Introduction

These standards set out by the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW) are intended to be used in conjunction with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (2025). The Code of Ethics and Standards (2025) and these establish the minimum expectations for clinical specialists. Together, these standards serve as a foundational framework guiding clinical specialists in their practice, ensuring that clinical specialists adhere to the ethical and professional benchmarks set forth by the NSCSW. By integrating these standards with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, clinical specialists are equipped to provide ethical and effective services, fostering a positive effect on individual and community well-being through their dedicated efforts in private practice environments.

Clinical specialists are Registered Social Workers who have been approved by the Board of Examiners to deliver clinical social work services in a private setting. The Board of Examiners defines the scope of the clinical social work specialization as social work in a private practice that:

1. provides mental health and well-being, addiction, trauma, grief/loss/illness, and crisis assessments and services that situate the individual within their social context inclusive of family, political, economic and cultural factors with a focus on the structural social determinants of health;
2. utilizes therapy and interventions that are grounded in principles of evidence-informed, bio-psycho-social-spiritual approaches that are culturally relevant to the social contexts of service users to achieve their mental health and well-being, addiction, trauma, grief/loss/illness, and crisis intervention goals;
3. engages directly with individuals, couples, families, and groups focused on complex issues affecting individual and family functioning and their relationships including, but not limited to, mental health, addiction, trauma, grief/loss/illness, and crisis; and
4. informed by the broader concepts intrinsic to social work including human rights and social justice.

Context of Clinical Social Work Practice

Clinical specialists in Nova Scotia provide a range of service in a private setting to support service users experiencing mental health and addictions issues, grief and loss, and recovery from traumatic experiences. It is essential to recognize the significant historical role social work has played in shaping clinical services, particularly for economically and racially marginalized communities. These standards underscore the necessity of addressing oppressive systems and practices, emphasizing restorative justice, reconciliation, and the elimination of intersectional biases. The NSCSW is committed to fostering anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, anti-colonial, and anti-racist practices within the field. This commitment is crucial for confronting the profession’s colonial and racist legacies and advocating for a more equitable, inclusive, and compassionate approach to social work in Nova Scotia.

The NSCSW stands firm on the principles of equality, equity, and humanitarianism, striving to create a society that champions justice in every aspect of life. Clinical specialists face ethical challenges across various contexts and continually adapt their practice to effectively meet both individual and collective needs. Empowering marginalized groups and advocating for systemic changes to uphold human rights both locally and internationally remain central goals of the profession and clinical specialists.

The process of decolonizing social work, involving understanding the impact of colonialism, engaging in self-reflective practice, addressing intersecting oppressions, and working towards their eradication, is integral to the role of clinical specialists. These professionals make significant and meaningful contributions to the profession’s commitment to learning from history, fostering partnerships, and ensuring the safety and well-being of communities. The NSCSW values its members’ efforts in establishing and adhering to ethical and professional standards for social work practice, ensuring that clinical specialists contribute meaningfully to healing and growth within this region.

Core Concepts and Definitions

Scope of Clinical Social Work Specialization: Clinical Specialists specialize in providing services that address mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, illness, and crisis assessments. These services place individuals within their broader social contexts, including family, social, economic, and cultural backgrounds, with an emphasis on understanding how these factors affect mental health and well-being.

Purpose of Practice: The goal is to support healing, improve the well-being of individuals and families, foster self-determination, and promote social justice principles.

Practice Context: Clinical specialists engage at the juncture of an individual’s personal experience and their environment. This includes starting with the individual and expanding out to include their family, social networks, community, and society at large.

Roles and Collaboration: Social workers, whether working independently or as part of a team, collaborate with relevant professionals and people impacting the individual’s well-being.

Social Context: Clinical specialists examine how individual experiences are both influenced by and influence their social environment, affecting aspects like mental health, addiction, and trauma. It involves understanding internal and external factors of vulnerability and resilience, family dynamics, support networks, cultural influences, socioeconomic status, and the impact of broader social issues such as income, employment, and housing on individuals and families.

Social Consequences: Social work addresses how issues related to mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, and crisis impact self-perception, life opportunities, family well-being, economic security, employment, and housing. It also considers the potential links between mental health and overall health.

Private Practice: Defined in Section 2(j) of the Social Workers Act, “private practice” refers to social work services provided by self-employed individuals, characterized by personal liability, independent clinical and administrative oversight, and direct billing for services rendered.

Health: The World Health Organization’s constitution defines health as more than the absence of disease, calling it a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.² Mental health is essential for cognitive and emotional functions, interpersonal relationships, earning capabilities, and overall life enjoyment, thereby necessitating global prioritization for its promotion, protection, and restoration.

Factors Affecting Mental Health: Mental health can be adversely affected by a myriad of factors, including psychological, personality, and biological influences, socio-economic challenges such as low income and limited education, environmental stresses like social changes and discrimination, and personal lifestyle and physical health issues. In addressing broader social justice concerns, social workers play a critical role in enhancing conditions related to mental health.

Contextual Terms

The Standards of Practice apply the following terms.

“All people” and “people” include all individuals, families, groups, and communities, irrespective of their participation in social work services.

The term “service users” includes individuals (service users, patients, residents, etc.), parents and substitute decision-makers, families, groups, communities, and populations who access or receive social work services.

The term “family” is also expanded beyond the traditional definition of family (e.g., spouses, parents, siblings, other relatives, etc.) to include any person(s) who plays a significant role in an individual’s life which may include a person(s) not legally related to the individual.

² World Health Organization, “Constitution of the World Health Organization (Preamble),” in Constitution of the World Health Organization, adopted 1946, entered into force 7 April 1948, https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution.