2001 Minnesota Statutes

     148B.21 Requirements for licensure. 

    Subdivision 1.    Categories of licensees.  The board 
 shall issue licenses for the following four groups of 
 individuals qualified under this section to practice social work:

    (1) social workers; 

    (2) graduate social workers; 

    (3) independent social workers; and 

    (4) independent clinical social workers. 

    Subd. 2.    Fee.  Each applicant shall pay a 
 nonrefundable fee set by the board.  Fees paid to the board 
 shall be deposited in the state government special revenue fund. 

    Subd. 3.    Social worker.  (a) Except as provided in 
 paragraph (b), to be licensed as a social worker, an applicant 
 must provide evidence satisfactory to the board that the 
 applicant: 

    (1) has received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited 
 program of social work; 

    (2) has passed the examination provided for in section 
 148B.20, subdivision 1; 

    (3) will engage in social work practice only under 
 supervision as defined in section 148B.18, subdivision 12, for 
 at least two years in full-time employment or 4,000 hours of 
 part-time employment; 

    (4) will conduct all professional activities as a social 
 worker in accordance with standards for professional conduct 
 established by the statutes and rules of the board; and 

    (5) has not engaged in conduct warranting a disciplinary 
 action against a licensee.  If the applicant has engaged in 
 conduct warranting disciplinary action against a licensee, the 
 board may issue a license only on the applicant's showing that 
 the public will be protected through the issuance of a license 
 with conditions or limitations approved by the board. 

    (b) An applicant who was born in a foreign country, who has 
 taken and failed to pass the examination specified in paragraph 
 (a), clause (2), at least once since January 1, 2000, and for 
 whom English is a second language, is eligible for licensure as 
 a social worker if the applicant: 

    (1) provides evidence satisfactory to the board of 
 compliance with the requirements in paragraph (a), clauses (1), 
 (3), (4), and (5); and 

    (2) provides to the board letters of recommendation and 
 experience ratings from two licensed social workers and one 
 professor from the applicant's social work program who can 
 attest to the applicant's competence.  

 This paragraph expires August 1, 2005.  

    Subd. 4.    Graduate social worker.  (a) Except as 
 provided in paragraph (b), to be licensed as a graduate social 
 worker, an applicant must provide evidence satisfactory to the 
 board that the applicant: 

    (1) has received a master's degree from an accredited 
 program of social work or doctoral degree in social work; 

    (2) has passed the examination provided for in section 
 148B.20, subdivision 1; 

    (3) will engage in social work practice only under 
 supervision as defined in section 148B.18, subdivision 12; 

    (4) will conduct all professional activities as a graduate 
 social worker in accordance with standards for professional 
 conduct established by the statutes and rules of the board; and 

    (5) has not engaged in conduct warranting a disciplinary 
 action against a licensee.  If the applicant has engaged in 
 conduct warranting disciplinary action against a licensee, the 
 board may issue a license only on the applicant's showing that 
 the public will be protected through the issuance of a license 
 with conditions or limitations approved by the board. 

    (b) An applicant who was born in a foreign country, who has 
 taken and failed to pass the examination specified in paragraph 
 (a), clause (2), at least once since January 1, 2000, and for 
 whom English is a second language, is eligible for licensure as 
 a graduate social worker if the applicant: 

    (1) provides evidence satisfactory to the board of 
 compliance with the requirements in paragraph (a), clauses (1), 
 (3), (4), and (5); and 

    (2) provides to the board letters of recommendation and 
 experience ratings from two licensed social workers and one 
 professor from the applicant's social work program who can 
 attest to the applicant's competence.  

 This paragraph expires August 1, 2005.  

    Subd. 5.    Independent social worker.  (a) Except as 
 provided in paragraph (b), to be licensed as an independent 
 social worker, an applicant must provide evidence satisfactory 
 to the board that the applicant: 

    (1) has received a master's degree from an accredited 
 program of social work or doctoral degree in social work; 

    (2) has passed the examination provided for in section 
 148B.20, subdivision 1; 

    (3) has practiced social work for at least two years in 
 full-time employment or 4,000 hours of part-time employment 
 under supervision as defined in section 148B.18, subdivision 12, 
 after receiving the master's or doctoral degree in social work; 

    (4) will conduct all professional activities as an 
 independent social worker in accordance with standards for 
 professional conduct established by the statutes and rules of 
 the board; and 

    (5) has not engaged in conduct warranting a disciplinary 
 action against a licensee.  If the applicant has engaged in 
 conduct warranting disciplinary action against a licensee, the 
 board may issue a license only on the applicant's showing that 
 the public will be protected through the issuance of a license 
 with conditions or limitations approved by the board. 

    (b) An applicant who was born in a foreign country, who has 
 taken and failed to pass the examination specified in paragraph 
 (a), clause (2), at least once since January 1, 2000, and for 
 whom English is a second language, is eligible for licensure as 
 an independent social worker if the applicant: 

    (1) provides evidence satisfactory to the board of 
 compliance with the requirements in paragraph (a), clauses (1), 
 (3), (4), and (5); and 

    (2) provides to the board letters of recommendation and 
 experience ratings from two licensed social workers and one 
 professor from the applicant's social work program who can 
 attest to the applicant's competence. 

 This paragraph expires August 1, 2005. 

    Subd. 6.    Independent clinical social worker.  (a) 
 Except as provided in paragraph (b), to be licensed as an 
 independent clinical social worker, an applicant must provide 
 evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant: 

    (1) has received a master's degree from an accredited 
 program of social work, or doctoral degree in social work, that 
 included an advanced concentration of clinically oriented course 
 work as defined by the board and a supervised clinical field 
 placement at the graduate level, or post-master's clinical 
 training that is found by the board to be equivalent to that 
 course work and field placement; 

    (2) has practiced clinical social work for at least two 
 years in full-time employment or 4,000 hours of part-time 
 employment under supervision as defined in section 148B.18, 
 subdivision 12, after receiving the master's or doctoral degree 
 in social work; 

    (3) has passed the examination provided for in section 
 148B.20, subdivision 1; 

    (4) will conduct all professional activities as an 
 independent clinical social worker in accordance with standards 
 for professional conduct established by the statutes and rules 
 of the board; and 

    (5) has not engaged in conduct warranting a disciplinary 
 action against a licensee.  If the applicant has engaged in 
 conduct warranting disciplinary action against a licensee, the 
 board may issue a license only on the applicant's showing that 
 the public will be protected through the issuance of a license 
 with conditions or limitations approved by the board. 

    (b) An applicant who was born in a foreign country, who has 
 taken and failed to pass the examination specified in paragraph 
 (a), clause (3), at least once since January 1, 2000, and for 
 whom English is a second language, is eligible for licensure as 
 an independent clinical social worker if the applicant: 

    (1) provides evidence satisfactory to the board of 
 compliance with the requirements in paragraph (a), clauses (1), 
 (2), (4), and (5); and 

    (2) provides to the board letters of recommendation and 
 experience ratings from two licensed social workers and one 
 professor from the applicant's social work program who can 
 attest to the applicant's competence. 

 This paragraph expires August 1, 2005.  

    Subd. 6a.    Background checks.  The board shall request 
 a criminal history background check from the superintendent of 
 the bureau of criminal apprehension on all applicants for 
 initial licensure.  An application for a license under this 
 section must be accompanied by an executed criminal history 
 consent form and the fee for conducting the criminal history 
 background check.  The board shall deposit all fees paid by 
 applicants for criminal history background checks under this 
 subdivision into the miscellaneous special revenue fund.  The 
 fees collected under this subdivision are appropriated to the 
 board for the purpose of reimbursing the bureau of criminal 
 apprehension for the cost of the background checks upon their 
 completion. 

    Subd. 7.    Temporary permit.  (a) The board may issue a 
 temporary permit to practice social work to an applicant in the 
 following situations, provided the applicant meets all other 
 requirements for licensure: 

    (1) the applicant has passed the licensure examination and 
 the applicant's accredited program of social work has submitted 
 an affidavit on a form provided by the board verifying the 
 applicant's completion of the requirements for a degree.  The 
 affidavit must be submitted within 15 days of the date of 
 completion of the degree requirements.  The temporary permit 
 under this clause is valid for six months, or until a license is 
 issued, whichever comes first, and is nonrenewable; 

    (2) the applicant has applied for licensure under section 
 148B.24 and the board determines that the applicant must pass 
 the licensure examination before being licensed.  The temporary 
 permit under this clause is valid if the applicant passes the 
 examination and completes the licensure process within the time 
 periods specified by the board, and is nonrenewable; 

    (3) the applicant has passed the licensure examination, has 
 graduated from a program of social work in candidacy status with 
 the Council on Social Work Education, and the program of social 
 work has submitted an affidavit on a form provided by the board 
 verifying the applicant's completion of the requirements for a 
 degree.  The affidavit must be submitted within 15 days of the 
 date of completion of the degree requirements.  The temporary 
 permit under this clause is valid for six months, and may be 
 extended at the board's discretion upon a showing that the 
 social work program remains in good standing with the Council on 
 Social Work Education.  If the board receives notice from the 
 Council on Social Work Education that the program of social work 
 is not in good standing or that accreditation will not be 
 granted to the program of social work, then the temporary permit 
 shall be invalid immediately and the applicant shall not qualify 
 for licensure; or 

    (4) the applicant was born in a foreign country, the 
 applicant has taken and failed to pass the licensure 
 examination, English is a second language for the applicant, and 
 the applicant's accredited program of social work has submitted 
 an affidavit on a form provided by the board verifying the 
 applicant's completion of the requirements for a degree.  The 
 affidavit must be submitted within 15 days of the date of 
 completion of the degree requirements.  The temporary permit 
 under this clause is valid for six months or until a license is 
 issued, whichever comes first, and is nonrenewable.  This clause 
 expires August 1, 2005.  

    (b) An applicant who obtains a temporary permit may 
 practice social work only under the supervision of a licensed 
 social worker who is eligible to provide supervision under 
 section 148B.18, subdivision 12.  The applicant's supervisor 
 must provide evidence to the board, before the applicant is 
 approved by the board for licensure, that the applicant has 
 practiced social work under supervision.  This supervision will 
 not apply toward the supervision requirement required after 
 licensure. 

    (c) A temporary permit is nonrenewable. 

    Subd. 8.    Change of licensure level.  An applicant who 
 applies under this section for licensure as a licensed 
 independent social worker or a licensed independent clinical 
 social worker, and who is licensed at the time of application as 
 a licensed graduate social worker, or a licensed independent 
 social worker, is not required to meet the educational 
 requirement of this section.  The applicant must meet all other 
 requirements for licensure at the new level of licensure. 

    Subd. 9.    Supervision requirement.  If supervised 
 social work practice is required for licensure under this 
 section, and if the applicant has not engaged in the practice of 
 social work during the five years preceding the applicant's 
 application for licensure, then the board may grant a 
 conditional license to the applicant that would require that the 
 applicant obtain additional social work supervision or 
 additional continuing education hours, or both, within a 
 specified time period after licensure.  The board shall 
 establish rules to implement this section. 

    HIST: 1987 c 347 art 2 s 4; 1992 c 460 s 13-15; 1992 c 603 s 
 5; 1993 c 240 s 8-12; 1997 c 193 s 23-28; 1998 c 254 art 1 s 
 50,51; 2001 c 90 s 1-5; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 13 s 4