HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2169

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to social workers.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that social workers in Hawaii who are working to complete their licensed clinical social worker requirements must complete three thousand hours of supervised work experience, one hundred hours of which must be by direct face-to-face supervision.  The legislature further finds that certain social workers, particularly those living on the less populated islands, in rural areas, and those employed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, may experience difficulty meeting the direct face-to-face supervision requirement.  This is especially true for social workers in rural areas, as there are a limited number of rural social workers who are qualified to provide supervision for applicants for licensure as clinical social workers.

     The legislature additionally finds that telehealth has become standard practice in social work and the mental health field and should be permitted as a means of meeting the supervision requirements needed for licensure as a clinical social worker.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to clarify the supervision requirements for licensure of clinical social workers, including permitting the supervision requirements to be met through face-to-face supervision or via a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-certified video conferencing service.

     SECTION 2.  Section 467E-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§467E-7  Licensing requirements.  Every applicant for a license as a social worker shall submit evidence satisfactory to the director that the applicant meets the following requirements:

     (1)  For the licensed bachelor social worker, the applicant:

         (A)  Holds a bachelor's degree from a college or university in a social work program accredited by or deemed to be equivalent to a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; and

         (B)  Has passed the basic level national examination given by the Association of Social Work Boards;

     (2)  For the licensed social worker, the applicant:

         (A)  Holds a master's degree from a college or university in a social work program accredited by or deemed to be equivalent to an accredited program by the Council on Social Work Education or a doctoral degree from a doctoral degree program in social work accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or a comparable regional accreditation body; and

         (B)  Has passed the intermediate or higher level national examination given by the Association of Social Work Boards; and

     (3)  For the licensed clinical social worker, the applicant:

         (A)  Has met the educational requirements in paragraph (2);

         (B)  Has passed the clinical level national examination given by the Association of Social Work Boards; and

         (C)  Has provided evidence of successful completion of at least three thousand hours of post masters clinical social work experience under supervision completed within no fewer than two years, but within no more than five years.  Clinical social work experience shall include a minimum of two thousand hours of assessment, clinical diagnosis, and psychotherapy; no more than a maximum of nine hundred hours of client-centered advocacy, consultation, and evaluation; and at least one hundred hours of [direct face-to-face] supervision.  At least sixty of the one hundred hours of [direct face-to-face] supervision [shall have been individualized supervision] may be face-to-face or via a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996-compliant video conference service and the remaining forty hours may have been under small group (up to six supervisees) supervision; provided that:

              (i)  The supervisor shall have been a licensed clinical social worker with at least four thousand five hundred hours of post masters clinical social work experience;

             (ii)  For the first five years after July 1, 2004, the following individuals shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of a supervisor:  a person with a master's degree in social work with at least four thousand five hundred hours post masters clinical social work experience; an individual who holds a diplomate in clinical social work or a board certified diplomate certification; or a board certified psychiatrist, psychologist, advanced practice registered nurse who has a minimum of four thousand five hundred hours of post masters clinical experience in assessment, clinical diagnosis, and psychotherapy; and

            (iii)  Supervision shall have [occurred in an agency setting that provides] included review of clinical diagnosis and psychotherapy.

              An applicant who submits evidence of certification as a qualified clinical social worker or diplomate in clinical social work by the National Association of Social Workers or as a board certified diplomate by the American Board of Examiners shall be deemed to have satisfied the experience requirements of this subparagraph."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Social Workers; Licensed Clinical Social Workers; Licensing Requirements; Supervision

 

Description:

Clarifies the supervision requirements for licensure of clinical social workers, including permitting the supervision requirements to be met through face-to-face supervision or via a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-certified video conferencing service.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.