Bill > A01589

This bill authorizes licensed clinical social workers to provide services to injured employees under workers' compensation coverage. The key provisions include: 1. Allowing injured employees to be treated by licensed clinical social workers upon referral from an authorized physician, within the scope of the social workers' specialized training and qualifications. 2. Establishing a process for clinical social workers to become authorized by the Chair of the Workers' Compensation Board to provide these services and/or conduct independent medical examinations. 3. Setting requirements for clinical social workers to maintain records and submit reports to the Chair, and for the Chair to establish fee schedules for the services. 4. Providing procedures for resolving disputes over the value of the services rendered, including through a single arbitrator process or review by the Clinical Social Work Practice Committee. 5. Empowering the Chair to investigate and remove from the authorized list any clinical social workers found guilty of professional misconduct or other disqualifying conduct. The bill aims to expand access to licensed clinical social work services for injured workers covered by the workers' compensation system.