A business or professional entity may not hold itself out as providing social work services or use listed social work-related terms, unless the subsection (b) conditions are met.
Sec. 505.502. PROHIBITED CONDUCT BY BUSINESS OR PROFESSIONAL ENTITY. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a business or professional entity may not: (1) represent itself or another to the public as being engaged in the practice of social work or as offering social work services under an assumed, trade, business, professional, partnership, or corporate name or title; (2) directly or indirectly use or cause to be used the term "social work," "social work services," "social work, inc.," "social workers," "licensed social workers," "licensed baccalaureate social workers," "licensed master social workers," "licensed clinical social workers," "LMSW," "LSW," "LBSW," or "LCSW," or any combination, abbreviation, or variation of those terms; or (3) directly or indirectly use or cause to be used a term listed in Subdivision (2) in combination with any other word, letter, initial, sign, legend, or symbol on, in, or directly or indirectly as a part of: (A) any sign, directory, contract, pamphlet, stationery, advertisement, or other document; (B) a signature; or (C) a trade, assumed, corporate, or other business or professional name. (b) A business or professional entity may engage in conduct described by Subsection (a) if: (1) the entity is actively engaged in the practice of social work; and (2) the social work services that constitute the entity's practice are: (A) personally performed by a social worker who is practicing in accordance with this chapter; or (B) performed under the supervision of a licensed baccalaureate social worker, licensed master social worker, or licensed clinical social worker. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 892, Sec. 18, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.