Section 89155 - Social Work Personnel(a) Social workers shall be employed to provide the social services in the agency's adoption program.(b) Except as otherwise provided, the minimum educational requirement for social worker shall be a master's degree from an accredited graduate school of social work or completion of all work toward a degree except the thesis. There shall be no waiver of this requirement as a condition of initial licensure. Waivers of the graduate education may be authorized by the Department if the agency has demonstrated a substantial and consistent effort to recruit and retain an adequate number of social workers with graduate training, and a selective certification or hiring plan is in effect whereby social workers possessing the qualifications shall be employed first.(c) Optional Requirements--Public Agencies. Upon approval of waiver and except as provided in this section, the Department may authorize a public adoption agency to use one or more of the following optional qualification requirements in the order given: (1) Graduation from college, and either: (A) One year of experience as a Social Service Worker II, or its equivalent, in a California county welfare department; or(B) Two years of social work experience in a public welfare agency; one year of graduate education which was completed as part of the candidacy for a master's degree in social work may be substituted for one year of the required experience.(2) Graduation from college with a major in social welfare; or graduation from college with a major other than social welfare and either: (A) One year of experience in a public or private agency performing duties comparable to a Social Service Worker I. One year of graduate study which was completed as part of the candidacy for a master's degree in social work may be substituted for the required experience; or(B) One year of experience as a Social Service Worker I, or its equivalent, in a California county welfare department. Completion of a Department approved in-service training course or completion of an undergraduate major in a field closely related to social welfare may be substituted for six months of the required experience.(d) Optional Requirements--Private Agencies. Upon approval of waiver, and except as provided in this section, the Department may authorize a private adoption agency to use the optional requirement of graduation from college and two years of social work experience in a social service agency. One year of graduate education in social work, or completion of an undergraduate major in social welfare may be substituted for one year of the required experience. Completion of a Department approved in-service training course, or completion of an undergraduate major in a field closely related to social welfare may be substituted for six months of the required experience. In all cases, however, a minimum of one year of experience shall be required under these substitution patterns.(e) Additional Waiver Option for Both Public and Private Adoption Agencies. Graduation from college as the only requirement for social work personnel may be authorized if the agency has Department approved in-service training and staff development programs for staff recruited at this level.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 22, § 89155
1. Amendment of subsections (a) and (c)-(d), repealer of subsection (e), and relettering and amendment of former subsection (f) filed 9-30-93; operative 11-1-93 (Register 93, No. 40). Note: Authority cited: Section 1530, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 1501, 1505, 1506, 1520, 1530 and 1531, Health and Safety Code.
1. Amendment of subsections (a) and (c)-(d), repealer of subsection (e), and relettering and amendment of former subsection (f) filed 9-30-93; operative 11-1-93 (Register 93, No. 40).