An Act Establishing Alternative Pathways to Social Worker Licensing

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1298
S.P. 528 In Senate, March 25, 2025
An Act Establishing Alternative Pathways to Social Worker
Licensing
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative CRAFTS of Newcastle and
Senators: BAILEY of York, BALDACCI of Penobscot, BENNETT of Oxford, MOORE of
Washington, Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, DHALAC of South Portland, MORRIS
of Turner, STOVER of Boothbay.

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1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §7053, first ¶, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. V, §7, is
3 further amended to read:
4 To be eligible for a license to practice social work at any level, an applicant must be at
5 least 18 years of age and must either satisfactorily pass any examination as the board may
6 prescribe by its rules or qualify through an alternative pathway under section 7054-D. Each
7 applicant must demonstrate trustworthiness and competence to engage in the practice of
8 social work in such a manner as to safeguard the interests of the public. Applications for
9 licensure must be submitted to the board together with the fee as set under section 7056.
10Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 262, §3, is further
11 amended to read:
121. Licensed clinical social worker. To be qualified as a licensed clinical social
13 worker, an applicant shall have demonstrated must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
14 board adherence to the ethics of the social work profession; shall must have either
15 successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board or have qualified through
16 an alternative pathway under section 7054-D; and shall must have received either:
17 A. A master's or doctoral degree in social work or social welfare from an accredited
18 educational institution in a clinical concentration and:
19 (1) Shall Must have subsequently completed 2 years of social work experience
20 with 96 hours of consultation in a clinical setting; or
21 (2) Shall Must have demonstrated 2 years of full-time clinical social work
22 experience or its equivalent and have completed the graduate degree prior to
23 January 1, 1987 and have completed 2 years of subsequent social work experience
24 with 96 hours of consultation in a private setting; or
25 B. A master's or doctoral degree in social work in a nonclinical concentration from an
26 accredited educational institution and:
27 (1) Shall Must have subsequently completed 4 years of social work experience
28 with 192 hours of consultation in a clinical setting; or
29 (2) Shall Must have demonstrated 2 years of full-time clinical social work
30 experience or its equivalent and have completed the graduate degree prior to
31 January 1, 1987 and have completed 4 years of subsequent social work experience
32 with 192 hours of consultation in a private setting.
33 The board may waive up to one year of the post-master of social work, clinical experience
34 requirement pursuant to this subsection for those candidates who demonstrate to the
35 satisfaction of the board equivalent clinical experience prior to receiving the master's
36 degree in social work.
37 The board shall issue rules in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375 defining the clinical
38 experience required for this level of licensure.
39 Beginning January 1, 2020, an applicant for initial licensure shall must demonstrate to the
40 satisfaction of the board successful completion of a minimum of 12 hours of course work
41 in family or intimate partner violence, including course work in spousal or partner abuse
42 that addresses screening, referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of
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43 community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender
44 abuse dynamics. An applicant may fulfill this requirement through course work taken in
45 fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or through separate course work
46 provided through contact hours, Internet hours or distance learning programs, as evidenced
47 by certification from an accredited educational institution. The board shall accept
48 certification from the accredited educational institution from which the applicant is a
49 graduate that verifies the applicant's satisfaction of this requirement within the applicant's
50 completed course curriculum. An applicant for initial licensure that is unable to
51 demonstrate completion of the requirement of 12 hours of course work at the time the initial
52 application is submitted shall must demonstrate to the board that this requirement has been
53 fulfilled upon the applicant's first application for license renewal.
12Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 211, §2, is amended
13 to read:
142-A. Licensed master social worker. As a licensed master social worker, an applicant
15 must have received either a masters master's or doctoral degree in social work or social
16 welfare from an accredited educational institution, must have demonstrated to the
17 satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social work profession and must
18 have either successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board or have
19 qualified through an alternative pathway under section 7054-D. After meeting these
20 qualifications, the applicant must receive a "licensed master social worker" license. In
21 addition, any person wishing to practice social work in a clinical setting must receive a
22 "licensed master social worker, conditional" license.
23 This subsection takes effect July 1, 2005.
24Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 112, Pt. A, §13,
25 is further amended to read:
26 A. The applicant must have received a bachelor's degree or higher in social work or
27 social welfare from an accredited educational institution; demonstrated to the
28 satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social worker profession; and
29 either successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board or have
30 qualified through an alternative pathway under section 7054-D; or
31Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2003, c. 429, §2 and
32 affected by §7, is further amended to read:
33 B. The applicant must have received a conditional license as a licensed social worker
34 in accordance with subsection 3‑B; completed the requirements for consultation and
35 contact hours in accordance with subsection 3‑C, paragraph B and subsection 3‑D; and
36 either successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board or have
37 qualified through an alternative pathway under section 7054-D.
38Sec. 6. 32 MRSA §7054-D is enacted to read:
39§7054-D. Alternative pathways to licensure
40 A person who has attempted and failed to complete the examination prescribed by the
41 board may qualify for licensure through one of the following alternative pathways.
421. Licensed social worker. An applicant for licensure as a licensed social worker
43 must:
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1 A. Complete a jurisprudence examination as prescribed by the board;
2 B. Provide an expanded agreement to provide consultation form as prescribed by the
3 board documenting the intent to receive 144 hours of consultation concurrent with
4 4,800 hours of social work employment occurring within a period of not less than 3
5 years; and
6 C. Demonstrate competence in the 9 competencies established by the Council on
7 Social Work Education, or successor organization, through successful completion of a
8 bachelor's of social work graduate-level internship.
92. Licensed master social worker. An applicant for licensure as a licensed master
10 social worker must:
11 A. Complete a jurisprudence examination as prescribed by the board; and
12 B. Demonstrate competence in the 9 competencies established by the Council on
13 Social Work Education, or successor organization, through successful completion of a
14 master's of social work graduate-level internship.
153. Licensed master social worker, conditional clinical. An applicant for licensure
16 as a licensed master social worker, conditional clinical must:
17 A. Complete a jurisprudence examination as prescribed by the board;
18 B. Provide an expanded agreement to provide consultation form as prescribed by the
19 board documenting the intent to receive 144 hours of consultation concurrent with
20 4,800 hours of social work employment occurring within a period of not less than 3
21 years; and
22 C. Demonstrate competence in the 9 competencies established by the Council on
23 Social Work Education, or successor organization, through successful completion of a
24 master's of social work graduate-level internship.
254. Licensed clinical social worker. An applicant for licensure as a licensed clinical
26 social worker must:
27 A. Complete a jurisprudence examination as prescribed by the board;
28 B. Provide evidence, including documentation of clinical supervision using a form
29 approved by the board, of successful completion of a clinical social work experience
30 while licensed as a licensed master social worker, conditional clinical through 144
31 hours of consultation concurrent with 4,800 hours of social work employment
32 occurring within a period of not less than 3 years; and
33 C. Provide 3 letters of recommendation from licensed clinical social workers, with at
34 least 2 of the 3 letters being from licensed clinical social workers other than the
35 applicant's social work practice consultant.
36SUMMARY
37 This bill establishes a method for a person who has attempted and failed to complete a
38 State Board of Social Worker Licensure examination for licensure as a licensed social
39 worker; licensed master social worker; licensed master social worker, conditional clinical;
40 or licensed clinical social worker to qualify for licensure through an alternative pathway.
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