Social Service Professions Act, 1978 (Act No. 110 of 1978)RegulationsRegulations Relating to the Registration of a Specialisation in Clinical Social Work, 20172. Requirement for the registration of specialisation in clinical social work |
| (1) | The Professional Board shall on application register a specialization in clinical work, where a social worker has a recognised qualification in social work and is registered as a social worker with the SACSSP and has one or more of the following— |
| (a) | an appropriate Master's degree approved by the SACSSP related to clinical social work, plus at least two years appropriate and evidence based practical experience within the scope of clinical social work services; or |
| (b) | five years appropriate and evidence based practical experience within the scope of clinical social work services; provided that the applicant demonstrates expertise in clinical social work by meeting the assessment criteria of the SACSSP for the purpose of determining whether the social worker concerned is competent to practice clinical social work. |
| (2) | A social worker who has compiled with the requirements referred to in 2(1)(a) and (b) will need to register for the specialisation in clinical social work within a period of four years of this regulations being published in the Government Gazette. Failure to register within the prescribed period will require the applicant to comply with 2(1)(a). |
| (3) | A social worker who has registered as a specialist should adhere to the Continuing Professional Development Policy of the SACSSP and should ensure that the continuing professional development activities that they attend include specific development related to the specialisation in clinical social work that is being practised. |
| (4) | The competencies which a clinical social worker must have include— |
| (a) | assessment: assessing the mental health and other psychosocial consequences of psychiatric, health and other life challenges undertaken in an ecological framework; |
| (b) | therapeutic intervention: development and implementation of systematic, assessment-based and theoretically grounded services and treatment plans. These may include providing counselling and psychotherapy to individuals, couples, families and small groups drawing on the full range of evolving therapeutic techniques and modalities; |
| (c) | rigorous systematic documentation and review of the treatment outcomes; and |
| (d) | intra-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary consultative and collaborative practice and appropriate referrals. |