Ms. Gloria Canseco
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
Mr. Timothy M. Brown
Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners
333 Guadalupe Street, Tower 3, Room 900
Austin, TX 78701
10/21/20
Dear Ms. Canseco and Mr. Brown,
A recent vote by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners removed the long-standing nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people and people with disabilities from the professional code of conduct for Texas social workers.
Opening the door to discrimination in mental health, especially during a historic pandemic, puts Texans in harm’s way and sends a troubling message about Texas to the country and to the world.
Texas employers are firm in their commitment to providing inclusive, welcoming workplaces, and standing up for inclusive, welcoming communities. All Texans, all Texas workers, and all family members of Texas workers deserve to have the same opportunities as their neighbors to live, work, participate in their communities, and to access essential services – including crucial support from social workers. A fair and competitive Texas requires just such a spirit of inclusion.
We urge BHEC and TSBSWE to reconsider this issue and ensure that all Texans are able to access the essential social work services that they need.
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Texas Competes is a coalition of more than 1,450 Texas employers – big and small businesses, chambers of commerce, industry associations, and convention & visitors bureaus – making the economic case for the state to be welcoming to LGBTQ people.