What is the purpose of social work regulation, and how should social work be regulated? Regulating Social Work provides the information that students and professionals need to understand the implications of these questions. This book contains an all-encompassing examination of the process of professional licensure, from the purposes of social work licensure to the steps towards its achievement. Furthermore, the authors discuss the tensions and controversies present in the regulation of social work, the drawbacks and benefits of such regulation, and present a brief look at the development of social work regulation globally.

The ultimate goal of the book is to give readers the information they need to evaluate and understand the strengths and weaknesses of regulations and how they might be improved. For this reason, it is not only useful for students in capstone classes about to enter the workforce with a BSW or MSW degree and students being newly introduced to social work, but it is also an incredible resource for social work practitioners, members of regulatory boards and associations, legislators, and policy makers and regulators.