One Former Social Worker's Plea for Licensure Modernization

By Jordan Freeman, LMSW-Clinical, NASW-Michigan Social Work Workforce Program Manager Featuring Gohar Taj Imam, MSW

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” this Martin Luther King Jr. quote is the summary of Wayne State University’s Masters of Social Work graduate, Gohar Taj Imam’s reflection on her experience with her advocacy for Michigan’s licensing modernization efforts. She went on to share her experience and how this quote relates to the ever-growing evidence that the ASWB exam is a “threat” to the social work profession and by threatening the growth of the social work profession it is a threat to the greater public good. 

Before immigrating  to America, Gohar completed a Masters degree in Pakistan in Microbiology which she also taught in a college in Pakistan. She shared that she decided to pursue social work because of her passion for serving people. While she doesn’t regret her decision to make this career shift, she is deeply concerned about the choices that lay before her as she is currently unable to be licensed because she has not been able to pass the ASWB exam. This experience is similar to many other social workers who speak languages other than English or who are in their second careers. In addition to her experience teaching microbiology, she also wrote twelve books in areas of social issues, mental health, disability, immigration and biography in Urdu. 

Before having to drop her LLMSW title due to the six renewal limit, Gohar worked in substance abuse treatment in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Highland Park, and Wixom - her resume is extensive. In addition to substance abuse, she has experience working with incarcerated populations as well as with nursing home and homebound populations. A look at her resume would never lead someone to suspect that she is having to work in a non-social work position by choice. While she appreciates her current job, she continues to study for the ASWB exam in hopes that she will be able to pass and work in her passion field again. 

Gohar reflected on her experience when she was in her “late 40s” studying for her courses in her MSW program. She shared that she would have panic attacks sometimes and would often stay up until 2 AM writing papers and working on presentations. Her hard work paid off in academia as she proudly shared that she held a 3.9 GPA. She described this ASWB exam as “anxiety provoking, time consuming, and requiring lots of money” which have all been barriers for Gohar. “Each time I was so disappointed because I know that this tedious exam is not the true and valid exam to test my competency. I am a very dedicated, honest and empathetic person. I am very capable and know that this standardized test cannot define me and my intellectual abilities,” she shared. Gohar reflected that she belongs to South Asian culture and she can see all the “discrepancies between the test questions and the values of other cultures and races.” She shared that English is her second language which makes the test questions more difficult for her to understand, however she contrasts this with her experience in academia where she was one of the top students in her classes. “How am I failing these exams?” she often asks herself.

Gohar went on to point out “We know that Michigan is in dire need of culturally competent social workers because of the diverse population of this state but unfortunately we cannot fulfill the needs of our people. We do not have enough social workers.” She went on to reflect on her perspective as an immigrant to this country sharing, “It is said that America is land of opportunities. I feel that as far as my degree is concerned I am lucky to achieve my goal but now if I am not able to continue my passion then my dreams are now shattered. It is no longer the land of opportunity for me as I see the discrepancy in the licensing of social workers sustaining the system of discrimination against people of color, immigrants and people with disabilities.” 

While Gohar is currently not a licensed, practicing social worker in Michigan, she continues to show her true heart of social work as she tells her story. “Social workers advocate for their clients and I want to advocate my own case. I feel it is important to fight to prevail justice in this system,” she shared. Gohar is hopeful that efforts for modernization for social work licensure will pass in Michigan and that by sharing her story she will be part of the movement that “strives to create a just society in the land of opportunities.”

If you’re interested in sharing your story check out the NASW-Michigan’s new Op-Ed Toolkit. You can also reach out to the Workforce Program Manager, Jordan Freeman, LMSW-Clinical at jfreeman.naswmi@socialworkers.org for assistance.