Bill > HB1021

This bill aims to align the licensing requirements for social workers in Washington state more closely with national standards and the requirements for other mental health professionals. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Updating the education and experience requirements for licensed social workers, such as allowing for social work doctorate programs accredited by recognized organizations, reducing the minimum supervised experience hours for advanced social workers and independent clinical social workers, and aligning the continuing education requirements. 2. Making similar updates to the licensing requirements for other mental health professionals, such as licensed mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists, to ensure consistency across the different fields. 3. Establishing that only the rules in effect at the time of a completed license application will apply, even if the rules change before the license is issued. The overall goal is to modernize and streamline the social worker licensing process in Washington to better reflect national standards and promote parity with other mental health professions.

Education

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1021&Year=2023&Initiative=false