The American Board of Clinical Social Work (ABCSW) defines clinical social work as "a healthcare profession based on theories and methods of prevention and treatment in providing mental-health/healthcare services, with special focus on behavioral and bio-psychosocial problems and disorders".
[5] In 1898, the first U.S. social work class was offered at Columbia University by the New York Charity Organization Society.
[6] In 1904 Simmons College, in collaboration with Harvard University, established the Boston School for Social Workers.
[16] Today, clinical social work is licensed in all 50 of the United States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, all 10 Canadian Provinces, Guam and the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as licensed or certified by other jurisdictions around the world.
Treatment methods include the provision of individual, marital, couple, family and group counseling and psychotherapy.
Clinical social workers are qualified to diagnose using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), and other diagnostic classification systems in assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy, and other activities.
degree are typically two full-time years of study in length and require 900 to 1,200 hours of internship practice.
degree, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, they may be offered "advanced standing" shorting their M.S.W.
[1] The ABCSW[35] offers three specialty certifications including Practice with Children and Their Families, Clinical Supervision, and Psychoanalysis.
The Qualified Clinical Social Worker (QCSW) is the beginning level generalist clinical social work credential offered by NASW; NASW membership is not required to obtain the QCSW.
[32] The Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW) is the advanced level generalist clinical social work credential offered by NASW; NASW membership is required to obtain the DCSW.
[15] The Clinical Social Worker in Gerontology (CSW-G) is a specialty credential offered by NASW to clinical social workers who specialize in working in the area of gerontology; NASW membership is not required to obtain the CSW-G.[37] The Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs Social Worker (C-CATODSW) is a specialty credential for clinical social workers who work in the area of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; NASW membership is not required to obtain the CSW-G.[38] The National Association of Forensic Counselors[39] offers the Clinically Certified Forensic Social Worker (CCFSW) credential.