58-60-205.  Qualifications for licensure or certification as a clinical social worker, certified social worker, and social service worker.

(1)  An applicant for licensure as a clinical social worker shall:

Terms Used In Utah Code 58-60-205

  • Board: means the Social Worker Licensing Board created in Section 58-60-203. See Utah Code 58-60-202
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Mental health therapist: means an individual who is practicing within the scope of practice defined in the individual's respective licensing act and is licensed under this title as:
(a) a physician and surgeon, or osteopathic physician engaged in the practice of mental health therapy;
(b) an advanced practice registered nurse, specializing in psychiatric mental health nursing;
(c) an advanced practice registered nurse intern, specializing in psychiatric mental health nursing;
(d) a psychologist qualified to engage in the practice of mental health therapy;
(e) a certified psychology resident qualifying to engage in the practice of mental health therapy;
(f) a physician assistant specializing in mental health care under Section 58-70a-501. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • United States: includes each state, district, and territory of the United States of America. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • (a)  submit an application on a form provided by the division;

    (b)  pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;

    (c)  produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:

    (i)  a master’s degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work; or

    (ii)  a doctoral degree that contains a clinical social work concentration and practicum approved by the division, by rule, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is consistent with Section 58-1-203;

    (d)  have completed a minimum of 3,000 hours of clinical social work training as defined by division rule under Section 58-1-203:

    (i)  under the supervision of a supervisor approved by the division in collaboration with the board who is a:

    (A)  clinical mental health counselor;

    (B)  psychiatrist;

    (C)  psychologist;

    (D)  registered psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner;

    (E)  marriage and family therapist; or

    (F)  clinical social worker; and

    (ii)  including a minimum of two hours of training in suicide prevention via a course that the division designates as approved;

    (e)  document successful completion of not less than 1,000 hours of supervised training in mental health therapy obtained after completion of the education requirement in Subsection (1)(c), which training may be included as part of the 3,000 hours of training in Subsection (1)(d), and of which documented evidence demonstrates not less than 75 of the hours were obtained under the direct supervision, as defined by rule, of a supervisor described in Subsection (1)(d)(i);

    (f)  have completed a case work, group work, or family treatment course sequence with a clinical practicum in content as defined by rule under Section 58-1-203;

    (g)  pass the examination requirement established by rule under Section 58-1-203; and

    (h)  if the applicant is applying to participate in the Counseling Compact under Chapter 60a, Counseling Compact, consent to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-60-103.1 and any requirements established by division rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.

    (2)  An applicant for licensure as a certified social worker shall:

    (a)  submit an application on a form provided by the division;

    (b)  pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504; and

    (c)  produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:

    (i)  a master’s degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work; or

    (ii)  a doctoral degree that contains a clinical social work concentration and practicum approved by the division, by rule, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is consistent with Section 58-1-203.

    (3)  An applicant for licensure as a social service worker shall:

    (a)  submit an application on a form provided by the division;

    (b)  pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504; and

    (c)  produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:

    (i)  a bachelor’s degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work;

    (ii)  a master’s degree in a field approved by the division in collaboration with the board;

    (iii)  a bachelor’s degree in any field if the applicant:

    (A)  has completed at least three semester hours, or the equivalent, in each of the following areas:

    (I)  social welfare policy;

    (II)  human growth and development; and

    (III)  social work practice methods, as defined by rule; and

    (B)  provides documentation that the applicant has completed at least 2,000 hours of qualifying experience under the supervision of a mental health therapist, which experience is approved by the division in collaboration with the board, and which is performed after completion of the requirements to obtain the bachelor’s degree required under this Subsection (4); or

    (iv)  successful completion of the first academic year of a Council on Social Work Education approved master’s of social work curriculum and practicum.

    (4)  The division shall ensure that the rules for an examination described under Subsection (1)(g) allow additional time to complete the examination if requested by an applicant who is:

    (a)  a foreign born legal resident of the United States for whom English is a second language; or

    (b)  an enrolled member of a federally recognized Native American tribe.

    Amended by Chapter 283, 2023 General Session
    Amended by Chapter 339, 2023 General Session