An Update on Maine's LD 1298: The Work Continues…: An Inspired Reflection by Chris McLaughlin, MSW, LCSW

Well, friends, today’s update from Maine is a tough one to share. LD 1298, a bill that many advocates have poured so much heart and hope into, has officially “died” between chambers. Earlier this week, the Senate voted in favor of the HCIFS Committee minority report (our amended version of the bill which would have moved these proposed alternative pathways for social work licensure forward), but this afternoon, after much debate that unfortunately was fraught with misinformation and fear mongering from both sides of the aisle, the House chose to uphold its earlier vote supporting the Committee’s majority report of moving this bill to a formal legislative study (a repeat of 2024’s proposal that we knew would neither get funded nor really address the real issues at hand with the ASWB social work licensing exam). The result? A split decision that ultimately halts both efforts. For now, LD 1298 will not move forward in either form…not as a bill for alternative pathways or as a formal study.

Clearly, this isn’t the outcome we wanted, and it certainly isn’t the one Maine needs or that those negatively impacted by the ASWB exam (test takers and potential clients alike) deserves.  

Here’s what I want to say, though. Over these past months, we witnessed something powerful happen here in every corner of Maine. New advocates for change bravely stepped up to the mic in Augusta to share their stories publicly for the first time, lending their voices to a cause rooted in both justice and equity as well as in workforce development and expanding access to essential behavioral health services. We’ve had honest, passionate conversations with legislators, forged new partnerships and reenforced existing ones, and we discovered our shared strength and our unified voice. And yes, we’ve also seen the unsettling barriers in this process too. My eyes have been opened, for better or worse, to the politics, the resistance, and the deep-seated fears that still exist (within BOTH parties, unfortunately) around changing systems that are long overdue for reform. But this moment isn’t the end. Not even close. It’s the latest chapter in an ongoing story of change, reform, and innovation to a licensing process that is both antiquated and deeply, deeply flawed.

As we sit now at the finish line, despite not crossing it in a way that I might have hoped for, there are many to whom I owe debts of gratitude to whom have been with me at every step of the way along this marathon journey:

• To Charlotte and Betsy, the lobbyist team at Moose Ridge Associates: Thank you for your tireless presence in the halls of the State House each and every day (and night!) over this past legislative session. I have learned so much from each of you about both the process of law making as well as about the importance of patience, grace, and keeping it real along the way!
• To the NASW Maine Policy Committee team of Julie, Grace, and Kate: Your leadership and fire have carried this work forward in ways that matter deeply and have inspired so many. As volunteers, your commitment of time and energy has NOT gone unnoticed, believe me!
• To the many collective champions of LD 1298 from all across Maine, the countless number of fellow social workers, students, instructors, legislators, leaders, community partners, and stakeholders, I cannot thank y’all enough! Your energy and support of these efforts gave us strength when we were running on E. For me personally, though, your stories of how the ASWB exam has caused harm to you and to those you hold close have served as my personal fire to keep this work moving forward, no matter what the barriers have been. It has been your collective faces that I see and voices that I hear along the way, and I thank you for your courage and your conviction that something better DOES exist for this noble profession.  
• And, last but certainly not least, to my forever friend and tireless Champion in this work, Senator Rachel Talbot Ross, I cannot even begin to articulate all the ways that you have inspired, impressed, and enlightened me since we began this adventure together in 2022. Words fail, without a doubt. I want you to know, though, that I know that this work has not been easy on you. I’ve seen the toll it can take. Please know that I SEE you! Many of us SEE you, and you are an inspiration to so many of us! Thank you!

Together, we made some noise, we captured some attentions, we changed some hearts and minds, and we made a difference. That’s not nothing! No, it’s the foundation for what comes next. Honestly, I cannot imagine a fiercer team to do the work of “slaying dragons” together with than this one!! Even as Taylor herself knows, though, some dragons just require a few more rounds with than others, that’s all….

I’ll leave you with heartfelt words of wisdom that LD 1298’s sponsor Senator Rachel Talbot Ross recently shared with me: “We will heal, recover, and then get back to work.”

And you better believe that we’re not done. Not even close!

#LicensingReform #SocialWork #InspiredAdvocacy #LongLive