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LMSWs ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROVIDE CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES?????

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May 2, 2022  Just what the heck do you mean LMSWs can’t provide clinical social work services? I graduated from a CSWE accredited program in the clinical track.  That is the same program that the LCSW graduated with.  I am qualified by my master’s education to provide clinical social work services.  I work at XYZ Chapter 10 Mental Health Center and have been providing clinical social work services for 10 years. 

LET ME GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY TO PUT MY STATEMENT INTO CONTEXT:

            Prior to 2018, the VBSW issued 2 licenses: the LCSW and the LSW.  The LSW was available to MSW graduates with no experience and to BSW graduates with a certain number of hours of experience.  Both took the bachelor’s level exam.  For several years, the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB-the provider of the exam) was alerting the VBSW that it was not proper for the MSW graduates to take the Bachelor level exam.  The VBSW decided to divide the LSW into the LMSW and the LBSW.   The Assistant Attorney General, who was counsel for the VBSW, advised the Board that they needed to go to the Virginia General Assembly and make changes to the Social Work law.

            I asked the Virginia Society for Clinical Social Work to fund a study of the current LSWs to find out several pieces of information since this was the group that would be most immediately impacted.  That study found that 90% of the LSWs were providing clinical social work services full or part-time. (To access the full study, go to VSCSW STUDY OF VIRGINIA LSW’S, -5-17, BY: Joseph G. Lynch LCSW

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5m832je9igg70bp/VSCSW%20LSW%20STUDY-October%207%202017%2C%20Joseph%20G%20Lynch%20LCSW.docx?dl=0

Despite this data, on May 11, 2017,  The Virginia Board of Social Work (VBSW)  passed a motion to accept the proposed legislation recommended by the Regulatory Committee.  The proposed legislation would add 4 sentences to Chapter 37 of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia: Social Work. Below are the 4 sentences (note the highlighted part):

 

§ 54.1-3700. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

Baccalaureate social worker means a person, engaged in the practice of social work, who practices under the supervision of a master’s social worker within an entity not otherwise exempted by provisions of § 54.1-3701 and who is engaged in a basic generalist practice to include casework management and supportive services and consultation and education.

Master’s social worker means a person, engaged in the practice of social work, who is employed by an entity not otherwise exempted by provisions of § 54.1-3701 and who is engaged in a non-clinical, generalist scope of practice of social work to include staff supervision and management.

§ 54.1-3705. Specific powers and duties of the Board.

In addition to the powers granted in § 54.1-2400, the Board shall have the following specific powers and duties:

5. To license baccalaureate social workers, master’s social workers, and clinical social workers to practice consistent with the definitions specified in § 54.1-3700 and regulations promulgated by the Board.

 

6. To register persons for the supervised practice of social work as required for licensure as a clinical social worker. 

The General Assembly passed the legislation with the definition of “Master’s social worker” as a “non-clinical” scope of practice.  That part of the law needs to change. 

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