Missouri Laws 337.1000 v2 – Purpose
1. Sections 337.1000 to 337.1075 shall be known and may be cited as the “Social Work Licensure Compact”.
2. The purpose of this Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of Regulated Social Workers by improving public access to competent Social Work Services. The Compact preserves the regulatory authority of States to protect public health and safety through the current system of State licensure.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 337.1000 v2
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
3. This Compact is designed to achieve the following objectives:
(1) Increase public access to Social Work Services;
(2) Reduce overly burdensome and duplicative requirements associated with holding multiple licenses;
(3) Enhance the Member States’ ability to protect the public’s health and safety;
(4) Encourage the cooperation of Member States in regulating multistate practice;
(5) Promote mobility and address workforce shortages by eliminating the necessity for licenses in multiple States by providing for the mutual recognition of other Member State licenses;
(6) Support military families;
(7) Facilitate the exchange of licensure and disciplinary information among Member States;
(8) Authorize all Member States to hold a Regulated Social Worker accountable for abiding by a Member State’s laws, regulations, and applicable professional standards in the Member State in which the client is located at the time care is rendered; and
(9) Allow for the use of telehealth to facilitate increased access to regulated Social Work Services.