April, 2000

Inside this Issue:

A Recipe for Successful Supervision

A New Renewal Process

Required Record Keeping

Board Approved Clinical Supervisor (BACS) Status

Queries

Order Form for Publications

New Licensees

Board Vacancies

Board Meeting Dates

In Remembrance

Professional Disclosure Statement

Putting Together a Social Work Feast. Like other professions, social work attempts to police itself through academic credentials, testing, supervision, continuing education, and regulation. Supervision provides the most interactive personal avenue for integrating experience and growth.

	It adds a layer of professional experience and wisdom to protect the public.
	It ensures accountability for competence, public protection, and professional integrity.
	It provides a way for new workers to become integrated into the profession.
	It encourages professional growth.
	It helps social workers become confident and skilled and ready for independent practice.

	be clear in information and direction, both in writing and speaking
	practice self-control, fairness, persistence, and flexibility
	deal effectively with people who are different (in race, age,culture, gender, etc.)
	set behavioral objectives and time frames
	monitor progress
	keep accurate, careful, and timely records
	learn to handle conflict
	confront difficult situations and impose sanctions if necessary.

Choosing Fresh, Healthy Ingredients. The ingredients of effective supervision include:

	A complete learning assessment of the supervisee, one that you revisit regularly
	A Plan of Supervision (including behavioral objectives and ways to reach those objectives)  which you revisit about every six months
	An emphasis on case material
	Instruction on appropriate record-keeping and regular monitoring of documentation
	Coaching through co-therapy or co-leadership, audio or video taping, role plays and simulations,  shadowing and brainstorming, and use of one-way mirrors.
	Monitoring the supervisee through analytical, cognitive tasks, such as having the supervisee  prepare process recordings, research issues, attend staff and board meetings and legislative  hearings, teach others, and report on relevant books and movies
	Ensuring that the social worker knows the Practice Act, the Rules that implement that Act,  and the NASW Code of Ethics, as well as statutory obligations to report child or elder abuse or  potentially dangerous behavior
	Participating in group supervision
	Engaging in planned, purposeful evaluations

	The GSW must receive a minimum of 24 accumulated calendar months of supervised full- time postgraduate social work practice.
	A calendar month is counted from the first working day of the month to the last day of that month.
	Supervised work experience eligible to be counted towards licensure begins on the first working day  of the first full calendar month after the first supervisory session.
	Face-to-face supervision for licensure must total at least 96 hours.
	Supervision occurs only during the months when the supervisee is actually employed.
	The Board strongly recommends one hour of face-to-face supervision per week.
	The requirement, however, is supervision at least 4 hours per calendar month with at least  two different contacts per month.
	Supervision segments of less than 30 minutes will not be counted toward the LCSW.
	One-half of the required 96 hours (48) may be in group supervision, with no more than 5  supervisees to a group.
	The GSW must be a salaried full-time (30+ hours weekly) employee of a social work  organization. Part-time work (fewer than 30 hours per week) and volunteer work may not be  counted toward licensure.
	Supervisors should have a plan to cover supervision when they are not available.

	hold a LCSW license
	verify 3 years of full-time social work experience beyond the LCSW
	submit 2 letters of reference to the Board from other mental health professionals (one of whom  should be an LCSW) who are familiar with the licensee’s work including supervisory and appropriate  professional skills
	participate in a Board orientation workshop
	participate in board pre-approved workshop on the theory and techniques of supervision as well as  procedures used in supervision toward licensure of at least 10 hours duration. and once every 5  years after the initial training

Creating a Pleasant Ambiance for the Social Work Meal. Supervision should be offered with a smile and with timely attention to detail. It is the responsibility of the supervisee to request, safeguard, and submit supervision forms on a timely basis. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to provide appropriate, thoughtful supervision on a timely basis, to maintain adequate records of supervision, and to submit all written work to the Board in a legible form and on a timely basis.

	The supervisee should request the Registration of Supervision form from the Board Office  (11930 Perkins Rd. STE B, Baton Rouge, LA 70810). When a supervisee has negotiated supervision  with the selected supervisor, the supervisee should mail the Registration form with a fee of $35.00  back to the Board Office.
	The Board Office will then mail a Supervision Packet, including the Supervision Guide, to the supervisee.  If any of the enclosed forms are lost during supervision, they may be replaced for a replacement fee  of $5.00 per form.
	The Personnel Office (or equivalent person) will complete the Employer Verification Affidavit of  the supervisee’s employment and mail it to the Board Office. This must be done for each place of  employment which the supervisee has during the 2-year period of supervision toward licensure.
	The supervisor will, in conjunction with the supervisee, complete a Plan of Supervision and mail it to  the Board Office within 60 days of the first supervision session. Should the supervisee change supervisors, a new Plan for that subsequest supervision experience must be submitted.
	The supervisor will maintain a Record of Supervision. While this will likely not be submitted to the Board  Office, the Board routinely audits random supervision cases. If selected for random audit, the Board will  request the Record of Supervision.
	The Evaluation of Supervision will be submitted to the Board Office at the end of supervision. Should  the supervisee and the supervisor terminate their supervisory relationship for any reason prior to the end  of the 2 year supervision period, the supervisor must submit the Evaluation form.
	At the conclusion of the supervision relationship (regardless of its length), the supervisor shall submit  the Termination of Supervision form to the Board Office.
	A sample supervision case, with completed forms, is included in the Supervision Guide for reference.
	Forms must be typed or legibly printed. If they are not easily read, the forms will be returned.
	Only original, unaltered forms may be submitted to the Board Office. Copies, faxes, or forms with any  alterations (such as white-out) will not be accepted.
	Termination and Evaluation forms must clearly designate the beginning and ending dates of supervision.

	Study the Standards of Practice (Chapter 1 of the Board’s Rules, Standards and Procedures) to be  clear on ethical behavior standards in supervision.
	The Board discourages supervision between individuals who are related by blood, marriage, friendship,  or a prior therapeutic relationship.

All LCSWs and (BCSWs) who received their license prior to April 1, 2000 must renew their license this summer. Renewal notices will be mailed from the Board office on June 20, 2000 and must be returned by November 30, 2000 in order to avoid the late fee.

Board Vacancies

Effective January 1, 2000 the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners shall consist of the following members:

(1) One registered social worker with at least five years of social work experience.

(2) One certified graduate social worker with at least five years of social work experience.

(3) Three licensed clinical social workers each with at least five years of clinical social work experience.

(4) One member who is either a registered social worker, a certified graduate social worker, or a licensed clinical social worker.

(5) One public member.

There are currently five (5) members serving on the Board and the Governor’s office has received a list of names from which he will select one registered social worker and one public member. An LCSW position will become vacant on July 26, 2000 and the Governor will be sent a list of names of GSWs at that time from which he will select one GSW for appointment to the Board.

If you are interested or know someone who is interested in serving as the graduate social worker, please submit a letter of interest and a resume to the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers who will be responsible for the coordination of the selection process:

Louisiana Chapter of NASW
700 North 10th Street, Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Board Meeting Dates for 2000:

Welcome New LCSWs

The following social workers have been granted the LCSW license by the Board since the last newsletter:

 Welcome New GSWs

The following social workers have been granted the GSW certification by the Board since the last newsletter:

Welcome New RSWs

The following social workers have been granted the RSW registration by the Board since the last newsletter:

About your address.....

John R. Sims

A:You may continue to use the original supervision forms mailed to you. However, if you terminate with your current supervisor and begin with a new supervisor, there is the possibility that the supervision forms adopted February 5, 2000 will be issued. Even though the new supervision forms are supplied, you will continue under the "old" rules.

A:Sorry. The Plan for Supervision (formerly known as the Contract for Supervision) must be submitted to the Board office within 60 days of the first supervisory session. Therefore, you will lose any supervision credit prior to 60 days upon receipt of the Plan of Supervision at the Board office.

A:See Rule 305.E. BCSWs who fail to complete the affidavit to change their status to LCSW will be assigned the GSW status on January 1, 2001.

A:Rule 121.C.2. states that " A social worker shall not solicit a private fee or other remuneration for providing services to clients who are entitled to such available services through the social worker’s employer or agency without employer or agency approval". If a prospective client is not eligible to receive services at your agency, you would not be in violation of this Rule if you agreed to see the client in your private practice.

A:"Commonly accepted practice" in the social work community is to provide at least three (3) names and if possible include both genders.

A:Call the Board. Rule 303A states that "any person practicing social work without license, certification, provisional certification, or registration is subject to the provisions of R.S. 37:2720, including injunctive proceedings and prosecution".

At the February 18, 2000 meeting, Board members voted to accept applications for the Board Approved Clinical Supervisor (BACS) status through JUNE 30, 2000 under Rule No. 111 which was in effect prior to January 1, 2000.

	Maintenance of LCSW licensure in accordance with the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act.
	Three years of full-time social work experience beyond the LCSW.
	Two letters of reference submitted to the board from other mental health professionals (one of whom should be an LCSW) who are familiar with the licensee's work including supervisory and appropriate professional skills.
	Participate in a Board orientation workshop.
	Participate in a Board pre-approved workshop on the theory and techniques of supervision as well as procedures used in supervision toward licensure of at least 10 hours duration.
	Those BACS Supervisors who achieved their BACS status before July 1, 1995 must attend another supervision workshop before June 30, 2000, and every five year period thereafter.

Professional Disclosure Statement

Rule 107.E. states that "A social worker shall display at the social worker’s primary place of practice or make available for all clients" a professional disclosure statement which contains the information included in this Professional Disclosure Statement. See page 3 in the Rules, Standards and Procedures for additional information.