage be handled?
• How many people will be needed to operate the
  system? Do you have the space?

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Next, take an honest look at your strengths and
weaknesses in at least three core areas
Political Know board operations Know
decision-makers Well-educated membership High
name recognition Strong track record Perceived
need among members Supportive organizational
leadership Funds to devote to outreach
Technical Database capabilities Adequate
hardware Ability to handle credit card
transactions Reliable programmer Document storage
capabilities Funds to devote to additional staff
Commercial Comfort with marketing Marketing
capabilities Knowledge of most promising
markets Name recognition Perceived need Well
educated potential customers Multiple ways of
accessing potential customers Funds to devote to
marketing
Do your strengths at least balance out your
weaknesses?
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Finally, choose an inspirational quote. Print up
t-shirts for your project team.
If everything seems to be going well, you have
obviously overlooked something.
Experience is something you don't get until just
after you need it.
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all
evidence that you tried.
-Attributed to Steven Wright
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For more information

• Troy Elliott, Communications Director
• Association of Social Work Boards
• [phone]
• [phone] (fax)
• telliott_at_aswb.org
• www.aswb.org