Ohio Code 4757.26 – Activities of independent social worker, social worker or social work assistant
(A) A person licensed under this chapter to practice as an independent social worker or a social worker may diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, except that a social worker may do so only under the supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed professional clinical counselor, independent marriage and family therapist, independent social worker, or registered nurse who holds a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4757.26
- Mental and emotional disorders: means those disorders that are classified in accepted nosologies such as the international classification of diseases and the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders and in future editions of those nosologies. See Ohio Code 4757.01
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Practice of social work: means the application of social work theory and specialized knowledge of human development and behavior and social, economic, and cultural systems in directly assisting individuals, families, and groups in a clinical setting to improve or restore their capacity for social functioning, including counseling, the use of psychosocial interventions, and the use of social psychotherapy, which includes the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders. See Ohio Code 4757.01
(B) A person licensed under this chapter to practice as an independent social worker may engage in the private practice of social work as an individual practitioner or as a member of a partnership or group practice.
(C) A person licensed under this chapter to practice as a social worker shall not engage in the private practice of social work as an individual practitioner or as a member of a partnership or group practice. A social worker shall not engage in the practice of social work as an employee of a private individual, partnership, or group practitioner of social work unless the social worker is supervised by a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed professional clinical counselor, independent marriage and family therapist, independent social worker, or registered nurse who holds a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing.
(D) A person who receives a certificate of registration to practice as a social work assistant is not authorized to engage in the practice of social work. A social work assistant, under the direct supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent marriage and family therapist, independent social worker, social worker, or registered nurse who holds a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing, may provide human, social, and community services that include intake assessment and referral, screening, crisis intervention and resolution, community support, case management and outreach, record keeping, social assessment, visual observation of an individual in the individual’s environment, assistance in facilitation with groups and families, advocacy, and orientation, education, and prevention services.