You Launched Us
Members of MSCSW have shared their gratitude, love and memories of Bob Lepp, who was not only one of our founders but a “tireless advocate” for clients, and our profession. Bob has been described as “a true social worker, and a champion of our licensing effort, who launched many of us. “(Ned Froelich). I wonder how many of us got a call from Bob to fill a position on the Clinical Society Board or in the Society. I know this writer will be ever grateful for that call. His legacy continues in us in countless ways.
Ellen Luepker shared, “I still picture Bob in our meetings with representatives from NASW and several other MN social work organizations plotting to form a Coalition, believing correctly that collectively we could surmount resistance in our state to social work licensure. Bob’s steady, encouraging and diligent presence, his willingness to do whatever task was needed, in the birth of both MSCSW and the Minnesota Coalition of Social Workers, were instrumental in gaining legal status which led to recognition and protection for clinical and other social workers and their clients in our state.”
To share Bob’s legacy we wish to share the letter his son, Mitch sent to us at the passing of his dad.
Greetings Friends and Colleagues of the MSCSW,
My dear dad, and our former colleague, Bob Lepp, died peacefully on Tuesday 2/10/26. He was 87 yo.
Bob worked at Courage Center (now Courage Kinney) and there he started the mental health department. This was a big movement and mostly uphill battles back in the day when mental health was seen as more of a social deficiency than it is today – “yes, we still have a ways to go” he would often say.
Bob was also quite involved in organizing clinical social workers in Minnesota. He held several committees and eventually, President of the MSCSW. He enjoyed being involved on a national level with the “Federation of CSW”, now called the CSWA if only for a brief time. In the 1980s, Bob and his stalwart colleagues were part of the successful licensure committee to eventual passage in the MN State Legislature!
I had the privilege of working alongside my dad in the MSCSW on various committees. Funny thing, it never felt like I was supposed to be privileged to do that, but somehow today it feels like privilege overwhelm.
Feel free to share any memories with me directly or share more MSCSW history of founding members to the organization as a whole. He, like Chad B, and others before them, were instrumental in the early founding and success of the MSCSW and clinical social workers here in Minnesota.
Love and peace to you all,
Mitch Leppicello
Photo is from the 2023 Annual Members Dinner of Bob Lepp, Granddaughter-in-Law Anna Leppicello, and son Mitch Leppicello, LICSW
Anne Gearity responded to Mitch’s words describing Bob as, “a pillar of those early times.”
She complimented Bob’s pioneering work to integrate social work into their rehab models. Anne shared, “Where would we be if he hadn’t broken that medical model stronghold? I remember doing a workshop with his staff and they revered him.” Anne described the early efforts to establish licensure, and noted Bob’s confidence, conviction and leadership.
Carol Schreier’s words to Mitch demonstrate what many of us feel. “I loved your Dad; loved working with him on many shared projects. He was always my idea and ideal of a talented, committed ethical clinical social worker. And he was fun to work with. He modeled so many ways of being in the world. He was all in on everything he did. He loved and was so devoted to his family, even modeling 3 generational shared living. He left this world a better place for all of us. My condolences to you and your family. We were all so fortunate to have known him.
The closing words of thanks to Bob are well stated by Ellen Luepker, who worked with him to found our Society, “Minnesota Society for Clinical Social Work colleagues who have shared their memories of Bob paint special, vivid and true pictures of Bob as a warm and caring, dedicated, responsible human being who made a significant professional impact on the early development and ongoing success of our clinical social work profession in Minnesota. The nature of any organization and profession is shaped enduringly by the nature of its founders. We in MSCSW are indeed fortunate that Bob was on the ground floor of forming our professional clinical social work society. Our broader community too, including Bob’s clients and their families and Bob’s colleagues, have benefitted from his caring and the trust we had in him.”
Submitted by Bev Caruso
