Section 4.01. Supervised pre-certification and pre-licensure social work practice.

 

(1)  Supervision of pre-certification or pre-licensure practice of social work under s. 457.08 (3) (c) and (4) (c) , Stats., shall include the direction of social work practice in face-to-face individual or groups sessions of at least one hour duration during each week of supervised practice of social work. Such supervision may be exercised by a person other than an employment supervisor. The one hour per week supervision requirement may be averaged out over the course of the period of supervision. The supervisor may exercise discretion as to the frequency, duration, and intensity of the supervision sessions to meet an average of one hour supervised session per week during the supervision period. The person supervising the pre-certification or pre-licensure practice of social work shall have adequate training, knowledge and skill to competently supervise any social work service that a social worker undertakes. Supervision of the professional practice of social work in the applied skills of the profession may be exercised by a person other than an employment supervisor. The supervisor may not permit a supervisee to engage in any social work practice that the supervisor cannot competently supervise. All supervisors shall be legally and ethically responsible for the activities of the social work supervisee. Supervisors shall be able to interrupt or stop the supervisee from practicing in given cases, or recommend to the supervisee's employer that the employer interrupt or stop the supervisee from practicing in given cases, and to terminate the supervised relationship if necessary.

(2)  If supervision is provided in group sessions, the group shall consist of no more than 6 persons receiving supervision for every one person providing supervision, and may not credit any time which is primarily social activity with the group or supervisor as part of a supervision session. A supervision session which is provided by more than one supervisor may not be credited for more than the actual time elapsed during the supervision session, not including social activities.

(3)  A period of supervised practice of social work shall include, but not be limited to, practice in each of the following activities:

(a) Evaluation and assessment of difficulties in psychosocial functioning of a group or another individual;

(b) Developing plans or policies to alleviate those difficulties.

(c) Intervention, which may include psychosocial evaluation and counseling of individuals, families and groups; advocacy; referral to community resources; and facilitation of organizational change to meet social needs.

(4)  At the end of the period of supervised practice, the candidate for certification shall have demonstrated to the candidate's supervisor competence in each of the activities listed in sub. (3) .

(5)  For applications for licensure as an independent social worker received after November 1, 2002, supervision may be exercised by any of the following:

(a) A licensed clinical social worker with a master's or doctorate degree in social work.

(b) A certified independent social worker with a master's or doctorate degree in social work.

(c) An individual, other than an individual specified in par. (a) or (b) who is approved in advance by the social worker section.

(6)  For applications for licensure as a clinical social worker received after November 1, 2002, supervision may be exercised by any of the following:

(a) An individual licensed as a clinical social worker who has received a doctorate degree in social work.

(b) An individual licensed as a clinical social worker who has engaged in the equivalent of 5 years of full-time clinical social work.

(c) A psychiatrist or a psychologist licensed under ch. 455 , Stats.

(d) An individual licensed as a clinical social worker who has received a master's degree in social work.

(e) An individual, other than an individual specified in par. (a) , (b) or (c) , who is approved in advance by the social worker section.

History: Cr. Register, November, 1993, No. 455 , eff. 12-1-93; CR 01-020 : am. (1) (b) 1. and 2., Register December 2001 No. 552 , eff. 1-1-02; CR 02-105 : am. (1), r. (1) (a), (b) and (4), cr. (5) and (6), Register October 2002 No. 562 , eff. 11-1-02; CR 03-098 : am. (3) (b) and (c) Register January 2005 No. 589 , eff. 2-1-05.