100 signatures reached
To: Greg Abbott, Texas State Regulatory Board of Social Work Examiners
Board of Social Work Examiners Revokes LGBTQIA+ and Disability Rights
Texas Board of Social Workers overturned the decision
On October 12th, 2020, the Texas State Regulatory Board of Social Work Examiners (TSBSWE) withdrew protections in the code of conduct for persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community due to a rule from the Governor’s office. The overturn allows for social workers to refuse services to clients based on disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
The TSBSWE are made up of nine members appointed by the Governor. As a group, they establish professional ethics and qualifications for licenced social workers. The board passed the removal because the code of conduct offered more protections than state law allowed. The board made no public statement of the change.
We cannot allow this overturn to further erode the minimal protections afforded to these vulnerable populations. LGBTQIA+ persons already face “social exclusion, lack of social support, low self-esteem, high incidence of physical and mental diseases, and lack of access to proper health services (Ekmekci, 2017, p. 336). The United Nations have long fought for persons with disabilities to “attain the highest standard of healthcare without discrimination” (Devkota, Murray, Kett & Groce, 2018, p. 336). Furthermore, if we allow for such policies to blatantly discriminate then we are condoning systemic oppression.
Why is this important?
As current MSW students who will soon be licensed practitioners, we believe that these recent changes are detrimental to the furthering of social justice. Our future careers and the lives of the people we will serve demand that all populations have the rights and protections that they are due.
We demand that the BHEC reverse their recent decision and return the Code of Conduct to offer full protection to people of all populations, specifically persons in the LGBTQIA+ community and persons with disabilities. We also petition Texas lawmakers to change the Social Work Practice Act to offer full protections for all populations.
Sign this petition to show your support for reinstating protections for these vulnerable populations.
Contact
Alice Bradford Executive Director of Social Work Examiners: (512) 719-3521
Governor Greg Abbott: (512) 463-2000, https://www.gregabbott.com/contact-us/
Devkota, H. R., Murray, E., Kett, M., & Groce, N. (2018). Are maternal healthcare services accessible to vulnerable group? A study among women with disabilities in rural nepal. PloS One, 13(7), e0200370. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0200370
Ekmekci, P. E. (2017). Do we have a moral responsibility to compensate for vulnerable groups? A discussion on the right to health for LGBT people. Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy, 20(3), 335-341. doi:10.1007/s11019-016-9750-1
Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners Board. (2020). https://hhs.texas.gov/about-hhs/leadership/advisory-committees/texas-state-board-social-worker-examiners-board
Walters, E. (2020). New Texas rule lets social workers turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability. https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/new-texas-rule-lets-social-workers-turn-away-clients-who-are-lgbtq-or-have-a-disability/
