US · guidance
CMS SOM App. FC, Tag M0106
§485.904(b)(4) Social worker
An individual who—
(i) Has a baccalaureate degree in social work from an institution accredited by the
Council on Social Work Education, or a baccalaureate degree in psychology or
sociology, and is supervised by a clinical social worker, as described in
paragraph (b)(3)of this section; and
(ii) Has 1 year of social work experience in a psychiatric healthcare setting.
Interpretive Guidelines §485.904(b)(4)
If a facility chooses to employ a social worker with a Bachelor’s degree in social work,
psychology, or sociology, there must be evidence that the services of the social worker are
provided under the supervision of a clinical social worker with an MSW or a doctoral
degree in social work. The MSW or PhD supervisor role is that of an active advisor,
consulting with the BSW on assessing the needs of clients, developing and updating the
social work portion of the active treatment plan, and delivering care to clients. The
supervision may occur over the telephone, through electronic communication, or any
combination thereof.
History
Rev. 196, Issued: 01-10-20, Effective: 01-10-20, Implementation: 01-10-20
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-22
- Edition
- som-2026-07-22
- Content hash
27070bfe882fac188890657921a036d573044f4ab0a320b85840cf551618540e
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