Published on : April 28, 2025
Aloha, CSWE 'ohana:
It’s been another eventful week here in the Washington metropolitan area. We all saw several new policy changes in the media that we must now, once again, understand and monitor. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) continues to examine the impact of Executive Orders (EO) and other policy proposals on social work education and advocate for policies that protect and advance well-being, and I wanted to provide an update and context for the events of this week.
On April 23, 2025, the Trump administration issued an EO, “Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education,” which calls for investigations into accreditors that are gatekeepers to federal funding, specifically the American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, focusing mainly on their standards related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities deemed as “unlawful discrimination” requirements. The EO also references concerns related to low postsecondary graduation rates, high debt to earnings ratios, and low loan repayment rates as reasons accreditation reform is necessary. The EO also directs the Secretary of Education to take steps to authorize new accreditors; streamline institutional transitions between accreditors; require program-level outcome data “without reference to race, ethnicity or sex”; prioritize intellectual diversity among faculty; and launch an experimental site to support innovation and accountability. In practical terms, the EO and major changes to the accreditation and accreditor approval process will likely have to advance through a formal negotiated rulemaking process at the Department of Education.
While this EO is concerning and we should keep a close eye on the issue, it is important to know that CSWE is not recognized as an accreditor by the Department of Education. We are recognized as an accreditor by Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), who did post a response to the EO offering reassurance of accreditation as a systematic and rigorous process of ensuring quality education.
Additionally, an internal pre-decisional document dated April 10, 2025, and titled “Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2026 Discretionary Budget Passback,” has generated significant concern due to the major proposed cuts to HHS funding and programs. The passback is a stage of the federal budget process during which the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shares its budget proposal with federal departments and agencies, in this case for fiscal year (FY) 2026. The draft document includes the following proposed changes to funding for federal health agencies most relevant to the behavioral and mental health workforce:
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Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): The proposed budget would eliminate most workforce programs at HRSA, including nearly all Title VII Health Professions and Title VIII Nursing Workforce programs, and move other core programs to the new Administration for a Healthy America. Eliminated workforce programs would include the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) program, the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) program, the Primary Care Training and Enhancement program, and the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program, among others.
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Mental Health Services and Substance Use Treatment would receive substantial cuts of approximately 25% and 13%, respectively, and Substance Use Prevention would be nearly eliminated, with an approximate 92% cut. The proposal also includes a recommendation that would affect the continuation of the Minority Fellowship Program.
These proposed cuts are concerning, and it is important to note that at this stage, they are only proposals. It’s possible they may change before the final President's budget request is submitted to Congress. Then Congress must decide how to consider these proposals, many of which are likely to lack congressional support. More information about the proposed cuts to HHS can be found here.
Finally, we want to share a list of collected CSWE educational resources related to anti-racism and DEI. You might have seen a few of them already; however, like the member-only accreditation resources we shared last week, these educational resources are updated regularly:
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CSWE Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice is a resource to prepare social workers with the knowledge and skills to engage in effective practice with diverse populations and to help transform social systems in pursuit of more humane and equitable conditions. Visit the Diversity Center’s curriculum resources.
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CSWE Learning Academy Webinars include discussion of and content related to anti-racism and DEI. Explore and register for upcoming webinars here.
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EPAS Curricular Guides/Resources are a published supplemental guides for programs and educators or in practice and highlight DEI competency and related components throughout each edition.
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CSWE Community Knowledge Hub is a newly launched portal of handpicked collection of tools, insights, and best practices from our trusted allies and partners. These carefully curated resources are selected to support your growth and foster innovation.
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International Social Work Leader Review features an individual on a quarterly basis who has made significant contributions to international social work education with connections to the United States.
Again, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the preparation of social work students and a workforce that is well-equipped to serve everyone. We are processing these events in part as a reminder to reflect on the deeper meaning of social work and the intended outcomes of healthy individuals, families, and communities.
With gratitude,
Halaevalu F. Ofahengaue Vakalahi, PhD, MSW
CSWE President and CEO
Hartford Faculty Scholar, Fulbright Senior Scholar, CSWE-MFP Fellow