STAND. COM. REP. NO. 603

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 331
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 331
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL WORKERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect consumers by:

     (1)  Changing the scope of social worker licensing to
          include "bachelor's social worker" (BSW);

     (2)  Carving out the ability for certified clinical social
          workers to provide psychotherapy services; and

     (3)  Allowing individuals who have passed the Diplomate in
          Clinical Social Work (DCSW) exam or Board Certified
          Diplomate (BCD) exam prior to June 30, 1995, to be
          considered as having satisfied the examination
          component of the licensing requirements for Master of
          Social Work (MSW) level workers.

     The National Association of Social Workers, the Hawaii
Nurses' Association, Brigham Young University Hawaii Social Work
Department, the University of Hawaii School of Social Work, the
Bachelor of Social Work Student Organization at the University of
Hawaii at Manoa, the University of Hawaii School of Social Work
Graduate Student Organization, and many individuals submitted
testimony in support of this measure.  The Federation of Clinical

 
 
 
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                                 Page 2

 
Social Workers and many individuals submitted testimony in
opposition of this measure.

     The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs submitted
comments.  The Board of Psychology and the Hawaii Psychological
Association submitted comments only in the areas which addressed
the practice of psychotherapy and mental health services.

     Your Committee finds that the inclusion of BSW level workers
protects consumers by providing for the regulation of the BSW
level, MSW level, and clinical social worker level practitioners
who are qualified to provide social work services.

     However, your Committee is concerned that due to the
public's acceptance of a social worker as an MSW, consumers will
not be able to differentiate between BSW level and MSW level
practitioners and services.  Your Committee respectfully requests
the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection to examine this
issue.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting from the scope of social work practice:

          (A)  The supervision of nonprofessional staff and other
               BSW workers; and

          (B)  Psychosocial assessment and diagnosis impressions
               of clients under the supervision of a clinical
               social worker, DCSW, or BCD;

     (2)  Adding clinical diagnosis to the scope of clinical
          social work;

     (3)  Exempting licensure of any person obtaining post
          master's degree supervised experience in clinical
          social work to fulfill the requirements of obtaining
          certification as a Qualified Clinical Social Worker,
          DCSW, or BCD;

     (4)  Deleting "counseling" from the services that a social
          worker should not perform; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 603
                                 Page 3

 
331, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 331, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair