Qualifications for licensure or certification as a clinical social worker, certified social worker, and social service worker.

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  • (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) 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) a 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
      • (ii) 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;
    • (d) have completed a minimum of 4,000 hours of clinical social work training as defined by division rule under Section 58-1-203:
      • (i) in not less than two years;
      • (ii) under the supervision of a supervisor approved by the division in collaboration with the board who is a:
        • (A) clinical mental health counselor;
        • (B) psychiatrist;
        • (C) psychologist;
        • (D) registered psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner;
        • (E) marriage and family therapist; or
        • (F) clinical social worker; and
      • (iii) including a minimum of two hours of training in suicide prevention via a course that the division designates as approved;
    • (e) 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)(c), which training may be included as part of the 4,000 hours of training in Subsection (1)(d), and of which documented evidence demonstrates not less than 100 of the hours were obtained under the direct supervision, as defined by rule, of a supervisor described in Subsection (1)(d)(ii);
    • (f) 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
    • (g) 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) 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) a 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
      • (ii) 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; and
    • (d) 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), and (c).
    • (b) Certification under Subsection (3)(a) is limited to the time necessary to pass the examination required under Subsection (2)(d) or six months, whichever occurs first.
    • (c) A certified social worker intern may provide mental health therapy under the general supervision, as defined by rule, of a supervisor described in Subsection (1)(d)(ii).
  • (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) 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) 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 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 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
    • (d) 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)(g), (2)(d), and (4)(d) 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.




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