This bill amends several sections of Minnesota Statutes to temporarily allow licensed graduate social workers to engage in clinical practice without supervision when providing crisis response services. Specifically, it introduces new provisions that permit these social workers to operate independently in crisis situations until August 1, 2027. The amendments to section 148E.050, subdivision 3, clarify that while licensed graduate social workers typically require supervision, they can bypass this requirement when involved in crisis response. Additionally, section 245I.04, subdivision 7, is updated to allow these social workers to provide treatment supervision to crisis teams without the usual oversight.

Furthermore, the bill modifies section 256B.0624, subdivision 9, to exempt licensed graduate social workers from standard supervision requirements when they are acting as mental health professionals in crisis intervention scenarios. This change aims to enhance the capacity of crisis teams by allowing licensed graduate social workers to take on more responsibilities in urgent situations, thereby improving the overall response to behavioral health crises. The provisions are set to expire on August 1, 2027, indicating that this is a temporary measure to address immediate needs in the behavioral health field.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 148E.050, 245I.04, 256B.0624