Section 4996.17.

(a) (1) Experience gained outside of California shall be accepted toward the licensure requirements if it is substantially the equivalent of the requirements of this chapter.

(2) Commencing January 1, 2014, an applicant with experience gained outside of California shall complete an 18-hour course in California law and professional ethics. The content of the course shall include, but not be limited to, the following: advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege, recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws related to confidentiality of patient health information, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to patients, differences in legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and process.

(b) The board may issue a license to any person who, at the time of application, holds a valid active clinical social work license issued by a board of clinical social work examiners or corresponding authority of any state, if the person passes, or has passed, the licensing examinations as specified in Section 4996.1 and pays the required fees. Issuance of the license is conditioned upon all of the following:

(1) The applicant has supervised experience that is substantially the equivalent of that required by this chapter. If the applicant has less than 3,200 hours of qualifying supervised experience, time actively licensed as a clinical social worker shall be accepted at a rate of 100 hours per month up to a maximum of 1,200 hours.

(2) Completion of the following coursework or training in or out of this state:

(A) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(B) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality as specified in Section 25, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(C) A minimum of 15 contact hours of training or coursework in alcoholism and other chemical substance dependency, as specified by regulation.

(D) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework or training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies.

(3) Commencing January 1, 2014, completion of an 18-hour course in California law and professional ethics. The content of the course shall include, but not be limited to, the following: advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege, recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws related to confidentiality of patient health information, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to patients, differences in legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and process.

(4) The applicant's license is not suspended, revoked, restricted, sanctioned, or voluntarily surrendered in any state.

(5) The applicant is not currently under investigation in any other state, and has not been charged with an offense for any act substantially related to the practice of social work by any public agency, entered into any consent agreement or been subject to an administrative decision that contains conditions placed by an agency upon an applicant's professional conduct or practice, including any voluntary surrender of license, or been the subject of an adverse judgment resulting from the practice of social work that the board determines constitutes evidence of a pattern of incompetence or negligence.

(6) The applicant shall provide a certification from each state where he or she holds a license pertaining to licensure, disciplinary action, and complaints pending.

(7) The applicant is not subject to denial of licensure under Section 480, 4992.3, 4992.35, or 4992.36.

(c) The board may issue a license to any person who, at the time of application, holds a valid, active clinical social work license issued by a board of clinical social work examiners or a corresponding authority of any state, if the person has held that license for at least four years immediately preceding the date of application, the person passes, or has passed, the licensing examinations as specified in Section 4996.1, and the person pays the required fees. Issuance of the license is conditioned upon all of the following:

(1) Completion of the following coursework or training in or out of state:

(A) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(B) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality as specified in Section 25, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(C) A minimum of 15 contact hours of training or coursework in alcoholism and other chemical substance dependency, as specified by regulation.

(D) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework or training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies.

(2) Commencing January 1, 2014, completion of an 18-hour course in California law and professional ethics. The content of the course shall include, but not be limited to, the following: advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege, recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws related to confidentiality of patient health information, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to patients, differences in legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and process.

(3) The applicant has been licensed as a clinical social worker continuously for a minimum of four years prior to the date of application.

(4) The applicant's license is not suspended, revoked, restricted, sanctioned, or voluntarily surrendered in any state.

(5) The applicant is not currently under investigation in any other state, and has not been charged with an offense for any act substantially related to the practice of social work by any public agency, entered into any consent agreement or been subject to an administrative decision that contains conditions placed by an agency upon an applicant's professional conduct or practice, including any voluntary surrender of license, or been the subject of an adverse judgment resulting from the practice of social work that the board determines constitutes evidence of a pattern of incompetence or negligence.

(6) The applicant provides a certification from each state where he or she holds a license pertaining to licensure, disciplinary action, and complaints pending.

(7) The applicant is not subject to denial of licensure under Section 480, 4992.3, 4992.35, or 4992.36.

(d) Commencing January 1, 2014, an applicant who obtained his or her license or registration under another jurisdiction may apply for licensure with the board without taking the clinical examination specified in Section 4996.1 if the applicant obtained a passing score on the licensing examination set forth in regulation as accepted by the board.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 653, Sec. 53.5) by Stats. 2012, Ch. 800, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2013.)