Subd. 4a.

City, county, and state social workers.

deleted text begin Beginning July 1, 2016,deleted text end The licensure
of city, county, and state agency social workers is voluntary, except an individual who is
newly employed by a city or state agency after July 1, 2016, must be licensed if the individual
who provides social work services, as those services are defined in section 148E.010,
subdivision 11, paragraph (b), is presented to the public by any title incorporating the words
"social work" or "social worker."new text begin A city, county, or state agency social worker who does
not hold a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree in social work or who is not licensed
under this chapter may not be presented to the public by any title incorporating the words
"social work" or "social worker."
new text end

Subd. 2a.

Representations.

deleted text begin Effective July 1, 2016:
deleted text end

(a) No applicant or other individual may be represented to the public by any title
incorporating the words "social work" or "social worker" unless the individual is employed
by a countynew text begin and holds a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree in social worknew text end ornew text begin the
individualnew text end holds a license according to this chapter.

(b) In all professional use of a social worker's name, the social worker must use the
license designation "LSW" or "licensed social worker" for a licensed social worker, "LGSW"
or "licensed graduate social worker" for a licensed graduate social worker, "LISW" or
"licensed independent social worker" for a licensed independent social worker, or "LICSW"
or "licensed independent clinical social worker" for a licensed independent clinical social
worker.

(c) Public statements or advertisements must not be untruthful, misleading, false,
fraudulent, deceptive, or potentially exploitative of clients, former clients, interns, students,
supervisees, or the public.

(d) A social worker must not:

(1) use licensure status as a claim, promise, or guarantee of successful service;

(2) obtain a license by cheating or employing fraud or deception;

(3) make false statements or misrepresentations to the board or in materials submitted
to the board; or

(4) engage in conduct that has the potential to deceive or defraud a social work client,
intern, student, supervisee, or the public.