Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

Complaint Information and Form

Complaint and Investigation Process

Board Jurisdiction

The Oregon State Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) licenses and oversees social workers in Oregon. It follows Oregon laws in Oregon revised statutes (ORS) chapters 675 and 676, and Oregon administrative rules (OAR) chapter 877. 

Board Responsibility

The Board investigates issues like misconduct, ethics concerns, background problems, dual relationships, and unlicensed social work practice. 

Board Complaints, Confidentiality and the Investigation Process

To submit a complaint, please fill out our online complaint form. 

By law, all complaints and complainant information is confidential. The Board cannot reveal who submitted a complaint, or any substantive information related to the investigation. The Board can answer questions related to the status of a complaint and investigation, and the projected completion date. 

The Consumer Protection Committee (CPC), is a subcommittee of the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) that reviews all completed investigations to deliberate whether there is sufficient evidence to find if a licensee violated a statute or rule during the executive session of the bi-monthly Board meeting. Per Oregon law, the Executive session is closed to the public. The full Board votes during the public session for the bi-monthly Board meeting whether the licensee violated a statute or rule, and if yes, impose appropriate discipline. 

Board staff will send written notice of the Board's decision to all complainants. Per statutes and rules, all disciplinary actions (called "Notices" or "Orders") are public documents and are posted on the Disciplinary Action Report page. 
 

Timeframe

It is the Board's goal to complete all investigations six months from the date the complaint is received. Unfortunately, due to a period of limited investigation staff and resources, we are experiencing a backlog of investigations. 

It is currently taking approximately nine months to complete an investigation. The Board investigators are working diligently to clear the backlog, while investigating each new case thoroughly. The Board and Board staff appreciates your patience. 

If you have questions, please contact our office at blsw.investigator@blsw.oregon.gov or via phone at 503-378-5735. Our phone hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am - 4 pm PST. 



File a Complaint

By law, the Board must investigate every complaint under its jurisdiction that is received. This form may be used to file a complaint or otherwise request that the Board of Licensed Social Workers review the professional services of regulated social workers in the state. 

All information provided by you is confidential. 

Please provide as much information as possible to enable the Board to conduct a complete investigation. The Board does not investigate or take action on fee >

Not sure if someone is licensed with the Oregon BLSW? Use the Oregon BLSW Online License Search to verify their license. 



Compliance Staff