Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 108 (2015GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Davis, G.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/30/2015

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• provides that an individual may represent oneself as a, or use the title of, social worker if the individual possesses certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education as described in the bill; and
• amends the qualifications for licensure as a clinical social worker, certified social worker, and social service worker by adding completion of an education accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

SOCIAL WORK AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Gene Davis
House Sponsor: 
Rebecca P. Edwards
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions of the Mental Health Professional Practice Act.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ provides that an individual may represent oneself as a, or use the title of, social
worker if the individual possesses certified transcripts from an accredited institution
of higher education as described in the bill; and
▸ amends the qualifications for licensure as a clinical social worker, certified social
worker, and social service worker by adding completion of an education accredited
by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
58-60-109
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 179
58-60-205
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapters 16 and 262
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
58-60-109
 is amended to read:
58-60-109.
Unlawful conduct.
As used in this chapter, "unlawful conduct" includes:
(1) practice of the following unless licensed in the appropriate classification or
exempted from licensure under this title:
(a) mental health therapy;
(b) clinical social work;
(c) certified social work;
(d) marriage and family therapy;
(e) clinical mental health counselor;
(f) practice as a social service worker; or
(g) substance use disorder counselor;
(2) practice of mental health therapy by a licensed psychologist who has not acceptably
documented to the division the licensed psychologist's completion of the supervised training in
mental health therapy required under Subsection 
58-61-304
(1)(f); or
(3) representing oneself as, or using the title of, the following
:
(a)
 unless currently licensed in a license classification under this title:
[
(a)
] 
(i)
 psychiatrist;
[
(b) psychotherapist;
]
(ii) psychologist;
[
(c)
] 
(iii)
 registered psychiatric mental health nurse specialist;
[
(d)
] 
(iv)
 mental health therapist;
[
(e)
] 
(v)
 clinical social worker;
[
(f)
] 
(vi)
 certified social worker;
[
(g)
] 
(vii)
 marriage and family therapist;
[
(h)
] 
(viii)
 clinical mental health counselor;
[
(i) clinical hypnotist;
]
[
(j)
] 
(ix)
 social service worker;
[
(k)
] 
(x)
 substance use disorder counselor;
[
(l)
] 
(xi)
 associate clinical mental health counselor; or
[
(m)
] 
(xii)
 associate marriage and family therapist[
.
]
; or
(b) unless currently in possession of the credentials described in Subsection (4), social
worker.
(4) An individual may represent oneself as a, or use the title of, social worker if the
individual possesses certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education,
recognized by the division in collaboration with the Social Work Licensing Board, verifying
satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:
(a) a bachelor's or master's degree in a social work program accredited by the Council
on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work; or
(b) a doctoral degree that contains a clinical social work concentration and practicum
approved by the division, by rule, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is consistent with Section 
58-1-203
.
Section 2. Section 
58-60-205
 is amended to read:
58-60-205.
Qualifications for licensure or certification as a clinical social worker,
certified social worker, and social service worker.
(1) An applicant for licensure as a clinical social worker shall:
(a) submit an application on a form provided by the division;
(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c) be of good moral character;
(d) produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education
recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of
an education and 
an
 earned degree as follows:
(i) [
an earned
] 
a
 master's degree in 
a
 social work [
resulting from completion of an
education
] program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education 
or by the Canadian
Association of Schools of Social Work
; or
(ii) [
an earned
] 
a
 doctoral degree [
in social work that results from successful
completion of a clinical
] 
that contains a clinical social work
 concentration and practicum
approved by the division [
and defined by rule under
]
, by rule, in accordance with Title 63G,
Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is consistent with
 Section 
58-1-203
;
(e) have completed a minimum of 4,000 hours of clinical social work training as
defined by division rule under Section 
58-1-203
 in not less than two years and under the
supervision of a clinical social worker supervisor approved by the division in collaboration
with the board;
(f) document successful completion of not less than 1,000 hours of supervised training
in mental health therapy obtained after completion of the education requirement in Subsection
(1)(d), which training may be included as part of the 4,000 hours of training in Subsection
(1)(e), and of which documented evidence demonstrates not less than 100 of the hours were
obtained under the direct supervision of a clinical social worker, as defined by rule;
(g) have completed a case work, group work, or family treatment course sequence with
a clinical practicum in content as defined by rule under Section 
58-1-203
; and
(h) pass the examination requirement established by rule under Section 
58-1-203
.
(2) An applicant for licensure as a certified social worker shall:
(a) submit an application on a form provided by the division;
(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c) be of good moral character;
(d) produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education
recognized by the division in collaboration with the [
Social Worker Licensing Board
] 
board
verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:
(i) a 
master's degree in a
 social work [
education
] program accredited by the Council on
Social Work Education [
and an earned master's degree resulting from completion of that
program
] 
or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work
; or
(ii) [
an education program
] 
a doctoral degree
 that contains [
approved
] 
a
 clinical social
work concentration and practicum [
in content as defined by rule under Section 
58-1-203
 and an
earned doctorate resulting from completion of that program
] 
approved by the division, by rule,
in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is
consistent with Section 
58-1-203
; and
(e) pass the examination requirement established by rule under Section 
58-1-203
.
(3) (a) An applicant for certification as a certified social worker intern shall meet the
requirements of Subsections (2)(a), (b), (c), and (d).
(b) Certification under Subsection (3)(a) is limited to the time necessary to pass the
examination required under Subsection (2)(e) or six months, whichever occurs first.
(c) A certified social worker intern may provide mental health therapy under the
general supervision of a clinical social worker.
(4) An applicant for licensure as a social service worker shall:
(a) submit an application on a form provided by the division;
(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c) be of good moral character;
(d) produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education
recognized by the division in collaboration with the [
Social Worker Licensing Board
] 
board
verifying satisfactory completion of an 
education and an
 earned degree [
resulting from
education
] as follows:
(i) a bachelor's degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social
Work Education 
or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work
;
(ii) a master's degree in a field approved by the division in collaboration with the
[
social worker
] board;
(iii) a bachelor's degree in any field if the applicant:
(A) has completed at least three semester hours, or the equivalent, in each of the
following areas:
(I) social welfare policy;
(II) human growth and development; and
(III) social work practice methods, as defined by rule; and
(B) provides documentation that the applicant has completed at least 2,000 hours of
qualifying experience under the supervision of a mental health therapist, which experience is
approved by the division in collaboration with the [
Social Worker Licensing Board
] 
board
, and
which is performed after completion of the requirements to obtain the bachelor's degree
required under this Subsection (4); or
(iv) successful completion of the first academic year of a Council on Social Work
Education approved master's of social work curriculum and practicum; and
(e) pass the examination requirement established by rule under Section 
58-1-203
.
(5) The division shall ensure that the rules for an examination described under
Subsections (1)(h), (2)(e), and (4)(e) allow additional time to complete the examination if
requested by an applicant who is:
(a) a foreign born legal resident of the United States for whom English is a second
language; or
(b) an enrolled member of a federally recognized Native American tribe.