Brief Description: The Board of Social Work Examiners (Board) proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 18 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with adding regulations for clinical supervisors, and updating clinical supervision requirements, the social worker code of ethics, and continuing education hours for renewals including the following:
- 12 AAC 18.112. Continued competency; 12 AAC 18.210. Continuing education requirement, are proposed to update regulation references based on current proposed language, to streamline the language, and to require one-half of continuing education contact hours to be received via ‘live’, ‘live online’ or ‘synchronous training courses’ for renewals.
- 12 AAC 18.113. Clinical supervisor requirements, is proposed to be added to create regulations and guidelines for clinical supervisors to start after June 30, 2026, including a minimum amount of experience, continuing education requirements, and a maximum amount of supervisees.
- 12 AAC 18.115. Supervision of experience for clinical social work license, is proposed to remove an outdated reference based on proposed language, and to update the approval process for an alternate method of supervision.
- 12 AAC 18.150. Social worker code of ethics, is proposed to update the NASW Code of Ethics adopted by reference to the most recent version approved by NASW.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806. Additionally, the Board will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-2974 and by electronic mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System, by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/216228, and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on September 19, 2024.
You may provide oral comments relevant to the proposed action at a hearing to be held online via Zoom on September 16, 2024. There will not be in-person attendance provided in connection with this hearing, so please prepare to share your oral comments through online attendance via Zoom or by calling the Zoom meeting phone number provided below. The hearing is scheduled from 5:00 P.M to 6:00 P.M. and priority will be given to commenters on the line before the beginning of the hearing. The hearing may be extended to accommodate those on the line before 6:00 P.M. who did not have an opportunity to comment. Before the start of the hearing, the chair of the Board may limit the time allotted for each person providing oral testimony as reasonably necessary to conclude the hearing in the time provided.
Link to participate in the Zoom hearing:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81078614615?pwd=aDdehjTiUxKnXozDGxkwOnUE62Wab6.1
Access information for the Zoom hearing:
Phone number: (253) 215-8782. Meeting ID: 810 7861 4615. Passcode: 585050
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806 or by e-mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Board will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the Board’s website at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/SocialWorkExaminers.aspx.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than September 12, 2024 to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537, RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/CSW-1223.pdf.
A copy of material proposed for adoption by reference is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System, at https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English, or go to https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/NASW-Code-of-Ethics-2021.pdf.
After the public comment period ends, the Board will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory authority: AS 08.95.030; AS 08.95.040; AS 08.95.110; AS 08.95.120
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 08.95.030; AS 08.95.040; AS 08.95.110
Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that occupation. The Division automatically sends a Notice of Proposed Regulations to the parties on the appropriate list each time there is a proposed change in an occupation's regulations in Title 12 of the Alaska Administrative Code. If you would like your address added to or removed from such a list, send your request to the Division at the address above, giving your name, either your e-mail address or mailing address (as you prefer for receiving notices), and the occupational area in which you are interested.
DATE: 8/04/2024
Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting agency: Board of Social Work Examiners – Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
2. General subject of regulation: Add regulations for clinical supervisor requirements, update clinical supervision requirements, continuing education requirements, and code of ethics adopted by reference.
3. Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 18.112 through 12 AAC 18.210.
4. Department of Law file number: 2024200183.
5. Reason for the proposed action: Update and clarification of current regulations; compliance with state statute.
6. Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.
7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
A private person: None known.
Another state agency: None known.
A municipality: None known.
8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars): No costs are expected in FY 2025 or in subsequent years.
9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
Alyssa Castles, Occupational License Examiner
Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Telephone: (907) 465-2572
E-mail: alyssa.castles@alaska.gov
10. The origin of the proposed action: Staff of state agency.
11. Date: 8/04/2024
Prepared by: Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist