Summary

Sponsor: Sen. Shugars
Topic: Social Workers
Committee: Economic Development, International Trade and Regulatory Affairs

Essentially this bill would set up the Michigan Board of Social Workers within the Department of Consumer and Industry Services, consisting of nine voting members, six social workers and three public members. Each board member's term would last for four years and expire on December 31st of the last year.

The bill also defines essential terms such as ‘social worker', ‘social work technician', and ‘certified social worker' by their licensure type. An individual would not be allowed to refer to themselves with any of these titles unless they were registered as that under this act. The term ‘social work' itself would mean the professional application of social work values and techniques to help an individual, family, group or community to enhance or restore the capacity for social functioning or to provide, obtain or improve tangible social and health services.

The board may grant certification as a social work technician to an individual who has had one year of social work experience acceptable to the board or has completed two years of college. In addition, they must be currently employed in the practice of social work, unless they have already completed 2,000 hours of social work service or have obtained an associate degree in social work.

In order to receive registration as a social worker, an individual would have to have a B.S. from a board approved college or university, have two or more years of social work experience, be enrolled in graduate school, have a master's degree from an accredited school of social work, or have the equivalent of 4,000 of service in social work. In addition, they must be employed in the practice of social work, unless they have a bachelor's or master's degree.

In order to receive registration as a certified social worker an individual would have to have a master's degree and at least two years of social work experience.

Communication between an individual registered under this act and his or her client is privileged communication. This communication is not subject to waiver and shall not be disclosed unless the disclosure is part of a required supervisory process within the organization that employs the social worker, or if the privilege is waived by the client or a person authorized to act in the client's behalf.

If an individual registered as a social worker or in like capacity under this act is requested by the court, the registrant shall submit to a written evaluation of the prospect of a particular client without disclosing a privileged fact or communication. The attorney representing the client who is subject to the evaluation has the right to receive a copy of the evaluation. Also, if a social worker is required by a legislative committee to disclose information for a public purpose they shall make all statistical and program information available without violating any privileged communication.

Any individual who is registered under former article 16 of the Occupational Code is also registered under this part until that registration expires. The members of the Board of Examiners of Social Workers shall serve as the initial members of the Michigan Board of Social Work until their successors are appointed or until the expiration of their respective terms. If their term has not expired by the effective date of this amendatory act, it will expire on June 30th of the last designated year of their term.

Any rules promulgated by the Board of Examiners of Social Workers shall remain in effect after the effective date of this act, unless amended or rescinded by the director.