Maryland lawmakers consider adding social workers as comp providers

Maryland lawmakers on Monday presented carryover legislation that would allow licensed certified social workers to diagnose injured workers with mental impairments.

H.B. 694, which was scheduled for a hearing March 1, would authorize a licensed certified social worker to “register as a rehabilitation practitioner and would authorize such a social worker to provide evaluation services for workers compensation claims related to permanent impairments involving a behavioral or mental disorder.”

Last year’s bill was described as “dead” on the day it was filed.