Bill Text: GA HB434 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Social workers; requirements for licensure; revise provisions

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 6-1)

Status: (Passed) 2012-07-01 - Effective Date [HB434 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HB434-Introduced.html

---

12 LC 33 4084/AP

House Bill 434 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

By: Representatives Dempsey of the 13th, Rynders of the 152nd, Purcell of the 159th, Kaiser of the 59th, Sims of the 119th, and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, so as to revise a definition; to revise provisions relating to requirements for licensure in social work; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, is amended in Code Section 43-10A-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions, by revising paragraph (13) as follows:

"(13) 'Social work' means that specialty which helps individuals, marriages, families, couples, groups, or communities to enhance or restore their capacity for functioning: by assisting in the obtaining or improving of tangible social and health services; by providing psychosocial evaluations, in-depth analyses and determinations diagnoses of the nature and status of emotional, cognitive, mental, behavioral, and interpersonal problems or conditions; and by counseling and psychotherapeutic techniques, casework, social work advocacy, psychotherapy, and treatment in a variety of settings which include but are not limited to mental and physical health facilities, child and family service agencies, or private practice."

SECTION 2.

Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 43-10A-12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to requirements for licensure in social work, by revising subsection (c) as follows:

"(c) Licensed clinical social workers may practice all authorized services of licensed master's social workers and may: provide supervision and direction; provide psychosocial evaluation through data collection and analyses to determine diagnose the nature of an individual's mental, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal problems or conditions; provide counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, marriages, couples, families, and groups; interpret the psychosocial dynamics of a situation and recommend and implement a course of action to individuals, marriages, couples, families, or groups in such settings as private practice, family service and counseling agencies, health care facilities, and schools; and provide direct evaluation, casework, social work advocacy, education, training, prevention, and intervention services in situations threatened or affected by social, intrapersonal, or interpersonal stress or health impairment."

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.