(1) The board shall license as a licensed social worker a person who files an application in a form and manner required by the board, submits the fee required by the board pursuant to section 12-245-205, and submits evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant:
Is at least twenty-one years of age;
Has completed a master's degree from a graduate school of social work; and
Demonstrates professional competence by satisfactorily passing an examination insocial work as prescribed by the board and a jurisprudence examination administered by the division.
(2) The board shall license as a licensed clinical social worker a person who files an application, in a form and manner required by the board, submits the fee required by the board pursuant to section 12-245-205, and submits evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant:
Is at least twenty-one years of age;
Has completed a master's or doctoral degree from a graduate school of social work;
Has practiced social work for at least two years under the virtual or in-person supervision of a licensed clinical social worker or other person with equivalent experience as determined by the board, which practice includes training and work experience in the area of clinical social work practice; and
Demonstrates professional competence by satisfactorily passing an examination insocial work as prescribed by the board and a jurisprudence examination administered by the division.
(3) (a) The board or its designated representative shall give the examination described in subsection (1)(c) of this section and in subsection (2)(d) of this section at least twice per year at a time and place and under the supervision determined by the board.
(b) The board or its designated representatives shall administer and determine the pass or fail status of the examination and take any actions necessary to ensure impartiality. The board shall determine the passing score for the examination based upon a level of minimum competency to engage in social work practice.
(4) (a) The board shall register as a clinical social worker candidate a person who files an application for registration, accompanied by the fee required by section 12-245-205, who is not in violation of any provision of this article 245 or any rules promulgated by the board, and who:
Submits evidence satisfactory to the board that the person has met the requirementsof subsections (2)(a) and (2)(b) of this section; and
Has not been previously registered as a clinical social worker candidate by the board.
(b) A clinical social worker candidate registered pursuant to this subsection (4) is under the jurisdiction of the board. If the requirements of subsections (2)(c) and (2)(d) of this section are not met within four years after the date of registration as a candidate, the registration of the clinical social worker candidate expires and is not renewable unless the board, in its discretion, grants the candidate an extension. A person whose clinical social worker candidate registration expires is not precluded from applying for licensure or registration with any other mental health board for which the person is qualified.
Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1270, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2020: (2)(c) and (4) amended, (HB 20-1206), ch. 304, pp. 1532, 1548, §§ 18, 56, effective July 14.
Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 12-43-404 as it existed prior to 2019.
(2) Subsection (4) was amended in section 56 of HB 20-1206. Those amendments were superseded by the amendment of subsection (4) in section 18 of HB 20-1206.