Social Work Prof Elected to National Standards Board

The ABCSW sets and promotes national practice standards, publishes position statements, issues Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (BCD) credentials for advanced clinical generalists, clinical supervisors, children/family practitioners and psychoanalysts, and maintains an online directory of BCD recipients.

Clinical social work practice involves using specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, conditions and addictions, including severe mental illness and serious emotional disturbances in adults, adolescents and children.

Carr has been a BCD with the ABCSW since August 2001 and has held the Clinical Supervision specialty certification since July 2021.

Dr. Joel Carr “I am honored to serve on the ABCSW, dedicated to the clinical social work profession and the advancement of clinical social workers,” Carr said. “Not only does my election to the ABCSW bring me personal and professional honor, it also brings honor to ASU and specifically the Department of Social Work and Sociology. We offer bachelor’s degrees in social work and sociology, as well as a Master of Social Work degree, all with multiple concentrations available so students can tailor their studies to fit their career interests. Hopefully, my involvement with the ABCSW will expose our students to opportunities and connections that professional membership and board certification offers.”

Carr is also the program director for ASU’s proposed new Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.) in clinical social work degree program that has been approved by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents and is pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. If granted final approval, the D.S.W. program will begin accepting doctoral students this fall.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, there are fewer than 20 D.S.W. in clinical social work programs in the U.S., and none in Texas. Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment opportunities for mental health and substance abuse social workers are expected to increase by 18% over the next 10 years – so the need for Angelo State’s D.S.W. program is apparent.

An ASU faculty member since 2020, Carr previously served on the ASU faculty from 2006-11 and as adjunct faculty in 2012. He has also taught fulltime at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and he has held adjunct faculty positions at numerous other colleges and universities.

Still a private-practicing clinical social worker, Carr has also practiced at Baylor-Richardson Medical Center in Richardson, MHMR Services of Texoma in Denison, the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD in Houston, and the Kerrville State Hospital. He also served in the U.S. Navy Medical Services Corps.

Outside of his teaching and private practice, Carr is also an avid researcher. He has published multiple research articles in various journals, and has given more than 50 presentations at professional conferences. He is also a book reviewer for Oxford University Press in New York.

In addition to the ABCSW, Carr is a member of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, American Psychological Association, American Society of Criminology, American Sociological Association, Association for Research in Personality, and Society for Personality Assessment.

Carr holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Louisiana Tech University, a Master of Social Work degree from Louisiana State University, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of North Texas and Capella University. He also holds licensure in clinical social work and professional counseling, as well as multiple certifications in those fields.