IDAPA 24.14.01
This rule applies to applicants, and license holders for:
This rule governs the practice of social work in Idaho to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. This rule establishes:
This rule implements the following statute passed by the Idaho Legislature:
Professions, Vocations, and Businesses -
Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, except state holidays
11341 W Chinden Blvd, Bldg 4, Boise, ID 83714
Phone: (208) 334-3233
E-mail: DOPLboardsupport@dopl.idaho.gov
Website: https://dopl.idaho.gov/swo/
This rule chapter will be reviewed in compliance with Section 67-5292, Idaho Code, and in accordance with the 8-year rule review schedule linked here.
24.14.01 – Rules of the State Board of Social Work Examiners
| 000. Legal Authority. | 3 |
|---|---|
| 001. Scope. | 3 |
| 002. Definitions. | 3 |
| 003. -- 099.(Reserved) | 3 |
| 100. Licensure. | 3 |
| 101. -- 199.(Reserved) | 4 |
| 200. Practice Standards. | 4 |
| 201. -- 399.(Reserved) | 6 |
| 400. Fees. | 6 |
| 401. -- 999.(Reserved) | 6 |
These rules are promulgated pursuant to Section 54-3204, Idaho Code. (7-1-24)
These rules govern the practice of social work in Idaho. (7-1-24)
01. Psychotherapy. Treatment methods using a specialized, formal interaction between a Clinical Social Worker and an individual, couple, family, or group in which a therapeutic relationship is established, maintained, or sustained to understand unconscious processes, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and psychosocial dynamics, and the diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions. (7-1-24)
02. Relative. For the purposes of these rules, a relative is a person’s spouse, parent, child, or sibling, regardless of whether the relation is by blood, through marriage, or by law. (7-1-24)
03. Supervisor. A clinical social worker who has been licensed for at least two (2) years, has not been disciplined for acts relating to client care within the past five (5) years, and has completed fifteen (15) hours of clinical supervisor training. (7-1-24)
04. Supportive Counseling. A method used to assist individuals, couples, families, and groups in learning how to solve problems and make decisions about personal, health, social, educational, vocational, financial, and other interpersonal concerns. This help in the maintenance of adaptive patterns is done in the interview through reassurance, advice giving, information providing, and pointing out client strengths and resources. Supportive counseling does not seek to reach unconscious material. (7-1-24)
01. Approved College, University, or Program. An educational institution accredited by the US Department of Education, a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or as otherwise approved by the Board, and a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or as otherwise approved by the Board. (7-1-24)
02. Approved Examination. The applicable Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) licensing examination for the license type, passed within the previous seven (7) years. (7-1-24)
03. Approved Postgraduate Supervised Clinical Experience for Clinical Social Worker License. Three thousand (3,000) hours of supervised clinical social work experience must be completed over the course of no fewer than two (2) years and no more than five (5) years, including 1.) one thousand seven hundred fifty (1,750) hours of direct client contact involving treatment in clinical social work as defined and one thousand two hundred fifty (1,250) hours of assessment, diagnosis, and other clinical social work, including indirect hours that may occur outside the presence of a client; and 2.) at least one hundred (100) hours of in-person or remote live electronic connection face-to-face contact with the supervisor, and with no more than fifty (50) hours of the face-to-face contact hours involving group supervision. At least fifty percent (50%) of the supervision must be provided by a licensed clinical social worker, with the remaining supervision provided by a licensed clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist. The supervisor must be licensed in the state in which the supervised experience was obtained. Supervision for clinical work must continue until clinical licensure is issued. The supervised clinical experience must comply with all criteria identified on the Clinical Social Work Supervision Report Forms. Supervision must be interactive and consultative teaching directed toward the enhancement and improvement of the individual’s social work values, knowledge, methods, and techniques. Hours spent on case management will not count toward clinical social work hours. (7-1-24)
a. Any licensee who has reached the maximum of five (5) years of experience and who is awaiting passing test results may not continue to practice under supervision and may only practice at the level of licensure that they currently hold. (7-1-24)
b. If the supervised experience was completed more than five (5) years prior to application for licensure the Board will evaluate the applicant’s competency, including evaluating completion of continuing
education, supervised practice, examination, and/or practice in another jurisdiction. (7-1-24)
04. Endorsement. In addition to the requirement in Section 54-3208, Idaho Code, the applicant must have successfully passed the approved examination for the license type or an equivalent, unless such an examination was not required at the time of the applicant’s original licensure. (7-1-24)
05. Continuing Education. To renew or return to active status, licensees must complete during the preceding twenty-four (24) months, and retain proof of completion for four (4) years, of thirty (30) hours of continuing education, two (2) hours of which must be in professional ethics and the remainder germane to the practice of social work. CE hours may be obtained for preparing and providing germane continuing education or training to other professionals and for individual research projects. Courses that are part of the curriculum of an accredited university, college or other educational institution are allotted CE credit at the rate of fifteen (15) CE hours for each semester hour or ten (10) CE hours for each quarter hour of school credit awarded. (7-1-24)
06. Inactive Status. A licensee requesting inactive status must submit the required form and pay the inactive license fee. To return to active status a licensee must meet the continuing education requirements and submit a fee equivalent to the difference between the inactive and active renewal fee. After five (5) years of going inactive, a licensee must demonstrate competency to resume practice, as required by the Board. The requirements may include, but are not limited to, education, supervised practice, examination, and/or practice in another jurisdiction. (7-1-24)
101. -- 199. (RESERVED)
01. Baccalaureate Social Work. The application of social work theory, knowledge, methods, and ethics to restore or enhance social or psychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Baccalaureate social work is a generalist practice that includes assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, case management, information and referral, supportive counseling, supervision, and consultation with clients. Baccalaureate social work also includes advocacy, education, community organization, and the development, implementation and administration of policies, programs, and activities. Bachelor level social workers are prohibited from performing psychotherapy. (7-1-24)
02. Master’s Social Work. The application of social work theory, knowledge, methods and ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or enhance social, psychosocial or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Master’s social work requires the application of specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills in the areas of assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation, case management, information and referral, supportive counseling, supervision and consultation with clients, advocacy, teaching, research, community organization, and the development, implementation, and administration of policies, programs, and activities. Master level social workers who do not hold clinical licensure may provide psychotherapy only under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist. (7-1-24)
03. Clinical Social Work. The practice of clinical social work is a specialty within the practice of master’s social work and requires the application of specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skills in the areas of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions and addictions. Clinical social work is based on knowledge and theory of psychosocial development, behavior, psychopathology, motivation, interpersonal relationships, environmental stress, social systems, and cultural diversity, with particular attention to person-in-environment. It shares with all social work practice the goal of enhancement and maintenance of psychosocial functioning, including psychotherapy, of individuals, couples, families, and small groups. (7-1-24)
04. Code of Professional Conduct. (7-1-24)
a. A social worker must operate within their education, training, and experience and meet the applicable standard of care provided by other qualified social workers in the same or similar community and under the same or similar circumstances. A standard of care violation may exist where a social worker engages in professional conduct that a reasonable social worker would not under the same or similar circumstances and in the
same or similar community, or where the social worker knew or should have known the professional conduct would cause unreasonable harm to the client. (7-1-24)
b. When a social worker leaves an agency or practice, clients must be provided prompt notice and the opportunity to remain with the agency or practice, or to continue care with the social worker. (7-1-24)
c. A social worker will not divide a fee or accept or give anything of value for receiving or making a referral. (7-1-24)
d. A social worker will provide clients with accurate and complete information regarding the extent and nature of the services available to them. (7-1-24)
e. While a social worker may terminate, transfer, or refer a client when the services are no longer needed or in the client’s best interests, prompt notification should be provided to the client. The social worker must attempt to make appropriate referrals as indicated by the client’s need or request for services. (7-1-24)
f. A social worker may not exploit, sexually or otherwise, their professional relationships with clients, supervisees, former clients, supervisors, students, employees, or research participants. (7-1-24)
g. A social worker may not engage in romantic or sexual acts with a client during and for ten (10) years following termination of a social worker’s services. A social worker must not provide social work services to a person with whom they have had a romantic or sexual relationship. (7-1-24)
h. A social worker may not engage in romantic or sexual acts with a relative of a client, or a person known to the social worker to have a close personal relationship with the client when it has the potential to be harmful to the client, during and for three (3) years following termination of a social worker’s services. (7-1-24)
i. In providing services, a social worker may not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, color, religion, national origin, mental status, physical disability, social or economic status, political belief, or any other preference or personal characteristic, condition or status. (3-28-23)
j. A social worker must obtain the client’s or legal guardian’s informed written consent when a client is to be involved in a research project. A social worker must explain the research, including any implications. (7-1-24)
k. A social worker must obtain informed consent of clients before taping, recording, or permitting third party observation. (7-1-24)
l. A social worker must safeguard information given by clients in providing client services. (7-1-24)
m. A social worker, regardless of personal or professional relationship, must report a licensee’s violation of the Board’s law or rules. (7-1-24)
n. A social worker may not disseminate or cause the dissemination of any fraudulent or deceptive advertisement. (7-1-24)
o. A social worker may not engage in dual or multiple relationships with clients or with relatives of a client, or with individuals with whom clients have close personal relationships known to the social worker, in which a reasonable and prudent social worker would conclude after appropriate assessment that there is a risk of harm or exploitation to the client or of impairing a social worker’s objectivity or professional judgment. A dual or multiple relationship is a relationship that occurs when a social worker interacts with a client in more than one capacity, whether it be before, during, or after the professional, social, or business relationship. Dual or multiple relationships can occur simultaneously or consecutively. After an appropriate assessment determines that the relationship does not create a risk of harm or exploitation to the client and will not impair a social worker’s objectivity or professional judgment, the social worker must document in case records, prior to the interaction, when feasible, the rationale for such a relationship, and the potential benefits. (7-1-24)
p. A social worker may not purchase goods or services from a client or otherwise engage in a business relationship with a client except when 1) the client is providing necessary goods or services to the general public; 2) a reasonable and prudent social worker would determine that it is not practical or reasonable to obtain the goods or services from another provider; and 3) a reasonable and prudent social worker would conclude after appropriate and documented assessment that engaging in the business relationship will not be detrimental to the client or the professional relationship. (7-1-24)
a. A social worker must only represent themself and practice in a competent manner within the boundaries of their education, training, licensure level, supervision, and other relevant professional experience. (7-1-24)
b. A social worker must only practice within new areas or use new intervention techniques or approaches after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, or supervision. (7-1-24)
c. A social worker must exercise careful judgment when generally recognized standards do not exist with respect to an emerging area of practice and take responsible steps to ensure the competence of his practice. (7-1-24)
All fees are non-refundable.
| FEE TYPE | AMOUNT (Not to Exceed) | RENEWAL (Not to Exceed) | INACTIVE (Not to Exceed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application | $70 | ||
| Endorsement License | $90 | ||
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker | $70 | $90 | $45 |
| Licensed Masters Social Worker | $70 | $80 | $40 |
| Licensed Social Worker | $70 | $80 | $40 |
| Reinstatement | In accordance with Section 67-2614, Idaho Code |
(7-1-24)