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Consumer Brochure & Electronic Service Delivery

The board has approved a consumer brochure to explain our board and licensees. Please feel free to use the linked item Link.

The board has approved a consumer statement to explain electronic service delivery including eTherapy, telephone therapy or any other electronic means. Please review this linked item Link.

Social Work Examination Analysis

ASWB, Association of Social Worker Boards, is performing a job analysis, which is based on a survey. The full survey begins Monday, May 4. The first mailings will go out to 12,000 recently licensed social workers in the U.S. on that day. On Thursday, May 14 letters will be sent to 4,000 registered social workers in Canada. Those receiving requests to participate were chosen randomly. Over the following few weeks reminders will be sent by email and regular mail to encourage those that have not responded to do so by the deadline (June 5 in the U.S. & June 17 in Canada). As you know we conduct the practice analysis approximately every 7-10 years. The information gathered from the analysis is used to create the blue print for all of our examinations. Thus, the greater the participation the greater the accuracy of the results.

Please complete your survey should you receive one! Here is a link for a more complete explanation Link.

MFT bill signed into law January 7, 2009

Governor Strickland signed House Bill 427 into law on January 7, 2009, which makes the bill effective April 7, 2009. The bill gives MFTs the right to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders. The bill also makes changes that give the Marriage and Family Therapist Professional Standards Committee of the CSWMFT Board equal rights with the counselor and social worker committees. The Board has rules to implement this change see Laws and Rules page of this web site. Here is a link to the bill: Link.

The Department of Mental Health is working on rule changes to add MFTs to the authorization rules for reimbursement by the state. Once those rules are in place and the FEDs approve the change, MFTs will be eligible to work at mental health agencies reimbursed by the state.

LSW Supervised Experience to Apply for LISW

The Social Worker Professional Standards Committee has proposed a change to the requirements for supervised experience for LSWs seeking an LISW. The two calendar years of supervised experience must include at least one year and 1500 hours of clinical experience.

Criminal Records Check Required for Licensure

The Ohio legislature passed House Bill 104, which was signed in to law by Governor Strickland in December. That statute change goes into effect on 3/24/08. All applications received on or after 3/24/08 will require a criminal records check prior to approval. See this link for more complete information: Link.

Rule Changes

Several rule changes have been approved through the state's rule making process and are effective 11/2/2008. They are available at the top of the page using the link on the left to "laws and regulations". Included is the option for LSW to pay for supervision from a LISW-S; see this link for a short summary of the changes: Link.

Continuing Education Changes

The Board was reviewing Post Approval CE requests and the issue of in-state post approvals was addressed. By practice the Board has approved in-state post approval for first time renewals, however the rules do not support that practice. The Board by motion set December 31, 2005 as the final date to accept in-state CEU approvals.

Please make sure any first time licensees receive this information.

National Provider Identifier Standard (NPI)

The Board has received many calls about the NPI. However, we have no responsibility in this area. Here is a link to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services web site on the NPI: Educational Resources.
Below are the ODMH and ODJFS sites as well.

ODMH info on NPI
ODJFS info on NPI

Renewal Update

Renewals for January through June 2009 mailed in early November, 2008. Please make sure we have your current address. Contact the Board if you do not have your form. Please try online renewal we have received rave reviews from over 98% of comments!

New License Verification or Lookup System

You can access a new Licensee Lookup feature that is updated daily at the following link Licensee Lookup Link.

Newsletters

Revised Format for Board Laws & Rules

The Laws & Rules link has a new ADOBE PDF file in an easier to read format go to Laws & Rules to download a copy.

Want to be a Board member?

Anyone interested in becoming a board member should go to the Governor's web site at this link for an application. Submit a complete application to the address at that web site. Several Board members' appointments expire 10/10/2009 while a few are eligible for reappointment some are not.