CHAPTER 5. SOCIAL WORKERS; CERTIFICATION; EXAMINATIONS
IC 25-23.6-5
Chapter 5. Social Workers; Certification; Examinations
IC 25-23.6-5-1
Social worker license requirements
Sec. 1. An individual who applies for a license as a social workermust meet the following requirements:
(1) Furnish satisfactory evidence to the board that theindividual:
(A) has received at least a bachelor's degree in social workfrom:
(i) an eligible postsecondary educational institution that isaccredited or approved for candidacy by the Council onSocial Work Education or approved by the board; or
(ii) a foreign school that has a program of study that isapproved by the Foreign Equivalency DeterminationService of the Council on Social Work Education; and
has completed two (2) years of experience in the practice ofsocial work under the supervision of a licensed socialworker, a licensed clinical social worker, or an equivalentsupervisor, as determined by the board, after receiving thebachelor's degree; or
(B) has a master's degree in social work from:
(i) an eligible postsecondary educational institutionapproved by the board; or
(ii) a foreign school that has a program of study that isapproved by the Foreign Equivalency DeterminationService of the Council on Social Work Education.
(2) Furnish satisfactory evidence to the board that the individualdoes not have a conviction for a crime that has a direct bearingon the individual's ability to practice competently.
(3) Furnish satisfactory evidence to the board that the individualhas not been the subject of a disciplinary action by a licensingor certification agency of another state or jurisdiction on thegrounds that the individual was not able to practice as a socialworker without endangering the public.
(4) Pass an examination provided by the board.
(5) Pay the fee established by the board.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.1-1994,SEC.126; P.L.255-1996, SEC.21; P.L.147-1997, SEC.47;P.L.2-2007, SEC.333.
IC 25-23.6-5-2
Clinical social worker license requirements
Sec. 2. An individual who applies for a license as a clinical socialworker must meet the following requirements:
(1) Furnish satisfactory evidence to the board that the individualhas received:
(A) a doctoral degree in social work from an eligiblepostsecondary educational institution that at the time of
graduation was accredited by an accrediting agencyrecognized by the United States Department of Education;or
(B) at least a master's degree in social work from:
(i) an eligible postsecondary educational institutionaccredited or approved for candidacy by the Council onSocial Work Education; or
(ii) a foreign school that has a program of study accreditedby the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work ora program equivalent to a program approved by theCouncil on Social Work Education by the ForeignEquivalency Determination Service of the Council onSocial Work Education.
The graduate program under this subdivision must haveemphasized direct clinical or client health services as providedunder section 3.1 of this chapter.
(2) Meet the clinical social work experience requirements undersection 3.5 of this chapter.
(3) Furnish satisfactory evidence to the board that the individualdoes not have a conviction for a crime that has a direct bearingon the individual's ability to practice competently.
(4) Furnish satisfactory evidence to the board that the individualhas not been the subject of a disciplinary action by a licensingor certification agency of another state or jurisdiction on thegrounds that the individual was not able to practice as a socialworker or clinical social worker without endangering the public.
(5) Pass an examination provided by the board.
(6) Pay a fee established by the board.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.33-1993,SEC.41; P.L.255-1996, SEC.22; P.L.147-1997, SEC.48; P.L.2-2007,SEC.334.
IC 25-23.6-5-3
Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.147-1997, SEC.75.)
IC 25-23.6-5-3.1
Graduate program providing clinical experience
Sec. 3.1. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a graduateprogram is considered to have emphasized direct clinical patient orclinic health care services if the graduate program meets thefollowing requirements:
(1) Required coursework in clinical social work and relatedareas such as psychiatric social work, medical social work,social case work, case management, psychotherapy, grouptherapy, and any other coursework accepted by the board.
(2) Required a supervised field placement that was part of theapplicant's advanced concentration in direct practice, duringwhich the applicant provided clinical services directly toclients. (3) Required completion of twenty-four (24) semester hours orthirty-seven (37) quarter hours of clinically oriented servicescourses in the theory and research of human behavior and socialenvironment and practice methods. However, if the graduatedegree was obtained before October 1, 1990, and the applicantsubmitted an application under section 3 of this chapter (beforeits repeal) before July 1, 1999, twenty-one (21) semester hoursor thirty-one (31) quarter hours in clinically oriented servicesare required. Not more than six (6) semester hours or nine (9)quarter hours of the clinically oriented services courses may befrom independent study coursework.
If the applicant's transcript does not clearly identify the content ofthe coursework, the applicant shall submit a syllabus, a coursecatalog description, or other documentation that describes thecoursework.
(b) An applicant who graduated from a graduate program that didnot emphasize direct patient or client services may complete theclinical curriculum requirement by returning to a graduate programallowed under section 2(1)(B) of this chapter to complete theeducation requirements.
(c) Coursework that was taken at a baccalaureate level does notmeet the requirements under this section unless an official of thegraduate program certifies that the specific course, which a studentenrolled in the same graduate program was ordinarily required tocomplete at the graduate level, was waived or exempted based oncompletion of a similar course at the baccalaureate level.
As added by P.L.147-1997, SEC.49.
IC 25-23.6-5-3.5
Clinical social work experience; requirements
Sec. 3.5. (a) The applicant for a license as a clinical social workermust have at least two (2) years of clinical social work experienceafter receiving a graduate degree in social work and under thesupervision of a qualified supervisor as determined by the board.
(b) If an individual is obtaining the clinical social workexperience described in subsection (a) in Indiana, the individual mustbe licensed as a social worker under section 1 of this chapter.
(c) A doctoral internship may be applied toward the supervisedclinical social work experience requirement.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (e), the clinical social workexperience requirement may be met by work performed at or awayfrom the premises of the qualified supervisor.
(e) The clinical social work requirement may not be performedaway from the qualified supervisor's premises if:
(1) the work is the independent private practice of clinicalsocial work; and
(2) the work is not performed at a place with the supervision ofa qualified supervisor available.
As added by P.L.147-1997, SEC.50. Amended by P.L.177-2009,SEC.45.
IC 25-23.6-5-4
Examination; minimum requirements
Sec. 4. An individual who satisfies the requirements of section 1or 2 of this chapter and section 3 of this chapter may take theexamination provided by the board.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9.
IC 25-23.6-5-5
Examinations; time and place
Sec. 5. The board shall provide for examinations to be given atleast once annually at times and places established by the board.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9.
IC 25-23.6-5-6
Issuance of license
Sec. 6. The board shall issue a license to an individual who:
(1) achieves a passing score, as determined by the board, on theexamination provided under this chapter; and
(2) is otherwise qualified under this article.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.147-1997,SEC.51.
IC 25-23.6-5-7
Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.33-1993, SEC.74.)
IC 25-23.6-5-8
Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.33-1993, SEC.74.)
IC 25-23.6-5-9
Duration of license; renewal
Sec. 9. (a) A license issued by the board is valid for the remainderof the renewal period in effect on the date the license was issued.
(b) An individual may renew a license by:
(1) paying a renewal fee on or before the expiration date of thelicense; and
(2) completing not less than twenty (20) hours of continuingeducation per licensure year.
(c) If an individual fails to pay a renewal fee on or before theexpiration date of a license, the license becomes invalid.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.147-1997,SEC.52.
IC 25-23.6-5-10
Reinstatement of invalid license
Sec. 10. (a) The board may reinstate an invalid license up to three(3) years after the expiration date of the license if the individualholding the invalid license meets the requirements under IC 25-1-8-6.
(b) If more than three (3) years have elapsed since the date a
license expired, the individual holding the license may renew thelicense by satisfying the requirements for renewal established by theboard and meeting the requirements under IC 25-1-8-6.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.147-1997,SEC.53; P.L.269-2001, SEC.21.
IC 25-23.6-5-11
Temporary permit; requirements; expiration; renewal
Sec. 11. (a) The board may issue a temporary permit to anindividual to profess to be a social worker or clinical social workerif the individual pays a fee and the individual:
(1) has a valid license or certificate to practice from anotherstate and the individual has passed an examination substantiallyequivalent to the level for which licensure is being requested;
(2) is practicing in a state that does not license or certify socialworkers or clinical social workers, but is certified by a nationalassociation approved by the board and the individual hasapplied for a license from the board; or
(3) has been approved by the board to take the examination andhas graduated from a school or program approved by the boardand the individual has completed any experience requirement.
(b) A temporary permit expires the earlier of:
(1) the date the individual holding the permit is issued a licenseunder this article;
(2) the date the board disapproves the individual's licenseapplication; or
(3) one hundred eighty (180) days after the initial permit isissued.
(c) The board may renew a temporary permit if the individualholding the permit was scheduled to take the next examination andthe individual:
(1) did not take the examination; and
(2) shows good cause for not taking the examination.
(d) A permit renewed under subsection (c) expires on the date theindividual holding the permit receives the results from the nextexamination given after the permit was issued, and may not beextended if the applicant has failed the examination.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.255-1996,SEC.23; P.L.147-1997, SEC.54.
IC 25-23.6-5-12
Notification of retirement from practice
Sec. 12. (a) An individual who is licensed under this article shallnotify the board in writing when the individual retires from practice.
(b) Upon receipt of the notice, the board shall:
(1) record the fact the individual is retired; and
(2) release the individual from further payment of renewal feesand continuing education requirements.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.147-1997,SEC.55.
IC 25-23.6-5-13
Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.33-1993, SEC.74.)
IC 25-23.6-5-14
Exemption from examination requirement
Sec. 14. An individual who applies for a license under this articlemay be exempted by the board from the examination requirementunder this chapter if the individual:
(1) is licensed or certified to practice as a social worker orclinical social worker in another state and has passed anexamination substantially equivalent to the level for which theindividual is requesting licensure;
(2) has engaged in the practice of social work or the practice ofclinical social work for not less than three (3) of the previousfive (5) years;
(3) has passed a licensing examination substantially equivalentto the licensing examination under this article;
(4) has passed an examination pertaining to the social work andclinical social work laws and rules of this state; and
(5) has not committed any act or is not under investigation forany act that constitutes a violation of this article;
and is otherwise qualified under section 1 or 2 of this chapter andsection 3 of this chapter and pays an additional fee.
As added by P.L.186-1990, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.255-1996,SEC.24; P.L.147-1997, SEC.56.
IC 25-23.6-5-15
Repealed
(Repealed by P.L.33-1993, SEC.74.)