Cal. BPC § 4996.17.1 — California Code / Code bpc / Division 2 / Chapter 14 / Article 4 / Section 4996.17.1
Section 4996.17.1
Status: in_force

The board may issue a license to a person who, at the time of submitting an application for a license pursuant to this chapter, holds a license in another jurisdiction of the United States as a clinical social worker at the highest level for independent practice if all of the following requirements are met:

(a) The applicant’s license in the other jurisdiction has been current, active, and unrestricted for at least two years immediately before the date the application was received by the board. The applicant shall disclose to the board for review any past restrictions or disciplinary actions on an out-of-state license and the board shall consider these actions in determining whether to issue a license to the applicant.

(b) The applicant’s degree that qualified the applicant for the out-of-state license is a master’s degree from an accredited school or department of social work.

(c) The applicant complies with the fingerprint requirements established in Section 144.

(d) The applicant completes the coursework specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) from an accredited school or department of social work, a school, college, or university accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education, a school, college, or university that is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, or from a continuing education provider that is identified as acceptable by the board pursuant to Section 4996.22. Undergraduate coursework shall not satisfy these requirements.

(1) A minimum of 12 hours of coursework in California law and professional ethics. The content of the course shall include, but not be limited to, the following: advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege, recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws related to confidentiality of patient health information, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to patients, the application of legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and process.

(2) At least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction that includes an understanding of various California cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.

(e) The applicant obtains a minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting, as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(f) On and after January 1, 2021, the applicant shall show proof of completion of at least six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention using one of the methods specified in Section 4996.27.

(g) The applicant passes the board-administered California law and ethics examination required in Section 4996.1. The clinical examination required in Section 4996.1 shall be waived for an applicant qualifying under this section.

(h) This section was developed based on an examination of the licensure requirements for clinical social workers on a national level. This section shall not be construed to apply to any provisions under this division or Division 3 (commencing with Section 5000) other than this act.