From: George J. Kamps, M.S.W., A.C.S.W.,
L.C.S.W.
Chair, Joint
Board of the Marriage and Family Therapists, Professional Counselors,
and Social Workers
To: Educators,
Students, and Internship Coordinators:
This correspondence
is intended to notify you of a rule change that will affect the internship
requirements for Social Work Training Certificate (SWTC) applicants.
The new rule will go into effect later this year and will require
that internships be at least 400 hours in
duration. The SWTC was established as an alternative path to obtain
a social work certificate. By administrative rule, the Social Work
Section has established 400 hours as the minimum requirement for the
SWTC internship component and ideally will be completed at one site.
Internship hours must be accumulated under the supervision of a licensed
professional who holds either a bachelor's degree in social work or
a master's degree in social work.
The new
hourly requirement was established after extensive input from the
social work programs within Wisconsin as well as from the universities
that offer preparation for the SWTC, and is essential in order to
adequately prepare a social work certificate holder to address the
complex responsibilities faced in the various employment positions
they will secure.
Any
applicant for SWTC who starts an internship after October 1,
2006 must do a 400 hour internship. Those who started their
internship before October 2006 must apply by October 2007 to be evaluated
under the old rules (no 400 hour requirement). Otherwise, they
must also do the 400 hours or one year employment.
