| Popis: |
As social work licensure exists to protect the public, prevalent licensure exemptions are blamed for undermining the purpose of regulations. This article intends to review (1) the rationales for licensure exemptions, (2) the effects of exemptions for the public and the social work workforce, and (3) critical gaps in the extant evidence to recommend future research agendas to fill the gaps. A review of the literature revealed that concerns about duplicated regulations and potential labor shortages justified licensure exemptions but with little empirical evidence. Furthermore, limited evidence was found to support the claim that exemptions minimize the effects of licensure. Extant evidence, albeit scant, implies that licensure may not eliminate lower-quality services but benefit incumbent social workers with higher earnings. Recognizing the gaps in the literature, this article recommends several lines of empirical research to assess the effects of exemptions on public safety and socioeconomic (in)equity within the workforce. |
