2023 Missouri Revised Statutes
Title XXII - Occupations and Professions
Chapter 337 - Psychologists — Professional Counselors — Social Workers
Section 337.615 - Education, experience requirements — definitions — reciprocity — licenses issued, when.

Title XXII OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

Chapter 337

337.615. Education, experience requirements — definitions — reciprocity — licenses issued, when. — 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:

(1) "License", a license, certificate, registration, permit, accreditation, or military occupational specialty that enables a person to legally practice an occupation or profession in a particular jurisdiction;

(2) "Military", the Armed Forces of the United States, including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, National Guard, and any other military branch that is designated by Congress as part of the Armed Forces of the United States, and all reserve components and auxiliaries. The term "military" also includes the military reserves and militia of any United States territory or state;

(3) "Nonresident military spouse", a nonresident spouse of an active-duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been transferred or is scheduled to be transferred to the state of Missouri, or who has been transferred or is scheduled to be transferred to an adjacent state and is or will be domiciled in the state of Missouri, or has moved to the state of Missouri on a permanent change-of-station basis;

(4) "Oversight body", any board, department, agency, or office of a jurisdiction that issues licenses;

(5) "Resident military spouse", a spouse of an active-duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been transferred or is scheduled to be transferred to the state of Missouri or an adjacent state and who is a permanent resident of the state of Missouri, who is domiciled in the state of Missouri, or who has Missouri as his or her home of record.

2. Each applicant for licensure as a clinical social worker shall furnish evidence to the committee that:

(1) The applicant has a master's degree from a college or university program of social work accredited by the council of social work education or a doctorate degree from a school of social work acceptable to the committee;

(2) The applicant has completed at least three thousand hours of supervised clinical experience with a qualified clinical supervisor, as defined in section 337.600, in no less than twenty-four months and no more than forty-eight consecutive calendar months. For any applicant who has successfully completed at least four thousand hours of supervised clinical experience with a qualified clinical supervisor, as defined in section 337.600, within the same time frame prescribed in this subsection, the applicant shall be eligible for application of licensure at three thousand hours and shall be furnished a certificate by the state committee for social workers acknowledging the completion of said additional hours;

(3) The applicant has achieved a passing score, as defined by the committee, on an examination approved by the committee. The eligibility requirements for such examination shall be promulgated by rule of the committee; and

(4) The applicant is at least eighteen years of age, is a United States citizen or has status as a legal resident alien, and has not been finally adjudicated and found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in a criminal prosecution under the laws of any state, of the United States, or of any country, for any offense directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the occupation, as set forth in section 324.012, regardless of whether or not sentence has been imposed.

3. (1) Any person who holds a valid current clinical social work license issued by another state, a branch or unit of the military, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and who has been licensed for at least one year in such other jurisdiction, may submit to the committee an application for a clinical social work license in Missouri along with proof of current licensure and proof of licensure for at least one year in the other jurisdiction.

(2) The committee shall:

(a) Within six months of receiving an application described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, waive any examination, educational, or experience requirements for licensure in this state for the applicant if it determines that there were minimum education requirements and, if applicable, work experience and clinical supervision requirements in effect and the other jurisdiction verifies that the person met those requirements in order to be licensed or certified in that jurisdiction. The committee may require an applicant to take and pass an examination specific to the laws of this state; or

(b) Within thirty days of receiving an application described in subdivision (1) of this subsection from a nonresident military spouse or a resident military spouse, waive any examination, educational, or experience requirements for licensure in this state for the applicant and issue such applicant a license under this subsection if such applicant otherwise meets the requirements of this subsection.

(3) (a) The committee shall not waive any examination, educational, or experience requirements for any applicant who has had his or her license revoked by an oversight body outside the state; who is currently under investigation, who has a complaint pending, or who is currently under disciplinary action, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subdivision, with an oversight body outside the state; who does not hold a license in good standing with an oversight body outside the state; who has a criminal record that would disqualify him or her for licensure in Missouri; or who does not hold a valid current license in the other jurisdiction on the date the committee receives his or her application under this subsection and section.

(b) If another jurisdiction has taken disciplinary action against an applicant, the committee shall determine if the cause for the action was corrected and the matter resolved. If the matter has not been resolved by that jurisdiction, the committee may deny a license until the matter is resolved.

(4) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the committee from denying a license to an applicant under this subsection for any reason described in section 337.630.

(5) Any person who is licensed under the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to the committee's jurisdiction and all rules and regulations pertaining to the practice as a licensed clinical social worker in this state.

(6) This subsection shall not be construed to waive any requirement for an applicant to pay any fees.

4. The committee shall issue a license to each person who files an application and fee as required by the provisions of sections 337.600 to 337.689 and who furnishes evidence satisfactory to the committee that the applicant has complied with the provisions of subdivisions (1) to (4) of subsection 2 of this section.

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(L. 1989 H.B. 738 & 720 § 6, A.L. 1995 S.B. 69, et al., A.L. 1997 S.B. 246, A.L. 2001 H.B. 567, A.L. 2004 H.B. 1195 merged with S.B. 1122, A.L. 2005 S.B. 177, A.L. 2006 S.B. 756, A.L. 2007 H.B. 780 merged with S.B. 308, A.L. 2010 H.B. 2226, et al., A.L. 2014 S.B. 808, A.L. 2018 S.B. 840, A.L. 2020 H.B. 2046, A.L. 2023 S.B. 70 merged with S.B. 157)