Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 73 - PROFESSIONS AND VOCATIONS (§§ 73-1-1 — 73-79-1) › Chapter 53 - LICENSING AND REGULATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (§§ 73-53-1 — 73-53-31) › Section 73-53-3 - Definitions

As used in this chapter:
(a)
"Board" means the Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists created under Section
73-53-8
.
(b)
"Social work practice" means the professional activity directed at enhancing, protecting or restoring people's capacity for social functioning, whether impaired by physical, environmental or emotional factors.
(c)
"Master's social work practice" means the application of social work theory, knowledge, methods and ethics and the professional use of self to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations and communities. Master's social work practice includes the application of specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills in the areas of assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation, 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 supervision as provided in this chapter, the practice of master's social work may include the practices reserved to clinical social workers.
(d)
"Macro social work practice" focuses on changing larger systems, such as communities and organizations. It encompasses a broad spectrum of practice, including planning, program development, community organizing, policy analysis, legislative advocacy, program evaluation, task-oriented group work, community education, and human services management.
(e)
"Clinical social work practice" means the application of social work methods, knowledge, theory, and ethics in the application of specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skill in areas of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions. This involves the professional application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of therapy services to those persons. Licensed clinical social workers may provide evaluations consistent with the scope of their education, training and experience, which shall occur within the context of a therapeutic relationship.
(f)
"Clinical supervision" means an interactional professional relationship between a supervisor and a social worker that provides evaluation and direction over the supervisee's practice of clinical social work and promotes continued 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. "Approved clinical supervisor" means a licensed clinical social worker who has met the qualifications to be a clinical supervisor as determined by the board.
(g)
"Supervision" means the professional relationship between a supervisor and a social worker that provides evaluation and direction over the services provided by the social worker and promotes continued development of the social worker's knowledge, skills and abilities to provide social work services in an ethical and competent manner.
(h)
"Examination(s)" means that test or exam which is endorsed and prescribed by the Association of Social Work Boards.
(i)
"ASWB" means Association of Social Work Boards.
(j)
"Advertise" means, but is not limited to, issuing or causing to be distributed any card, sign or device to any person; causing, permitting or allowing any sign or marking on or in any building; broadcasting by radio, television, or the Internet; or advertising by any other means designed to secure public attention.
(k)
"Use a title or description of" means to hold oneself out to the public as having a particular status by means of stating it on signs, mailboxes, address plates, stationery, announcements, calling cards, the Internet or other instruments of professional identification.
(l)
"Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, organization or body politic.
(m)
"Continuing education" means education and training that are oriented to maintain, improve or enhance social work practice knowledge and skills at the post-baccalaureate level. "Continuing education hour" means a sixty-minute clock hour of instruction, not including breaks or meals.
Laws, 1987, ch. 421, § 2; Laws, 1997, ch. 516, § 23; reenacted without change, Laws, 1999, ch. 438, § 1; reenacted without change, Laws, 2001, ch. 421, § 1; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2011, ch. 462, § 2, eff. 7/1/2011.
Reenacted without change by Laws, 2018, ch. 403, HB 988,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2018.
Reenacted by Laws, 2014, ch. 395, HB 583, 1, eff. 7/1/2014.