Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

H-0047.2
                                HOUSE BILL 1021
     State of Washington       68th Legislature       2023 Regular Session
     By Representatives Thai, Orwall, Leavitt, Ryu, Simmons, Reed,
     Lekanoff, Callan, Macri, Reeves, Wylie, Kloba, Ormsby, and Ramel
     Prefiled 12/08/22. Read first time 01/09/23.    Referred to Committee
     on Postsecondary Education & Workforce.
      AN ACT Relating to aligning social worker licensing requirements
  with national standards and requirements for other mental health
  professionals; amending RCW 18.225.090; and creating a new section.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
     NEW SECTION.   Sec. 1.   The legislature finds that the standards
 for licensing social workers have changed since social workers were
 first licensed in the state of Washington in 2001. Therefore, the
 legislature intends to align licensing standards more closely to
 those articulated by the national association of social workers, the
 association of social work boards, and the forthcoming interstate
 compact on social work licensing.
     Sec. 2.   RCW 18.225.090 and 2021 c 21 s 1 are each amended to
 read as follows:
     (1) The secretary shall issue a license to any applicant who
 demonstrates to the satisfaction of the secretary that the applicant
 meets the following education and experience requirements for the
 applicant's practice area.
     (a) Licensed social work classifications:
     (i) Licensed advanced social worker:
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     (A) Graduation from a master's ((or doctorate)) social work
 educational program accredited by the council on social work
 education or a social work doctorate program at a university
 accredited by a recognized accrediting organization, and approved by
 the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards;
     (B) Successful completion of an approved examination;
     (C) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement.
 The supervised experience requirement consists of a minimum of
 ((three thousand two hundred)) 3,000 hours with supervision by an
 approved supervisor who has been licensed for at least two years. Of
 those supervised hours:
     (I) At least ((ninety)) 90 hours must include direct supervision
 as specified in this subsection by a licensed independent clinical
 social worker, a licensed advanced social worker, or an equally
 qualified licensed mental health professional. Of those hours of
 directly supervised experience((:
     (1) At least fifty hours must include supervision by a licensed
 advanced social worker or licensed independent clinical social
 worker; the other forty hours may be supervised by an equally
 qualified licensed mental health practitioner; and
     (2) At)) at least ((forty)) 40 hours must be in one-to-one
 supervision and ((fifty)) 50 hours may be in one-to-one supervision
 or group supervision; and
     (II) Eight hundred hours must be in direct client contact; and
     (D) Successful completion of continuing education requirements of
 ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.
     (ii) Licensed independent clinical social worker:
     (A) Graduation from a master's ((or doctorate)) level social work
 educational program accredited by the council on social work
 education or a social work doctorate program at a university
 accredited by a recognized accrediting organization, and approved by
 the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards;
     (B) Successful completion of an approved examination;
     (C) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement.
 The supervised experience requirement consists of a minimum of ((four
 thousand)) 3,000 hours of experience, over a period of not less than
 ((three)) two years, with supervision by an approved supervisor who
 has been licensed for at least two years and, as specified in this
 subsection, may be either a licensed independent clinical social
 worker who has had at least one year of experience in supervising the
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 clinical social work of others or an equally qualified licensed
 mental health practitioner. Of those supervised hours:
     (I) At least ((one thousand)) 1,000 hours must be direct client
 contact; and
     (II) Hours of direct supervision must include:
     (1) At least ((one hundred thirty)) 100 hours by a licensed
 mental health practitioner;
     (2) At least ((seventy)) 70 hours of supervision with a licensed
 independent clinical social worker meeting the qualifications under
 this subsection (1)(a)(ii)(C); the ((other sixty)) remaining hours
 may be supervised by an equally qualified licensed mental health
 practitioner; and
     (3) At least ((sixty)) 60 hours must be in one-to-one supervision
 and ((seventy)) the remaining hours may be in one-to-one supervision
 or group supervision; and
     (D) Successful completion of continuing education requirements of
 ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.
     (b) Licensed mental health counselor:
     (i) Graduation from a master's or doctoral level educational
 program in mental health counseling or a related discipline from a
 college or university approved by the secretary based upon nationally
 recognized standards;
     (ii) Successful completion of an approved examination;
     (iii)   Successful   completion   of   a   supervised   experience
 requirement. The experience requirement consists of a minimum of
 ((thirty-six)) 36 months full-time counseling or ((three thousand))
 3,000 hours of postgraduate mental health counseling under the
 supervision of a qualified licensed mental health counselor or
 equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner, in an approved
 setting. The ((three thousand)) 3,000 hours of required experience
 includes a minimum of ((one hundred)) 100 hours spent in immediate
 supervision with the qualified licensed mental health counselor, and
 includes a minimum of ((one thousand two hundred)) 1,200 hours of
 direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups; and
     (iv) Successful completion of continuing education requirements
 of ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.
     (c) Licensed marriage and family therapist:
     (i) Graduation from a master's degree or doctoral degree
 educational program in marriage and family therapy or graduation from
 an educational program in an allied field equivalent to a master's
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 degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy approved by
 the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards;
     (ii) Successful passage of an approved examination;
     (iii)   Successful   completion    of   a    supervised   experience
 requirement. The experience requirement consists of a minimum of two
 calendar years of full-time marriage and family therapy. Of the total
 supervision, ((one hundred)) 100 hours must be with a licensed
 marriage and family therapist with at least five years' clinical
 experience; the other ((one hundred)) 100 hours may be with an
 equally   qualified  licensed   mental    health   practitioner.   Total
 experience requirements include:
     (A) A minimum of ((three thousand)) 3,000 hours of experience,
 ((one thousand)) 1,000 hours of which must be direct client contact;
 at least ((five hundred)) 500 hours must be gained in diagnosing and
 treating couples and families; plus
     (B) At least ((two hundred)) 200 hours of qualified supervision
 with a supervisor. At least ((one hundred)) 100 of the ((two
 hundred)) 200 hours must be one-on-one supervision, and the remaining
 hours may be in one-on-one or group supervision.
     Applicants who have completed a master's program accredited by
 the commission on accreditation for marriage and family therapy
 education of the American association for marriage and family therapy
 may be credited with ((five hundred)) 500 hours of direct client
 contact and ((one hundred)) 100 hours of formal meetings with an
 approved supervisor; and
     (iv) Successful completion of continuing education requirements
 of ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.
     (2) The department shall establish by rule what constitutes
 adequate proof of meeting the criteria. Only rules in effect on the
 date of submission of a completed application of an associate for her
 or his license shall apply. If the rules change after a completed
 application is submitted but before a license is issued, the new
 rules shall not be reason to deny the application.
     (3) In addition, applicants shall be subject to the grounds for
 denial of a license or issuance of a conditional license under
 chapter 18.130 RCW.
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Statutes affected: 
Original Bill: 18.225.090