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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>78374</law_id><section_number>54.1-3701</section_number><catch_line>Exemption from requirements of licensure</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>37.2-403</reference><reference>54.1-3605</reference><reference>54.1-3611</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="37">Social Work</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Social Work</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The requirements for licensure provided for in this chapter shall not be applicable to:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Persons who render services that are like or similar to those falling within the scope of the classifications or categories in this chapter, so long as the recipients or beneficiaries of such services are not subject to any charge or fee, or any financial requirement, actual or implied, and the person rendering such service is not held out, by himself or otherwise, as a licensed practitioner. <a id="paragraph-280906" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-3701/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The activities or services of a student pursuing a course of study in social work in an institution recognized by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> for purposes of licensure upon completion of the course of study or under the supervision of a practitioner licensed under this chapter; if such activities or services constitute a part of his course of study and are adequately supervised. <a id="paragraph-280907" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-3701/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The activities of rabbis, priests, ministers or clergymen of any religious denomination or sect when such activities are within the scope of the performance of their regular or specialized ministerial duties, and no separate charge is made or when such activities are performed, whether with or without charge, for or under auspices or sponsorship, individually or in conjunction with others, of an established and legally cognizable church, denomination or sect, and the person rendering service remains accountable to its established authority. <a id="paragraph-280908" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-3701/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Persons employed as salaried employees or volunteers of the federal government, the Commonwealth, a locality, or of any agency established or funded, in whole or part, by any such governmental entity or of a private, nonprofit organization or agency sponsored or funded, in whole or part, by a community-based citizen group or organization. Any person who renders psychological services, as defined in Chapter 36 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-3600/">54.1-3600</a> et seq.) of this title, shall be subject to the requirements of that chapter. Any person who, in addition to the above-enumerated employment, engages in an independent private practice shall not be exempt from the requirements for licensure. <a id="paragraph-280909" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-3701/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Persons regularly employed by private business firms as personnel managers, deputies or assistants so long as their counseling activities relate only to employees of their employer and in respect to their employment. <a id="paragraph-280910" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-3701/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="6"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> Any person who is licensed to practice as a <span class="dictionary">clinical social worker</span> in another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory or <span class="dictionary">possession</span> and who is in good standing with the applicable regulatory agency in that state, the District of Columbia, or that United States territory or <span class="dictionary">possession</span> who provides behavioral health services, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>, to a patient located in the Commonwealth when (i) such practice is for the purpose of providing continuity of care through the use of telemedicine services as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Coverage for telemedicine services" href="/38.2-3418.16/">38.2-3418.16</a> and (ii) the <span class="dictionary">clinical social worker</span> has previously established a practitioner-patient relationship with the patient. A person who is licensed to practice as <span class="dictionary">clinical social worker</span> who provides behavioral health services to a patient located in the Commonwealth through use of telemedicine services pursuant to this subdivision may provide such services for a period of no more than one year from the date on which the <span class="dictionary">clinical social worker</span> began providing such services to such patient. <a id="paragraph-280911" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-3701/#6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1976, c. 608, &#xA7; 54-944; 1986, c. 581; 1988, c. 765; 2022, c. 275.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
