Abstract
This study was conducted to seek out Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers and their competency in working with couples of the same-sex. With in the last year the State of Minnesota passed law, providing the freedom for all to marry, which prompted the idea for this research. The study asked what LICSW’s overall competency is with working with couples, and whether years in practice, types of training, whether training has been received in this area affects competency. The research further looked at whether those who had and had not received training and whether their years in practice affects their thoughts on needing to change their practice since the passage of the marriage law. The findings found no significance in years in practice on overall competency, but did find significance amongst different types of training received and overall competency scores. The research suggests that trainings about work with same-sex couples need to be continually offered in different forms for social workers. This population of same-sex couples will continue to grow and being competent in practice with this population has great purpose in the work of all social workers.