Reflections on the First Year of My DSW Era - A Year of Learning, Leading, and Listening: An Inspired Reflection by Chris McLaughlin, MSW, LCSW

When I began the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program at the University of New England (UNE) in January of 2025, I knew it would challenge me in ALL the ways… academically, professionally, and personally (oh, and yes, financially too!). What I didn’t realize was just how much this first year would transform my sense of purpose as a social work leader, advocate, and lifelong learner. From the onset, this program has meant more to me than simply being about the academic pursuit of a new title to add to my signature line or drop in my bio on LinkedIn. In fact, truth be told, I had sworn to myself over and over again that going back to school was NOT ever going to be in the cards (especially at 50 years of age!). However, after a now-infamous Fall of 2024 Zoom meeting between myself and two amazing UNE social work faculty who also happen to be real leaders and true mentors of mine, I found myself applying for the program in late 2024 and subsequently being accepted to begin the program in early 2025 as a member of the inaugural cohort of students with UNE’s brand new DSW program. Since that time, this journey has taken me across three semesters covering four seasons of deep reflection, courageous leaps out of my comfort zones, and the steady uncovering of what it means to lead with both my head and my heart.

For the past 25 years, my work in social work leadership has often placed me at the intersection of such systems as education, healthcare, and policy. At the center of every one of these systems have been the faces and voices of the marginalized, the oppressed, the stigmatized, and the overburdened. Clients, many of whom have been LGBTQ+ youth and families, who have taught me so much about resilience, perseverance, and hope. Each space I have been fortunate to work in has reflected to me something different about how we build structures that can either open doors or close them. As I approached this new academic adventure and thought about a core project that would eventually become my DSW capstone focus over the next two and half years, I felt multiple callings to focus on the passions I’ve developed over the course of my career. LGBTQ+ affirming care practices, advancing leadership competence and confidence in others, expanding DEI&B initiatives, and public policy work were all topics that resonated deeply within me and felt worthy of committing my time and energy to over the coming months of the program. However, it was through the coursework of this final semester of 2025 (which officially ends TODAY!) that I found the clarity and refinement of what I want to spend the rest of my time in this program working on. And, in so many ways, this topic intersects with all my social work leadership passions in a way that began to just make sense to me. Thanks to the wonderful feedback and encouragement of my DSW support systems, I have decided to focus my doctoral capstone efforts on a topic that I believe to be one of the most persistent structural barriers within our profession and for the broader social work workforce in Maine and across our country: systemic barriers to social work licensure. Over the course of my career, I’ve witnessed too many talented, passionate, and diverse emerging social workers, especially those from marginalized communities, encounter obstacles not because of their ability or dedication, but because the system itself was not designed for equity and instead has sustained itself on foundations of bias, capitalism, and a “status quo” mentality that has prevented innovation and real reform from happening. It is the voices of these courageous individuals who have so bravely and candidly shared their personal stories of disappointment, shame, and frustration with the social work licensing process (including, of course, the dreaded ASWB exam) that have inspired me to focus my work here and to build a different system of licensing that will expand the behavioral health workforce of my state.

The Spark: A Vision for Licensing Equity

Out of this recognition was born the idea for what I now am calling the Licensing Equity Collaborative (LEC). The LEC represents a shared space for reimagining how we recruit, educate, license, and retain the next generation of social workers in Maine and beyond. The Collaborative isn’t just about policy change; it’s about the people who are at the heart of this wonderful profession. It’s about the voices and stories of those who have struggled to navigate an exam that doesn’t reflect their brilliance, who’ve faced systemic inequities embedded in our credentialing processes, or who’ve turned away from the field entirely because the barriers have felt so insurmountable.

Through my DSW research, I’m exploring how strategic workforce development efforts and affirming, equitable, and inclusive licensure practices can work together to create a more diverse and sustainable professional pipeline. The vision is to bring together educators, policymakers and licensing stakeholders, social work leaders, students, and, most importantly, those with lived experience around these barriers to licensure to co-design strategies and recommendations for real change. Storytelling, data, and collective wisdom will all have a seat at this table.

A Year of Change and Courage

This year hasn’t only been transformative academically.  2025 has been a season of major professional transition as well. In March, I concluded my term as Executive Director of the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), an organization that for many years had been central to my professional identity and leadership journey. Serving in that role and representing social work for the great State of Maine has been one of the greatest honors of my career. This role allowed me to lead statewide advocacy efforts, strengthen the profession’s voice in public policy, give voice to those in need of care, and support countless social workers doing the heart work of this field. While I may not necessarily always personally or professionally align with the work of NASW’s National Office, I will always look back at the work I did here in Maine for those three years with humility, gratitude, and pride.

Stepping away from NASW wasn’t easy, but it was the right time and a natural evolution that created space for what was next. This past Spring, I moved full time into my commitment to my work with Inspired Consulting Group, LLC, the company I founded several years ago, and expanded my work in education, leadership development, DEI&B consulting, and mental health partnerships. I now get to teach, train, and collaborate with organizations across Maine and beyond on advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging and supporting wellness and leadership efforts for teams of all sizes and across different industries. The transition has reaffirmed something I’ve long believed: leadership isn’t tied to a title or organization. Leadership is about using your platform, whatever it looks like, to make systems more just, workplaces more inclusive, and people more empowered.

What My DSW Era Has Taught Me (So Far)

If I had to distill this first year into a few key lessons, they would be these:

1. Leadership begins with listening.
   True change starts when we quiet our urge to rush in to fix and instead make space to hear from others. The most transformative insights in my coursework thus far have come from listening to others, and I’m beyond appreciative of my peers, practitioners, and those living the realities I’m studying for their insights and their stories.
2. Equity demands discomfort.
   The conversations that move us forward are rarely the easy ones. This program has invited me to sit at times in discomfort and to question my own assumptions, privilege, and power and to embrace that tension as a necessary part of ethical and equitable leadership.
3. Community is the heartbeat of change.
   The DSW community of students and faculty alike at the University of New England has been an anchor this year. My classmates and professors have modeled intellectual rigor and deep humanity, reminding me that scholarship is most powerful when it is collaborative and done with intentionality.
4. Integration fuels impact.
   Every paper, discussion, and reflection has reminded me that the best leadership doesn’t live in silos. The DSW program has challenged me to integrate my academic discoveries into my consulting, education, and advocacy work and to see each as part of a larger ecosystem of social change.

From Theory to Practice: Bridging Scholarship and Service

What excites me most as I move into my second year of this adventure is how these lessons are beginning to translate into action. The Licensing Equity Collaborative isn’t just an academic idea that I developed for a reflection paper to never be talked about again. No, the LEC has instead started to become a blueprint for my future practice. I envision it as a sustained, multi-sector effort where data can meet dialogue, and where the human stories behind policy are not only heard but honored.

I’ve always believed that research should serve people. The DSW program has deepened that belief by grounding it in evidence-based practice and justice-centered leadership. Whether I’m teaching social work students, facilitating a DEI workshop, or advising an organization on ethical decision-making, I’m learning to weave these threads together in ways that are intentional, inclusive, and sustainable.

A Few Notes of Gratitude

To the UNE School of Social Work faculty who have provided safe spaces for us students to explore vulnerability, risk taking, and leaning in to rediscovering old habits and building new ones at the same time — thank you.

To my DSW peers who’ve shared wisdom, humor, and solidarity during the past 30 weeks of writing and reflection — thank you.

To my mentors, colleagues, family and friends who’ve walked alongside me this year — thank you.

To the Maine social work community that continues to inspire and encourage me each and every day — thank you.

And to my husband, Derek, who has shown incredible patience, understanding, and flexibility during the late night and long weekend “grind” sessions and who has braved his first year of being a DSW Widow — thank you, babe! I love you!

This year has been one of transformation, transition, and truth-telling, and I wouldn’t trade a moment of it.

As I close this first year of doctoral study, I’m reminded that leadership is not a destination; it’s a daily practice. It’s showing up with authenticity. It’s naming inequities even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s holding hope while doing the hard work. And it’s staying grounded in community, always.

Here’s to the next chapter of my “Life of a Social Worker” and to ongoing education that centers people, leadership that elevates equity, and a profession that continues to evolve toward justice. I’m grateful, I’m humbled, and I’m inspired. Bring on Year 2 AFTER a few months of needed down time, rest, and celebration of what has truly been one of my hardest, and most joyful, years of my life thus far!

“Being fearless isn’t 100% not fearful. It’s being terrified, but you jump anyway.” – Taylor Swift

In community,

Chris McLaughlin, MSW, LCSW
Owner & Lead Consultant
Inspired Consulting Group, LLC