Advancing Antiracism and Antidiscrimination in Social Work Continuing Education

The social work profession is committed to racial justice and supports antiracist practice. Continuing education (CE) requirements for licensure ensure practicing social workers remain current with their knowledge and skills. Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, social workers petitioned the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers to institute an antiracism CE requirement. With unanimous approval, Massachusetts became the first state to mandate CE content specifically on antiracism and antidiscrimination. Using a mixed-methods cross-sectional design, this study explored licensed clinical social workers' (N = 232) perceptions of the new policy, experiences fulfilling the CE requirement, and self-reported knowledge of antidiscrimination and antiracism. Most participants (87.5 percent) believed the requirement would improve their practice, but only some (58.6 percent) felt it was an appropriate length (three hours). Participants reported significant implementation outcome issues in terms of clarity, ease of fulfillment, and communication about the new requirement. The open-ended responses were analyzed with descriptive coding, further clarifying these implementation outcome issues. Future policy and practice implications for CE requirements are discussed, including the need to address barriers to adoption, cost, and perceived appropriateness.