§ 58-60-205 — Qualifications for licensure or certification as a clinical social worker, certified social worker, and social service worker.

(1) An applicant for licensure as a clinical social worker shall:
(1)(a) submit an application on a form the division approves;
(1)(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
(1)(c) produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:
(1)(c)(i) a master's degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work; or
(1)(c)(ii) a doctoral degree that contains a clinical social work concentration and practicum approved by the division, by rule, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is consistent with Section 58-1-203;
(1)(d) if required under federal law for any licensee as a clinical social worker to qualify as an eligible professional under CMS rules for Medicare payment, document completion of:
(1)(d)(i) not less than 3,000 hours of clinical supervision, which includes hours accrued under Subsection (1)(e); or
(1)(d)(ii) not less than two years of clinical supervision;
(1)(e) document successful completion of not less than 1,200 direct client care hours:
(1)(e)(i) obtained after completion of the education requirements under Subsection (1)(c);
(1)(e)(ii) subject to Subsection (1)(e)(iii), not less than 100 of which are direct clinical supervision hours under the supervision of a clinical supervisor;
(1)(e)(iii) not less than 25 of which are direct observation hours; and
(1)(e)(iv) not more than 25 of which are group supervision hours accrued concurrently with more than one other applicant for licensure;
(1)(f) document successful completion of not less than two hours of training in suicide prevention, obtained after completion of the education requirements under Subsection (1)(c) via a course that the division designates as approved;
(1)(g) have completed a case work, group work, or family treatment course sequence with a clinical practicum in content as defined by rule under Section 58-1-203;
(1)(h) (1)(h)(i) pass the examination requirement established by rule under Section 58-1-203; or
(1)(h)(ii) satisfy the following requirements:
(1)(h)(ii)(A) document at least one examination attempt that did not result in a passing score;
(1)(h)(ii)(B) document successful completion of not less than 500 additional direct client care hours, at least 25 of which are direct clinical supervision hours, and at least five of which are direct observation hours;
(1)(h)(ii)(C) submit to the division a recommendation letter from the applicant's direct clinical supervisor; and
(1)(h)(ii)(D) submit to the division a recommendation letter from another licensed mental health therapist who has directly observed the applicant's direct client care hours and who is not the applicant's direct clinical supervisor; and
(1)(i) (1)(i)(i) consent to, and complete, a criminal background check, described in Section 58-1-301.5;
(1)(i)(ii) meet any other standard related to the criminal background check described in Subsection (1)(i)(i), that the division establishes by rule in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act; and
(1)(i)(iii) disclose any criminal history the division requests on a form the division approves.
(2) An applicant for licensure as a certified social worker shall:
(2)(a) submit an application on a form the division approves;
(2)(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
(2)(c) produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:
(2)(c)(i) a master's degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work; or
(2)(c)(ii) a doctoral degree that contains a clinical social work concentration and practicum approved by the division, by rule, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that is consistent with Section 58-1-203; and
(2)(d) (2)(d)(i) consent to, and complete, a criminal background check, described in Section 58-1-301.5;
(2)(d)(ii) meet any other standard related to the criminal background check described in Subsection (2)(d)(i), that the division establishes by rule in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act; and
(2)(d)(iii) disclose any criminal history the division requests on a form the division approves.
(3) An applicant for licensure as a social service worker shall:
(3)(a) submit an application on a form the division approves;
(3)(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504; and
(3)(c) produce certified transcripts from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the division in collaboration with the board verifying satisfactory completion of an education and an earned degree as follows:
(3)(c)(i) a bachelor's degree in a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work;
(3)(c)(ii) a master's degree in a field approved by the division in collaboration with the board;
(3)(c)(iii) a bachelor's degree in any field if the applicant:
(3)(c)(iii)(A) has completed at least three semester hours, or the equivalent, in each of the following areas:
(3)(c)(iii)(A)(I) social welfare policy;
(3)(c)(iii)(A)(II) human growth and development; and
(3)(c)(iii)(A)(III) social work practice methods, as defined by rule; and
(3)(c)(iii)(B) provides documentation that the applicant has completed at least 2,000 hours of qualifying experience under the supervision of a mental health therapist, which experience is approved by the division in collaboration with the board, and which is performed after completion of the requirements to obtain the bachelor's degree required under this Subsection (3); or
(3)(c)(iv) successful completion of the first academic year of a Council on Social Work Education approved master's of social work curriculum and practicum.
(4) The division shall ensure that the rules for an examination described under Subsection (1)(h)(i) allow additional time to complete the examination if requested by an applicant who is:
(4)(a) a foreign born legal resident of the United States for whom English is a second language; or
(4)(b) an enrolled member of a federally recognized Native American tribe.

Legislative History

Amended by Chapter 443, 2025 General Session