Missoula County opposes HB 137: Generally revise laws related to the board of behavioral health, up for hearing at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6 in the House Business and Labor Committee. We do not believe social workers who don’t provide clinical professional counseling and psychotherapy need a statewide test or 2,000 additional supervised hours over and above the practicums required for their degrees (which is currently 400 hours for bachelor’s candidates and 900 hours for master’s candidates) to do their jobs competently.
Social workers with bachelor and master’s degrees who do not provide clinical counseling and psychotherapy have found it difficult to navigate the licensing requirements the legislature instituted two sessions ago. Currently, there are only 16 licensed BSWs and 26 MSWs in Montana. This bill also gives no consideration to grandfathering professionals who have been working in this field for years, meaning even social workers with 10 or 20 years of experience would have to have 2,000 new supervised hours and take a test to remain licensed.
These social workers connect vulnerable people to existing services, which are often difficult to navigate, helping them become self-sufficient and live productive lives.
Representatives Carter, Karlen and Sullivan,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County opposes HB 137: Generally revise laws related to the board of behavioral health, up for hearing at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6 in the House Business and Labor Committee. We do not believe social workers who don’t provide clinical professional counseling and psychotherapy need a statewide test or 2,000 additional supervised hours over and above the practicums required for their degrees (which is currently 400 hours for bachelor’s candidates and 900 hours for master’s candidates) to do their jobs competently.
Social workers with bachelor and master’s degrees who do not provide clinical counseling and psychotherapy have found it difficult to navigate the licensing requirements the legislature instituted two sessions ago. Currently, there are only 16 licensed BSWs and 26 MSWs in Montana. This bill also gives no consideration to grandfathering professionals who have been working in this field for years, meaning even social workers with 10 or 20 years of experience would have to have 2,000 new supervised hours and take a test to remain licensed.
These social workers connect vulnerable people to existing services, which are often difficult to navigate, helping them become self-sufficient and live productive lives.
Please oppose HB 137.