Dear Representative,
I am a licensed social worker in Minnesota and your constituent. I'm writing to ask for your immediate help in stopping a harmful Department of Education proposal that would strip social work of its professional degree status. This directly affects my profession and the people I serve. I earned my master's degree in social work after years of rigorous coursework, hundreds of hours of supervised clinical practice, and passing demanding licensing exams. My education prepared me to provide mental health services, navigate complex ethical situations, and advocate for vulnerable individuals and families. By any measure, my training was professional. Yet the Department of Education's proposed rule would reclassify social work as non-professional, even though:
-Licensed social workers provide more mental and behavioral health services than any other professional group in America
-Social work has been federally recognized as a profession for nearly a century
-We meet all the criteria DOE itself has established: graduate education, supervised practice, licensure requirements, and continuing competency standards
The real-world consequences are serious:
Without professional degree classification, future social workers may lose access to federal student loans and loan forgiveness programs. This will make social work education unaffordable for many students, particularly those from the communities we serve. At a time when our nation faces a critical mental health crisis, we cannot afford policies that discourage people from entering this essential profession. In Minnesota, approximately 16,000 social workers serve in child welfare, schools, hospitals, addiction treatment centers, veterans' services, and community mental health agencies. In the United States,
There were an estimated 728,000 social work jobs in the U.S. in 2022, with a projected increase to 792,000 by 2031. As of 2024, the largest occupational group was child, family, and school social workers (399,900), followed by healthcare social workers (193,200) and mental health and substance abuse social workers (136,800).
- Total: Over 728,000 social work jobs in 2022, with a projected 16% growth to approximately 792,000 by 2031.
- Largest Sectors (2024):
- Child, family, and school social workers: 399,900
- Healthcare social workers: 193,200
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers: 136,800
- Other Sectors: Social workers in all other categories totaled 81,000 in 2024.
We are on the front lines addressing homelessness, substance use disorders, trauma, and family crises. Our work is professional, our training is rigorous, and our impact is measurable. I respectfully urge you to contact the Department of Education and advocate for social work to be properly included as a professional degree in the final rule. Our communities depend on social workers. Please stand with us.
Thank you for your consideration.