A licensed social worker is a mental health professional who provides services to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, or communities.
A licensed baccalaureate social worker (LBSW) holds at least an undergraduate degree in social work from a four-year college or university or was previously licensed as a social work associate. A licensed master social worker (LMSW) holds at least a master’s degree in social work. A licensed master social worker-advanced practitioner (LMSW-AP) has also completed at least two years of professional, supervised experience providing non-clinical social work services. A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) holds at least a master’s degree in social work. The LCSW has also completed at least two years of professional, supervised experience providing clinical social work services.
General social work services, which may be provided by all licensed social workers, include interviewing, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, case management, mediation, counseling, supportive counseling, direct practice, information and referral, problem solving, supervision, consultation, education, advocacy, community organization and the development, implementation, and administration of policies, programs and activities.
Master’s social work services, which may be provided by an LMSW, LMSW-AP, or LCSW, include the application of specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills in the areas of assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation, case management, information and referral, supervision, consultation, education, research, advocacy, community organization and the development, implementation, and administration of policies, programs and activities.
Clinical social work services, which may only be provided by an LCSW or an LMSW in an agency setting, include the application of specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skills in the areas of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions, including severe mental illness in adults and serious emotional disturbances in children. For more information about social workers, visit the website of the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners at www.dshs.state.tx.us/socialwork or call (512) 719-3521 or (800) 232-3162.
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