Nathan Low

A social worker is a person who is qualified by a Social Work degree, and licensed, certified or registered by the state as a social worker to practice within the scope of that license. A social worker provides assistance and counseling to clients and their families who are dealing with social, emotional and environmental problems. Social work services may be rendered to individuals, families, groups, and the public.

A social worker who holds a master's or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited school of social work in addition to at least two years of post-master's supervised experience in a clinical setting. The social worker must be licensed, certified, or registered at the clinical level in the jurisdiction of practice. A clinical social worker provides direct services, including interventions focused on interpersonal interactions, intrapsychic dynamics, and life management issues. Clinical social work services are based on bio-psychosocial perspectives. Services consist of assessment, diagnosis, treatment (including psychotherapy and counseling), client-centered advocacy, consultation, evaluation, and prevention of mental illness, emotional, or behavioral disturbances.

The behavior technician is a paraprofessional who practices under the close, ongoing supervision of a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and/or credentialed by a state (such as through licensure). The behavior technician is primarily responsible for the implementation of components of behavior-analytic treatment plans developed by the supervisor. That may include collecting data on treatment targets and conducting certain types of behavioral assessments (e.g., stimulus preference assessments). The behavior technician does not design treatment or assessment plans or procedures but provides services as assigned by the supervisor responsible for his or her work.

Source: NUCC, CMS