Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 945 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to amend the definition of practice of social work to include the clinical diagnosis and psychotherapy by a clinical social worker who is both a licensed social worker and certified in clinical social work by the National Association of Social Workers or the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the University of Hawaii School of Social Work, the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, the Family Support Services of West Hawaii, the National Association of Social Workers, and various clinical social workers from throughout the State, testified in support of this measure.

Your Committee understands that many licensed social workers practice psychotherapy in their daily work. Further, graduate programs in social work teach the process of psychotherapy in terms of how to conduct psychosocial assessments, how to make a clinical diagnosis, how to apply psychotherapeutic techniques as a part of their treatment, and how to conduct treatment evaluations.

Your Committee finds that the addition of the language of psychotherapy to the scope of practice to the current social work licensing law, would be beneficial to citizens in need of mental health services and substance abuse treatment throughout the State, especially those in rural areas.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 945 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.