President-elect

Candidates:

Deborah Jones (BC)

Please give a brief biography, including your education, licensure or certification level, and employment history.

I was born in Montreal, Québec, to an American teacher from New York City and a Canadian military pilot from Montréal. I am married to a retired social worker and have two adult children. Both my daughter and my daughter-in-law are social workers. My son opted out of the “family business” and is a clinical neuropsychologist.

I am a Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW) and have been practising for 42 years. I hold a BSW from McGill University and an MSW from the University of Victoria. I have a trauma specialist certificate from the National Institute of Trauma and Loss in Children (Michigan) as well as a certificate from the Child Trauma Academy in Texas. I hold several certificates in bioethics. My area of practice has focused on children and youth and their families and includes working in child protection, child and youth mental health, and in a provincial tertiary care hospital for children. I have held a number of leadership positions throughout my career, including clinical social work leader in a health authority, chair of the pediatric ethics committee and member of the clinical ethics resource team in a health authority, and ombudsperson in a community college. I currently have a private practice in Victoria, British Columbia.

Give a synopsis of your regulatory and professional experience. Please emphasize your involvement with ASWB.

I was a board member of the British Columbia College of Social Workers for 10 years and was chair of the board for two years.

My involvement with ASWB spans 15 years. I have been a director at large on the ASWB Board for the past two years (2018–2020). I have been involved in the exam development program, ASWB’s main revenue source, for the past 13 years as an item writer, Clinical Exam Committee member, and form reviewer. I have served on the Nominating Committee (2007) and been Board liaison to the REAL Committee (2018–2020). I have attended numerous ASWB Education Meetings, and cofacilitated the Board Member Exchange in Halifax in 2018. I am on the manuscript review board of the Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, a journal published by ASWB.

I have experienced international social work mobility and have been licensed and practised social work in both Canada and the U.K.

Finally, make a brief statement on the major issues you see facing ASWB and how you would address them.

The COVID pandemic and the compelling and momentous Black Lives Matter movement have had a significant impact on professional regulation. ASWB has had to be flexible and pivot to the evolving needs of member boards, while remaining true to our mission, vision, and values. Virtual meetings, the ASWB COVID-19 webpage, and the collaborative Social Work Responds project are a few examples of flexible adaptation, which must continue. The Black Lives Matter movement has led to much reflection personally, organizationally, and societally regarding systemic racism. It is a time of distress and division in the world, but also a time of hope for the future, when diversity, equity, and inclusion are embraced and celebrated. In spite of increased pressure to deregulate, I believe that regulation and the mandate of protecting vulnerable people from preventable harm will continue to be an integral part of professionalism.

Some jurisdictions within the ASWB membership are legally required to offer licensing exams in all official languages of their jurisdiction. This has and will continue to be a challenge for ASWB in supporting member boards in meeting their legal requirements while also maintaining the integrity of a translated high-stakes licensing exam. With globalization, virtual communication, and the continued need for professional portability and mobility, there will no doubt be interest from jurisdictions beyond our current membership for access to our licensing exams and the support services offered to member boards. This will present challenges as future boards grapple with decisions around the size and scope of ASWB’s membership and mandate.

Date jurisdictional board term ended:

December 31, 2018

Roxroy Reid (NM)

Please give a brief biography, including your education, licensure or certification level, and employment history:

I am a naturalized citizen who immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. I currently hold a B.Th. (bachelor of theology), BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. in public health policy administration. I am licensed at the independent level (LCSW) in the state of New Mexico and have been a social worker for 15 years. I hold an ACHP-SW (advanced certified hospice and palliative SW certification) with NASW. I was an ordained minister for 27 years, developed and ran a nonprofit church for 15 years, owned and operated a retail/wholesale coffee business for seven years, was a purchasing agent with an aerospace company for five years, and served in the military (U.S. Army intelligence) for four years. I have worked with SMI clients, hospice, and general health care populations with three major hospital systems in New Mexico. I have also been an adjunct professor at New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work. I currently work in the emergency department at the Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albuquerque and was recently appointed as lead writer to a national VA Tiger Team to address elder abuse. I am also in the process of acquiring ownership of a successful mental health private practice in Albuquerque.

Give a synopsis of your regulatory and professional experience. Please emphasize your involvement with ASWB:

My career as a regulator started with ASWB in 2008 and continues to today. I have served on several ASWB committees and task forces including the Practice Analysis Task Force, the passing score study panel, and the item writing training committee. I have been on panels at ASWB education conferences and facilitated Board Member Exchange training. I have represented New Mexico as a delegate for three years now and have served on the ASWB Finance Committee as well. I am currently a director at large on the ASWB Board of Directors. Additionally, I have served as chair of the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Board, and I am the current chair of the New Mexico State Board of Social Work Examiners. My crowning achievement was cohosting the popular ASWB Trivia Wheel game show.

Finally, make a brief statement on the major issues you see facing ASWB and how you would address them:

I continue to see portability of licensure as the primary issue facing ASWB. I see the strategic goal of endorsement as a means of creating a license mobility infrastructure across the United States. ASWB needs to maintain its place as the hub on which the wheel of portability turns. One proposed strategy is to maintain a collaborative, cooperative, and coordinated relationship with the other two pillars of the social work profession, CSWE and NASW. Second, I believe the strengthening and regulating of social work practices across all member jurisdictions is of utmost importance for safeguarding the public we serve. I once participated in a joint committee effort to create a regulation curriculum guide for educators. The committee consisted of ASWB, NASW, and CSWE representatives. It was a successful exercise that demonstrated how the academic, practice, and regulatory bodies of the social work profession can work together to strengthen the whole. Finally, the question of whether ASWB is a North American or an international organization is a fascinating one to me. I look forward to engaging and discussing this topic with the Board.

Date jurisdictional board term ends:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other gubernatorial appointment issues, my term has been extended until further notice.