2020 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 12 - Professions And Occupations
Article 245. Mental Health
Section 12-245-403. Social work practice defined.

(1) For the purposes of this part 4, "social work practice" means the professional application of social work theory and methods by a person who has completed a master's degree in social work or a doctoral degree in social work or a bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited social work program, for the purpose of prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and intervention with individual, family, group, organizational, and societal problems, including substance use disorders and domestic violence, based on the promotion of biopsychosocial developmental processes, person-in-environment transactions, and empowerment of the client system. Social work theory and methods are based on known accepted principles that are taught in professional schools of social work in colleges or universities accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

(2) Professional social work practice may include, but is not limited to:

1. Assessment;

2. Differential diagnosis;

3. Treatment planning and evaluation;

4. Measurement of psychosocial functioning;

5. Crisis intervention, outreach, short- and long-term treatment;

6. Therapeutic, individual, marital, and family interventions;

7. Client education;

8. Case management;

9. Mediation;

10. Advocacy;

11. Discharge, referral, and continuity of care planning and implementation;

12. Consultation;

13. Supervision;

14. Research;

15. Management and administration;

16. Program evaluation and education;

17. Social group work;

18. Community organization and development;

19. Social policy analysis and development;

20. Psychotherapy;

21. Consultation, supervision, and teaching in higher education; and(v) Counseling.

3. Social work practice may take place in a public or private agency or institutional,educational, or independent setting.

4. Social work practice is directly based upon an advanced educational program thatteaches the practitioner to analyze, intervene, and evaluate in ways that are highly differentiated, discriminating, and self-critical. A practitioner must be able to synthesize and apply a broad range of knowledge as well as practice with a high degree of autonomy and skill. A practitioner must be able to refine and advance the quality of his or her practice as well as that of the larger social work profession. These advanced competencies must be appropriately integrated and reflected in all aspects of a social work practice, including the ability to:

1. Apply critical thinking skills within professional contexts, including synthesizing andapplying appropriate theories and knowledge to practice interventions;

2. Practice within the values and ethics of the social work profession and with an understanding of, and respect for, the positive value of diversity;

3. Demonstrate the professional use of self;

4. Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and the strategies and skills of change that advance social and economic justice;

5. Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its currentstructure and issues;

6. Apply the knowledge and skills of a generalist social work perspective to practicewith systems of all sizes;

7. Apply the knowledge and skills of advanced social work practice in an area of concentration;

8. Critically analyze and apply knowledge of biopsychosocial variables that affect anindividual's development and behavior and use theoretical frameworks to understand the interactions among and between individuals and social systems;

9. Analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, workers, and agencies anddemonstrate skills for influencing policy formulation and change;

10. Evaluate relevant research studies and apply findings to practice, and demonstrateskills in quantitative research design, data analysis, and knowledge dissemination;

11. Conduct empirical evaluations of their own practice interventions and those of otherrelevant systems; and

12. Use communication skills differentially with a variety of client populations, colleagues, and members of the community.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1268, § 1, effective October 1.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-43-403 as it existed prior to 2019.