Medical Social Services Social Worker Requirements The Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP) require medical social workers in home care to have a Master of Social Work degree (LMSW in Texas) and one year of health care experience. Social work assistants should have a Bachelor of Social Work degree (LBSW in Texas), one year of healthcare experience, and must be supervised by an LMSW. There are some rules from the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council that are very important to note: • LMSWs in the home care setting make many critical interventions that are considered “clinical practice” such as counseling patients and families for anxiety and depression. Other interventions are considered “non-clinical practice” that include case management activities such as community resource linkages and long-term planning / placement. Because this “mixture” exists and is essential in the home care setting, even full-time / part-time salaried agency LMSWs must have clinical supervision by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to put them in compliance with the law in terms of the “clinical” aspect of their home care social work practice. LBSW social workers are not allowed to do “clinical practice” of social work in any setting. • LMSWs and LBSWs who work on a “contract” basis for home care can only provide “non-clinical practice” to be in compliance with the law.
