In this chapter, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:

1.    “Board” means the North Dakota board of social work examiners.

2.    “Client” means the individual, couple, family, group, organization, or community that seeks or receives social work services from an individual licensed social worker or an organization, regardless of whether the licensed social worker or organization bills or accepts or requests the payment of fees for the services.

3.    “Clinical supervision for licensure” means an interactional professional relationship between a clinical supervisor which meets the standards adopted by the board and a social worker and which provides evaluation and direction over the supervisee’s practice of clinical social work in preparation for the social worker’s licensure as a licensed clinical social worker, in accordance with the requirements adopted by the board, and promotes development of the social worker’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to engage in the practice of clinical social work in an ethical and competent manner.

4.    “Consultation” means an advisory professional relationship between a social worker and an individual with particular expertise, with the social worker legally and ethically maintaining responsibility for all judgments and decisions regarding service to the client.

5.    “Counseling” means a method used by a social worker to assist an individual, couple, family, or group in learning how to solve problems and make decisions about personal, health, social, educational, vocational, financial, and other interpersonal concerns.

6.    “Electronic social work services” means the use of a computer, including the internet, social media, online chat, text, and electronic mail, or other electronic means, such as a wireless communications device, landline telephone, or video technology, to provide information to the public, deliver social work services to a client, communicate with a client, manage confidential information and case records, store and access information about clients, and arrange payment for professional services.

7.    “Licensed baccalaureate social worker” means an individual licensed under this chapter to practice baccalaureate social work.

8.    “Licensed clinical social worker” means an individual licensed under this chapter to practice clinical social work.

9.    “Licensed master social worker” means an individual licensed under this chapter to practice masters social work.

10.    “Private practice of social work” means the independent practice of social work by a licensee who is practicing within that licensee’s scope of practice, and who is self-employed on a full-time or part-time basis and is responsible for that independent practice. Consultation services provided to an organization or an agency are not considered to be the private practice of social work.

11.    “Psychotherapy” means the use of treatment methods utilizing a specialized, formal interaction between a licensed clinical social worker and an individual, couple, family, or group in which a therapeutic relationship is established, maintained, and sustained to understand unconscious processes; intrapersonal, interpersonal, and psychosocial dynamics; and the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, or addictions.

12.    “Social work case management” means a method to plan, provide, evaluate, and monitor services by a licensed social worker from a variety of resources on behalf of and in collaboration with a client.

13.    “Social work practice” means the application of social work theory, knowledge, methods, ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The scope of practice for licensees of the board consist of the following:

a.    The practice of baccalaureate social work, which includes the application of social work theory, knowledge, methods, ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Baccalaureate social work is generalist practice that includes assessment, planning, implementation, intervention, evaluation, research, social work case management, information and referral, counseling, supervision, consultation, education, advocacy, community organization, and the development, implementation, and administration of policies, programs, and activities.

b.    The practice of masters social work, which includes, in addition to the practice of baccalaureate social work, the application of specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills in the areas of assessment, treatment planning, implementation, intervention, evaluation, social work case management information and referral, counseling, supervision, consultation, education, research, advocacy, community organization, and the development, implementation, and administration of policies, programs, and activities. Under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, the practice of masters social work may include the practices reserved to licensed clinical social workers.

c.    The practice of clinical social work, which includes, in addition to the practice of baccalaureate social work and the practice of masters social work, the application of specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skills in the areas of assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation, social work case management information and referral, counseling, supervision, consultation, education, research, advocacy, community organization, the development, implementation, intervention, and administration of policies, programs, and activities, and the diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions. Treatment methods include the provision of individual, marital, couple, family, and group counseling and psychotherapy. The practice of clinical social work may include the provision of clinical supervision.