2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 83
Commending the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 12, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 16, 2026
WHEREAS, for 50 years, the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work has advanced the profession of clinical social work and provided opportunities for networking, mentorship, and education for its members; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work was founded in 1975 by a small group of Virginia social workers who came together to advocate for recognition of their profession; and
WHEREAS, the visionary leadership of Eloise Agger, one of the founding members and the first president of the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work, was critical in the development of the organization's mission and values; and
WHEREAS, Eloise Agger recognized the importance of uniting clinical social workers in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., with leaders working together across state and district lines to advocate for the establishment of consistent licensure for clinical social workers in all three jurisdictions; and
WHEREAS, the third president of the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work, Vesta Downer, organized advocacy efforts in Richmond that led to the successful passage of a Virginia social work licensure bill in 1978; the bill clearly defined the clinical social work practice and protected Virginians by establishing oversight by a newly created Board of Social Work; and