2007 Legislative changes in social work licensure Requirements:

1. 2007 Legislative changes in social work licensure Requirements: Implications for Field Education

2. What are the Changes and who do they affect? • Increase in standards for the clinical license (LICSW) and other licensing levels • Take effect on August 1, 2011 • Affect all students, supervisors (especially those who provide post-graduate supervision for licensure) and licensees

3. why the changes? • Revisions due to pressures both within and without the social work profession, on both state and national level • From within the profession: • Clinical coursework requirements • Expanded knowledge base

4. outside social work • Professional counselors 2005 efforts for licensure • Consumer dissatisfaction • DHS and federal audits • Legislative study • Comparison with other professions • Governor’s Mental Health Initiative

5. Definition of Clinical Social Work in Licensing Law “Clinical practice” means applying professional social work knowledge, skills, and values in the differential diagnosis and treatment of psychosocial function, disability, or impairment, including addictions and emotional, mental and behavioral disorders. Treatment includes a plan based on a differential diagnosis. Treatment may include but is not limited to the provision of psychotherapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. Clinical social workers may also provide services described in [SUBD. 12]

6. Changes in Academic requirements for LICSW: Clinical Coursework • 108 clock hours (30%) in differential diagnosis and biopsychosocial development and psychopathology across the lifespan • 36 clock hours (10%) in assessment-based clinical treatment planning with measurable goals • 108 clock hours (30%) in clinical intervention methods informed by research and current standards of practice • 18 clock hours (5%) in evaluation methodologies • 72 clock hours (20%) in social work ethics and values including cultural context, diversity and social policy • 18 clock hours (5%) in culturally specific clinical assessment and intervention.

7. Additional Academic requirements • Clinical knowledge areas must be completed through either/or: • CSWE MSW graduate degree program • Post-graduate coursework • Up to 90 CE hours Note: These apply only to individuals applying for the new LICSW on or after 8/1/11. All current students will fall under these new standards.

8. New supervised practice requirements • LISW • changed from 75 to 100 hours over 4000 practice hours • Of the 100 hours, 50 must be individual • May be in-person, by telephone or via eye-to-eye media (no email) • LGSW Non-Clinical Practice • changed from 75 to 100 hours over 4000 non-clinical practice hours • Of the 100 hours, 50 must be individual • May be in-person, by telephone or via eye-to-eye media (no email)

9. New supervised practice requirements • LGSW and LISW Clinical Practice • Increased to 200 hours over 4000 practice hours of clinical practice • Of the 200 hours, 100 must be individual • May be in-person, by telephone or via eye-to-eye media (no email) • Of the 4000 total clinical practice hours, at least 1800 must be “direct clinical contact” in order to apply for the LICSW license

10. New continuing Education Requirements for all levels of licensure • For all Licensees: • Required CE hours increases from 30 to 40 per 24 month renewal cycle • Consultation with an experienced supervisor can count toward 10 hours of independent study • For Licensing Supervisors only: • At least 6 of 40 CE hours must be in practice of supervision • For LICSW only: • At least 24 of 40 hours must be in clinical content

11. Advantages of New Standards • Enhance the Board of Social Work’s public protection mission • Maintains clinical social workers’ parity with other mental health providers • Promotes consumer access to clinical social workers • Ensures standards for third party insurance reimbursement

12. Potential disadvantages • Narrows definition of role of clinical social workers • More difficult for post-graduate MSWs to get required supervision – time, cost and finding qualified supervisors • May see decline in students entering advanced generalist or macro programs social workers as students move into clinical concentrations to ensure jobs upon graduation • Rural and out-state social workers may have more difficulty finding training and supervision

13. Augsburg’s MSW Curricular Fulfillment of Clinical Knowledge Content Areas Requirements

14. Implications for Field Education • Early proposals included requirement of minimum number of hours in a clinical internship, but this was not included in final bill • Despite this, field instructors play a critical role in helping students integrate the clinical course material into their work with clients – particularly in those settings that are not thought of as traditional clinical social work settings (non-psychotherapy settings). • Learning agendas, learning tasks, supervision discussions • Other ideas? Suggestions? • More discussion in small groups