Current through February 26, 2024
(1) APPLICATION
REQUIREMENTS. The social worker section shall grant a training certificate to
an applicant who submits the fee under s.
440.05(6),
Stats., together with the completed, signed application form and all of the
following:
(a) A certified transcript of
professional education verifying that the applicant has a bachelor's degree in
psychology, sociology, criminal justice or another human service program
approved by the section from a college or university accredited by an
accrediting body nationally recognized by the secretary of the United States
department of education. The certified transcript shall be sent directly to the
section by the college or university.
1. To
qualify as "another human service program approved by the section" under s.
457.09(1)
(c), Stats., the program shall award a
bachelor's degree and be one of the following:
a. An organized course of study recognized by
the section to contain all five social worker equivalency courses in s. MPSW
3.13(2) and a course designated as a senior seminar or capstone
course.
b. An organized course of
study entitled on the transcript as a human services major.
c. Accredited by any accrediting organization
recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) for
programs awarding bachelor's degrees with a major in "human
services".
2. In subd.
1. b., "human services major" means a major which includes all the following
courses:
a. An introductory course which
contains a general overview of the field of human services, including origins,
career opportunities and techniques and methods of helping individuals and
groups in need.
b. A course with
significant content in professional ethics and values, including
confidentiality, boundaries and values in human services occupations.
c. A course with content in qualitative and
quantitative social research methods and statistics.
d. A course designated as a senior seminar or
capstone course. The capstone course may be an internship with the seminar in
which the training certificate applicant is evaluated to have attained the
competencies specified in sub. (3m).
3. The applicant shall have obtained a grade
point average of 2.5 or greater in the major completed in the program under
subd. 1. a., 1. b. or 1. c.
(b) Verification that the applicant is
seeking to attain social worker degree equivalency under s.
457.09(4),
Stats., during the period in which the certificate is valid.
(c) Documentation necessary for the section
to determine, subject to ss.
111.321,
111.322,
and
111.335,
Stats., whether any of the following apply:
1.
The applicant has a pending charge for an exempt offense, as defined in s.
111.335(1m)
(b), Stats., or a violent crime against a
child, as defined in s.
111.335(1m)
(d), Stats., which is substantially related
to the practice of a social worker.
2. The applicant has been convicted of a
crime substantially related to the practice of a social worker.
Note: Application forms are available upon request
to the Social Worker Section at 1400East Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 8935,
Madison, Wisconsin 53708.
(2) SOCIAL WORKER DEGREE EQUIVALENCY. To
attain social worker degree equivalency to a bachelor's degree in social work
under the terms of s.
457.09(4) and
(4m) (b), Stats., and to qualify to take the
national social work examination, a social worker training certificate holder
shall demonstrate by certified transcript from an accredited college or
university, sent directly to the section, that the applicant has successfully
completed with a minimum of a C grade at least a total of 5 courses, each
consisting of a minimum of either 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of
academic credit. Courses shall be taught by an instructor who holds a master's
degree or a PhD in social work from an institution accredited by the Council on
Social Work Education unless otherwise approved by the section. The courses
shall use a textbook written by a social work educator for social work courses
as a primary text, unless otherwise approved by the section. At least three of
these courses shall be taken at the same institution, and shall be distributed
among the following subject areas:
(a)
Social welfare policy and services. At least one course of at
least 3semester hours or 4 quarter hours academic credit. Qualifying course
work in this area shall include the history, mission and philosophy of the
social work profession, the impact of social policy on health and well-being,
the effect of social policy on social work practice, current social policy
analysis, political and organizational processes used to influence policy, the
process of policy formulation, and the framework for current social policy
analysis in light of the principles of social and economic justice.
(b)
Social work practice methods with
individuals, families, small groups, communities, organizations and social
institutions - generalist practice methods. At least 3 courses each
consisting of at least 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours academic credit.
Qualifying coursework in these areas shall substantively and effectively
prepare the student for action to engage with, assess, intervene with, and
evaluate individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The
social work practice methods taught shall be evidence-based, and shall
emphasize client strengths. Each course shall have infused throughout the
curriculum significant course content on social work values, ethics, approaches
and skills for practice with clients from differing social, cultural, racial,
religious, spiritual and class backgrounds; and systems of all sizes. The
content of the three courses shall be coordinated by the college or university
to cover the material described below and demonstrate that within the
curriculum of the three courses, students shall learn:
1. Of the three required social work methods
courses, a course in each of the following: social work practice with
individuals, social work practice with groups and families, and social work
practice with communities, organizations, and social institutions.
2. Practice content which emphasizes
professional relationships that are characterized by mutuality, collaboration,
respect for the client system and incorporates use of professional social work
supervision. Coursework shall prepare a student to do all of the following:
a. Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
with clients.
b. Develop with the
client a mutually agreed upon focus of work and desired outcomes.
c. Collect, organize, and interpret client
data.
d. Develop mutually agreed
upon intervention goals and objectives.
e. Select appropriate intervention
strategies.
f. Initiate actions to
achieve organizational goals.
g.
Implement prevention interventions that enhance client capacities.
h. Help clients resolve problems.
i. Negotiate, mediate, and advocate for
clients.
j. Facilitate transitions
and endings.
k. Critically analyze,
monitor, and evaluate interventions.
3. Practice assessment which focuses on the
examination of client strengths and problems in the interaction among
individuals and between people and their environments.
4. Knowledge, values and skills to enhance
human well-being and amelioration of the environmental conditions that affect
people adversely.
5. Approaches and
skills for practice with clients from differing social, cultural, racial,
religious, spiritual and class backgrounds and with systems of all
sizes.
6. Differential assessments
and intervention skills to serve diverse at-risk populations.
7. An evaluation of the student's ability to
demonstrate competence in interviewing, using empathy and interpersonal skills.
The student shall be able to demonstrate skill in collecting, organizing, and
interpreting client data; assessing client strengths and limitations;
developing mutually agreed upon intervention goals and objectives; and
selecting appropriate intervention strategies.
8. Each social work methods course shall
include content on social work values and ethics including the application of
the standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics to
Social Work practice.
9. Each
social work methods course shall include content on cultural competence in
social work practice, based on the National Association of Social Workers
Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice.
(c)
Human behavior in the social
environment, including human growth and development, and social systems
theory. At least one course of at least 3 semester hours or 4 quarter
hours academic credit. Qualifying course work in this area shall include
theories and knowledge of human biological, sociological, cultural,
psychological, and spiritual development across the life span; the range of
social systems, including individual, family, group, organizational, and
community, in which people live, and the ways social systems promote or deter
people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being.
(3) INTERNSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT. To qualify to
take the national social work examination, a training certificate holder shall
demonstrate to the section, by written certification from his or her supervisor
sent directly to the section, that he or she engaged in and successfully
completed one of the following:
(a)
1. A human services internship of at least
400 hours that was part of the program leading to the degree the certificate
holder specified to satisfy the requirement in s.
457.09(1) (c)
and (4m) (b), Stats., or completed while
holding the training certificate, and involved direct practice with clients and
that was supervised by a social worker certified under s.
457.08,
Stats., and who has a bachelor's or master's degree in social work and provides
direct, on-site supervision of the intern. A human services internship shall be
under the auspices of an accredited college or university.
2. A human services internship completed
prior to August 1, 1995, that otherwise qualifies under par. (a), may be
approved by the section if it was supervised by a person holding a bachelor's
or master's degree in social work and in good professional standing, but who
was not certified under s.
457.08,
Stats.
(b) One year of
social work employment completed while holding the training certificate, which
involved at least 400 hours of face-to-face client contact in not less than 12
months, and that was supervised by a social worker certified under s.
457.08,
Stats., who has a bachelor's or master's degree in social work and who provides
direct, on-site supervision of the certificate holder during the time the
certificate holder is at work.
(3m) DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCY. A human
services internship or one year of social work employment shall be approved by
the section provided that the supervising social worker certifies on forms
provided by the department that the internship or employment provided training
and experience, and the applicant demonstrated competency, in each of the
following areas:
(a) Demonstrate the ability
to: engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities in regard to strengths and difficulties in
biological, psychological, sociological, cultural, and spiritual
functioning.
(b) Demonstrate
intervention skills, including: collecting, organizing, and interpreting client
data; assessing client strengths and limitations; using empathy and other
interpersonal skills; developing mutually agreed upon intervention goals and
objectives; determining and implementing appropriate intervention strategies;
and referring clients to other qualified resources when appropriate.
(c) Develop a mutually agreed upon focus of
work and desired outcomes, which may include: implementing prevention
interventions that enhance client outcomes; helping clients resolve problems;
negotiating, mediating, and advocating for clients; and facilitating
transitions and endings; referring to community resources; facilitating
organizational change to meet social needs based on evaluation and assessment
as described in par. (a); and critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate
interventions.
(d) Knowledge of
other disciplines and resources relevant to the evaluation of clients, plans
and policies to alleviate client difficulties, and intervention
planning.
(e) Demonstrate cultural
competence, based on the National Association of Social Workers Standards for
Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice, by intervening effectively on
behalf of diverse populations and populations most vulnerable and discriminated
against; providing culturally competent services, and collaborating with others
to develop services.
(f) Make
ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social
Workers Code of Ethics in the delivery of social work services to clients, and
applying relevant Wisconsin laws and administrative rules, as
applicable.
(4)
SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS. In addition to the minimum qualifications for
supervisors specified in sub. (3), supervision of qualifying human services
internship or employment shall include the direction of social work practice in
a face-to-face individual session of at least one hour duration during each
week of supervised practice of social work, and shall further comply with s.
MPSW
4.01(1) and (3). Supervision may be
exercised by a person other than an employment supervisor. For supervised
educational internships or employment experiences that begin 6 months after the
effective date of this rule change, the supervisor and student or employee
shall complete and sign a learning contract within the first 40 hours of the
internship or employment that shall describe the goals of the student or
employee's supervised experience and list basic expectations for both the
applicant and the supervisor.
(5)
GRANTING SOCIAL WORKER CERTIFICATION. Subject to s.
457.26(2),
Stats., the section shall grant a social worker certificate to a training
certificate holder who has demonstrated social worker degree equivalency,
completed a supervised human services internship or social work employment, and
passed the national social worker examination and state law examination, all as
required under this section and s.
457.09,
Stats.
(6) APPROVAL OF COURSES FOR
SOCIAL WORKER DEGREE EQUIVALENCY.
(a) The
section may approve in advance courses offered by an accredited college or
university which may be taken by a social worker training certificate holder to
satisfy the requirements of sub. (2) (a) to (c).
(b) To obtain advance section approval under
par. (a), an accredited college or university shall submit course syllabi at
least 6 months prior to the commencement of the class. Section approval shall
continue for 2 years unless the course content, format, delivery method, or
instructor changes. After 2 years, course syllabi shall be resubmitted for
approval.