Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 5-39.1 - License Procedure for Social Workers

• Administrative penalty: means a monetary penalty not to exceed the civil penalty specified by statute or, where not specified by statute, an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500). See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.11-1
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Applicant: means a child-placing agency, child caring agency, foster and adoptive home, and children's behavioral health program that apply for a license to operate. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Board: means the state board of social work examiners for licensure of social workers. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-39.1-2
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Child: means any person less than eighteen (18) years of age; provided, that a child over eighteen (18) years of age who is nevertheless subject to continuing jurisdiction of the family court, pursuant to chapter 1 of Title 14, or defined as emotionally disturbed according to chapter 7 of Title 40. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Child caring agency: means any facility that provides residential treatment, residential group homecare or semi-independent living, or residential assessment and stabilization. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Child-placing agency: means any private or public agency that receives children for placement into independent living arrangements, supervised apartment living, residential group care facilities, family foster homes, or adoptive homes. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-39.1-2
• Department: means the department of human services. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.11-1
• Department: means the department of children, youth and families (DCYF). See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Director: means the director of the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-39.1-2
• Director: means the director of the department of human services or his or her duly authorized agent. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.11-1
• Director: means the director of the department of children, youth and families, or the director's designee. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Division: means the division of professional regulation in the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-39.1-2
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Experience: means three thousand (3,000) hours of post-master's practice of clinical social work during a twenty-four (24) to seventy-two (72) month period of time immediately preceding the date of application for licensure. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-39.1-2
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foster and adoptive homes: means one or more adults who are licensed to provide foster or adoptive caregiving in a family-based home setting. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Licensee: means any person, firm, corporation, association, or agency, which holds a valid license under this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• 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: means any public or private corporation, individual, partnership, association, or other entity that is licensed as a child daycare center, family child daycare home, group family child daycare home or any officer, employee or agent thereof. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.11-1
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Regulation: means any requirement for licensure, promulgated pursuant to this chapter having the force of law. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Related: means any of the following relationships, by marriage, blood, or adoption, even following the death or divorce of a natural parent: parent, grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and first cousin. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-72.1-2
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Supervision: means face-to-face contact with a licensed independent clinical social worker for the purpose of apprising the supervisor of the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of each client; receiving oversight and guidance from the supervisor in the delivery of clinical social-work services to each client; and being evaluated by the supervisor. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-39.1-2
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8