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Agency 102

Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board

Article 2.—Licensing of Social Workers

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102-2-12. Licensed specialist clinical social work licensure requirements. (a) In order for an applicant who earns a degree before July 1, 2003 to qualify for licensure as a licensed specialist clinical social worker, the applicant shall meet, as a part of or in addition to the educational requirements specified in K.S.A. 65-6306 and amendments thereto, the following educational requirements:
(1) Satisfactory completion of at least three graduate academic hours in a discrete academic course whose primary and explicit focus is upon psychopathology and the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders classified in the diagnostic manuals commonly used as a part of accepted social work practice;
(2) satisfactory completion of a graduate-level, clinically oriented social work practicum that meets the following requirements:
(A) Is taken after completion of the graduate-level, clinically focused academic courses that are prerequisite to entering the clinical practicum;
(B) is an integrated, conceptually organized academic experience and is not an after-the-fact tabulation of clinical experience;
(C) occurs in a practice setting that, by its nature and function, clearly supports clinical social work practice and consistently provides opportunities for the supervised application of clinical social work practice knowledge, skills, values, and ethics; and
(D) provides training and close supervision in a wide range of clinical social work practice activities with a population of clients presenting a diverse set of problems and backgrounds.
(b) Each applicant for licensure as a specialist clinical social worker who earns a degree on or after July 1, 2003 shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Satisfactory completion of 15 graduate-level credit hours supporting diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders using the "diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders" adopted in K.A.R. 102-2-14. Three of the 15 credit hours shall consist of a discrete academic course whose primary and explicit focus is upon psychopathology and the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders as classified in the "diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders." The 15 graduate-level credit hours shall be from a social work program accredited by the council on social work education or a social work program in substantial compliance as prescribed in K.A.R. 102-2-6 and approved by the board; and
(2) completion of a graduate-level, supervised clinical practicum of professional experience that includes psychotherapy and assessment. The practicum shall integrate diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders with use of the "diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders" adopted in K.A.R. 102-2-14.
(c) Each applicant for licensure as a specialist clinical social worker shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Develop and cosign with the supervisor a clinical supervision training plan for the postgraduate supervised clinical experience required by K.S.A. 65-6306 and amendments thereto, on forms provided by the board. The applicant shall submit this plan to the board for consideration for approval before beginning clinical supervision. The clinical supervision training plan shall comply with K.A.R. 102-2-8(d). If changes or amendments to the plan occur after initial board approval, these changes or amendments shall be submitted to the board for consideration for approval;
(2) complete, in not less than two years and not more than six years, at least 3,000 hours of satisfactorily evaluated postgraduate, supervised clinical social work practice experience under the supervision of a qualified licensed specialist clinical social worker. At least 1,500 hours of the applicant's total postgraduate, supervised clinical experience shall be direct client contact conducting psychotherapy and assessments with individuals, couples, families, or groups;
(3) complete all required practice under supervision in accordance with K.A.R. 102-2-8(d); and
(4) participate in at least one hour of clinical supervision for each 15 hours of direct client contact to total 100 hours of clinical supervision. At least 50 hours of supervision shall be individual supervision. Unless extenuating circumstances are approved by the board, all supervision shall be conducted face-to-face either in person or, if confidentiality is technologically protected, by synchronous videoconferencing. There shall be at least two separate clinical supervision sessions per month, at least one of which shall be individual supervision. The supervision shall integrate the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders with the use of the "diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders" adopted in K.A.R. 102-2-14.
(d) At the time of the individual's application for licensure as a specialist clinical social worker, the applicant's supervisor shall submit documentation that is satisfactory to the board and enables the board to evaluate the nature, quality, and quantity of the applicant's supervised clinical social work experience. This documentation shall include the following information:
(1) A written summary of the types of clients and situations dealt with during the supervisory sessions;
(2) a written summary that addresses the degree to which the goals and objectives of supervision have been met;
(3) a written statement and supportive documentation that describes the applicant's practice setting and provides a summary of the applicant's practice activities and responsibilities that occurred while under supervision;
(4) a statement indicating whether or not the applicant merits the public trust; and
(5) an evaluation of the applicant's supervised clinical social work experience. (Authorized by K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 65-6306, as amended by 2022 SB 453, sec. 3, K.S.A. 65-6308, and K.S.A. 74-7507; implementing K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 65-6306, as amended by 2022 SB 453, sec. 3, and K.S.A. 65-6308; effective, T-85-36, Dec. 19, 1984; effective May 1, 1985; amended May 1, 1987; amended Feb. 25, 1991; amended Oct. 24, 1997; amended Aug. 4, 2000; amended July 7, 2003; amended April 22, 2005; amended Feb. 13, 2009; amended Dec. 16, 2022.)
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