The National Association of Social Workers is a professional organization for social workers across the country. The New York Chapter (NASW-NY) is responsible for advocating on behalf of the nearly 62,000 licensed social workers in the State as well as the clients they serve. NASW-NY strongly supports S.9303(Martinez)/A.10555(Stern), introduced by Senator Martinez, which would amend Education Law §7706 to allow MSW graduates to engage in supervised social work practice for up to ninety days following graduation while awaiting licensure processing.
S.9303(Martinez)/A.10555(Stern) addresses a structural gap in New York’s social work licensure pipeline. Under current law, MSW students are authorized to practice under supervision during their field placements, but that authorization expires upon graduation. What follows is a window of two to four months while the New York State Education Department (NYSED) processes the paperwork needed for graduates to sit for the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) examination. During this period, newly minted MSW graduates cannot accept positions at most organizations and cannot practice social work, even under supervision. S.9303(Martinez)/A.10555(Stern) closes this gap by adding a new exemption to Education Law §7706(5) that permits a graduate of an accredited MSW program to engage in supervised social work, provided they have applied and paid fees for both the licensing examination and the limited permit. The exemption expires ninety days after graduation, 
creating a supervised and transition period between graduation and licensure.