N.M. Stat. § 61-31-3 (2026)

As used in the Social Work Practice Act:

   A. "advisory committee" means an evaluation advisory committee;

     B. "appropriate supervision" means supervision by a licensed clinical social worker
or licensed independent social worker with two years of supervised social work practice
experience or other supervision that is deemed by the board to be equivalent to
supervision by a licensed clinical social worker or licensed independent social worker;

   C. "board" means the board of social work examiners;

   D. "client" means an individual, couple, family, group, organization or community
that seeks or receives social work services from an individual social worker or an
organization;

   E. "consultation" means a problem-solving process in which expertise is offered to
an individual, group organization or community;

   F. "continuing education" means approved education and training that are oriented
to maintain, improve or enhance social work practice;

   G. "department" means the regulation and licensing department;

   H. "executive agency" means any agency within the executive branch of
government;

    I. "licensed bachelor of social work" means a person who engages in the practice
of social work under appropriate supervision and meets the qualification of a licensed
bachelor of social work pursuant to the Social Work Practice Act;
   J. "licensed clinical social worker" means a person who is licensed in the state to
engage in clinical social work practice and meets the qualifications for a licensed clinical
social worker pursuant to the Social Work Practice Act;

    K. "licensed independent social worker" means a person who is licensed in the state
to engage in social work practice other than clinical social work and meets the
qualifications for a licensed independent social worker pursuant to the Social Work
Practice Act;

   L. "licensed master of social work" means a person who engages in the practice of
social work under appropriate supervision and meets the qualification of a licensed
master of social work pursuant to the Social Work Practice Act;

   M. "professional code of ethics" means a code of ethics or professional standards
promulgated by a national organization of social work professionals that provides
guidance, research, advocacy and other services to social workers;

   N. "recognized association" means a nonprofit national association of educational
and professional institutions, social welfare agencies and private citizens recognized as
an accrediting agency for social work education in the United States by a self-regulating
organization of degree-granting colleges and universities;

   O. "supervision" means an interactional professional relationship between a social
worker and a supervisor who:

        (1)   provides evaluation of and direction to a licensed bachelor of social work
or a licensed master of social work; and

       (2)   promotes continued development of a licensed bachelor of social work's or
a licensed master of social work's knowledge, skill and ability to practice social work;
and

   P. "supervisor" means an individual who provides appropriate supervision.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 51, § 3; 2006, ch. 4 § 2; 2019, ch. 143, § 1.

                                     ANNOTATIONS

Delayed repeals. — For delayed repeal of this section, see 61-31-25 NMSA 1978.

The 2019 amendment, effective June 14, 2019, defined "client", "consultation",
"continuing education", "licensed bachelor of social work", licensed clinical social
worker", "licensed independent social worker", "licensed master of social work",
"recognized association", "supervision", and "supervisor", and revised the definitions of
certain terms, as used in the Social Work Practice Act"; in Subsection B, after
"supervision by", deleted "an" and added "a licensed clinical social worker or licensed",
after "independent social worker", deleted "or a master social worker", and after
"supervision by a", deleted "master" and added "licensed clinical social worker or
licensed independent"; deleted former Subsection C, which defined "baccalaureate
social worker", and redesignated former Subsection D as Subsection C; added new
Subsections D through F and redesignated former Subsections E and F as Subsections
G and H, respectively; deleted former Subsections G and H, which defined
"independent social worker" and "master social worker", respectively; added new
Subsections I through L and redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection M; in
Subsection M, after "means", deleted "a code of ethics and rules adopted by the board,
designed to protect the public and to regulate the professional conduct of social
workers" and added "a code of ethics or professional standards promulgated by a
national organization of social work professionals that provides guidance, research,
advocacy and other services to social workers"; and added Subsections N through P.

The 2006 amendment, effective May 17, 2006, made no changes.