§ 61-31-6 — Scope of practice. (Repealed effective July 1, 2032.)

A. For the purposes of the Social Work Practice Act, a person is practicing social work if he advertises, offers himself to practice, is employed in a position described as social work or holds out to the public or represents in any manner that he is licensed to practice social work in this state. B. Social work practice means a professional service and emphasizes the use of specialized knowledge of social resources, social systems and human capabilities to effect change in human behavior, emotional responses and social conditions. Services may be rendered through direct assistance to individuals, couples, families, groups and community organizations. Social work practice focuses on both direct and indirect services to facilitate change on the intrapersonal, interpersonal and systemic levels. Areas of specialization that address these include but are not limited to the following: (1) clinical social work practice, which is the professional application of social work theory and methods in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of psychosocial dysfunction, disability or impairment, including but not limited to emotional and mental disorders. It is based on knowledge of one or more theories of human development within a psychosocial context. Clinical social work includes interventions directed to interpersonal interactions, intrapsychic dynamics or life support and management issues. Clinical social work services consist of assessment, diagnosis and treatment, including psychotherapy and counseling, client-centered advocacy, consultation and evaluation; (2) social work research practice, which is the professional study of human capabilities and practice of social work specialties, including direct and indirect practice, through the formal organization and the methodology of data collection and the analysis and evaluation of social work data; (3) social work community organization, planning and development practice, which is a conscious process of social interaction and method of social work concerned with the meeting of broad needs and bringing about and maintaining adjustment between needs and resources in a community or other areas; helping people to deal more effectively with their problems and objectives by helping them develop, strengthen and maintain qualities of participation, self-direction and cooperation; and bringing about changes in community and group relationships and in the distribution of decision- making power. The community is the primary client in community organizations. The community may be an organization, neighborhood, city, county, state or national entity; (4) social work administration, which is the practice that is concerned primarily with translating laws, technical knowledge and administrative rulings into organizational goals and operational policies to guide organizational behavior; designing organizational structure and procedures or processes through which social work goals can be achieved; and securing resources in the form of material, staff, clients and societal legitimation necessary for goal attainment and organizational survival; and (5) university social work faculty, which provides an equal quality of social work education in identified areas of content; prepares graduates to practice in a range of geographic areas with diverse populations; and establishes the foundation for practitioners' professional futures, exposing them to the best of current knowledge and developing in them the ability to continue questioning and learning, as well as an awareness of their responsibility to continue this professional development.

Legislative History

Laws 1989, ch. 51, § 6; 1996, ch. 51, § 14.