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You practice within what your Utah license authorizes, what your training and competence support, and, if you’re a CSW or a student, what your supervision agreement allows. All three limits apply at once.

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By license

  • LCSW: independent clinical practice, including assessment, diagnosis, and psychotherapy, within your competence.
  • CSW: clinical practice under the supervision of an approved supervisor, per your supervision contract. You don’t practice independently, and you don’t represent yourself as doing so.
  • MSW student: activities defined by your school’s learning agreement and your supervisor. Nothing outside it.
Introduce yourself with your actual credential. Clients are entitled to know who’s treating them and at what level. Utah requires every client to receive, in writing or on the website, your name, license type and number, and contact information, your supervisor’s if you’re a CSW, a plain-language statement about dual relationships, a client-rights statement, and how to reach DOPL with a complaint (Utah Code § 58-60-110(1)(e)). The intake packet carries it; keep yours current. Unlicensed staff (the practice manager, front office, and anyone else without a Title 58 license) don’t assess, diagnose, treat, or advise clients on clinical matters, and never describe themselves in a way a client could mistake for a clinician. Scheduling, billing, forms, and logistics are theirs; everything clinical goes to a clinician. Utah makes it unprofessional conduct to use unlicensed assistants outside professional standards, and unlawful to knowingly employ an unlicensed person to practice (Utah Code § 58-60-110(1)(a); § 58-1-501(1)(c)).

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By competence

A license permits a range of practice. Competence in a specific area, population, or modality comes from training and supervised experience. Don’t take on a client, a presenting problem, or a treatment approach you’re not competent to handle. Refer out or consult. See Ending services and referrals.

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What we don’t do

  • We don’t prescribe. Medication questions go to the client’s prescriber. We coordinate with prescribers when authorized.
  • We don’t do custody evaluations, forensic evaluations, or fitness-for-duty evaluations unless Helen has specifically arranged it. Treating clinicians don’t evaluate their own clients for legal purposes.
  • We don’t provide emergency or crisis services as a primary function. We respond to crises that arise in our clients’ care, per the Crisis and safety protocol, and we connect clients to emergency resources.
  • We don’t write letters or complete forms outside our scope, such as certifying disability or recommending specific legal outcomes, without Helen’s review.

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Emotional support animal and similar letters

Requests for ESA letters, work or school accommodation letters, and similar documents go to Helen before you agree to anything. Some are appropriate, some aren’t, and the practice has a position on each.

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Client selection

You decide who’s a fit for you. If a client isn’t, say so early and the front office will route them. There’s no pressure to keep a bad match on your caseload to hit a number.

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When you’re unsure

Consultation is the answer to almost every scope question. See Supervision and consultation.