{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-335.150","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 335.150","heading":"Grievance procedures -- Denial, revocation, or suspension of licenses --","body":"Other sanctions -- Reconsideration -- Sexual contact with client -- Penalties --\nReports under Social Work Licensure Compact.\n(1) The board may revoke, suspend, or refuse to issue or renew; impose probationary or\nsupervisory conditions upon; impose an administrative fine; issue a written\nreprimand or admonishment; or any combination of actions regarding any\napplicant, license, or licensee upon proof that the applicant or licensee has:\n(a) Committed any act of dishonesty or corruption, if in accordance with KRS\nChapter 335B. If the act constitutes a crime, conviction in a criminal\nproceeding is not a condition precedent to disciplinary action. Upon\nconviction of the crime, the judgment and sentence creates a rebuttable\npresumption at the ensuing disciplinary hearing of the guilt of the applicant or\nlicensee. Conviction includes all instances in which a plea of no contest is the\nbasis of the conviction;\n(b) Misrepresented or concealed a material fact in obtaining a license, or in\nreinstatement thereof;\n(c) Committed any unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive act or practice;\n(d) Been incompetent or negligent in the practice of social work;\n(e) Violated any state statute or ad ministrative regulation governing the practice\nof social work or any activities undertaken by a social worker;\n(f) Failed to comply with an order issued by the board or an assurance of\nvoluntary compliance;\n(g) Violated any aspect of the code of ethical co nduct as set forth by the board by\npromulgation of an administrative regulation;\n(h) Been legally declared mentally incompetent;\n(i) Aided or abetted another person in falsely procuring or attempting to procure\na license; or\n(j) Aided or abetted an unlicensed person in the practice of social work.\n(2) Five (5) years from the date of a revocation, any person whose license has been\nrevoked may petition the board for reinstatement. The board shall investigate the\npetition and may rei nstate the license upon a finding that the individual has\ncomplied with any terms prescribed by the board and is again able to engage\ncompetently in the practice of social work.\n(3) If an alleged violation is not of a serious nature and the evidence presen ted to the\nboard, after the investigation and appropriate opportunity for the licensee to\nrespond, provides a clear indication that the alleged violation did in fact occur, the\nboard may issue a written admonishment to the licensee. A copy of the\nadmonishment shall be placed in the permanent file of the licensee. The licensee\nshall have the right to file a response within thirty (30) days of its receipt and to\nhave the response placed in the licensee's permanent file. Alternatively, the licensee\nmay file a request for a hearing, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the written\nadmonishment. Upon receipt of this request, the board shall set aside the written\nadmonishment and set the matter for hearing.\n(4) At any time during the investigative or hearing processes, the board may enter into\nan agreed order with, or accept an assurance of voluntary compliance from, the\nlicensee that effectively satisfies the complaint.\n(5) The board may reconsider, modify, or reverse its decision regarding probation,\nsuspension, or any other disciplinary action.\n(6) Upon proof substantiating that sexual contact occurred between a social worker\nlicensed by the board and a client while the client was under the care of or in a\nprofessional relationship with the social worker, th e social worker's license may be\nrevoked or suspended with mandatory treatment of the social worker as prescribed\nby the board. The board may require the social worker to pay a specified amount for\nmental health services for the client which are needed as a result of the sexual\ncontact.\n(7) The board may revoke the license of a social worker if the social worker has been\nconvicted of a misdemeanor offense under KRS Chapter 510 involving a client or a\nfelony offense under KRS Chapter 510 or KRS 530.064(1)(a)  or 531.310, or has\nbeen found to have had sexual contact as defined in KRS 510.010 with a client\nwhile the client was under the care of the social worker.\n(8) A disciplinary action, or other adverse action reported by a member state through\nthe data syste m established under the Social Work Licensure Compact in KRS\n335.135 and affecting a licensee's multistate license or multistate authorization to\npractice shall constitute grounds for identical or comparable action by the board\nunder this section.","path":["KRS Chapter 335"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57518","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:24Z","sha256":"cc312986eba42aff11e35bfeaa30e5e592b1484a5a543cd955a72603975365d9","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-335.140","next":"us-ky/krs-335.155"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}