Board of Social Workers

Continuing Education

All licensed social workers are required to complete continuing education in the two calendar years prior to the year in which a license is set to expire and the licensee renews. You do not submit your hours at the time of renewal but maintain your records for four years and provide proof of hours upon request from the Department. All licensees may use CE Broker to assist in tracking their continuing education hours. 

Failure to comply with continuing education requirements may result in disciplinary action against the licensee. The disciplinary action will be reported on the Department of Health license verification web site. If a licensee is non-compliant in their continuing education requirements they may be subject to the Board's Continuing Education Policy.

_{Acceptable Continuing Education}

Per Board Policy, the Board interprets synchronous continuing education to qualify as in-person learning. Synchronous continuing education is hereby defined as learning which occurs in real-time and permits the attendee to engage virtually.

The Board allows in-person learning and multi-media learning. Multi-media learning may include courses utilizing The Internet, Closed circuit television, Satellite broadcast, Correspondence courses, Videotapes, CD-ROM, DVD, Teleconferencing, Videoconferencing or Distance learning. A maximum of two-thirds (2/3) of a licensee’s credit hours may be taken via multi-media courses during a calendar year.

The Board  does not pre-approve continuing education courses.  Board Rule 1365-01-.09(7) outlines different types of acceptable social work continuing education permitted by rule.

Social Work Continuing Education is considered to be continuing education oriented toward enhancing an individual’s social work knowledge base and service delivery skills in the applicable areas of social work planning, administration, education, research, and direct service with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Social Work Ethics Continuing Education is considered to be continuing education oriented toward awareness of professional ethics and the statutes and rules governing the practice of social work in Tennessee.

Clock Hour – A clock hour represents actual time in continuing education activity. (Providers who measure continuing education activities in “continuing education units” shall define CEU in clock hours.)

_{Required Continuing Education}

Licensees who hold more than one (1) category of licensure to practice social work must separately satisfy the continuing education requirements for each level of licensure.

All licensees must complete a minimum two (2) hour Board approved training program relative to suicide prevention at least once every four (4) years.

Suicide prevention continuing education (CE) must be provided by:

(1) An approved professional association; or

(2) A course approved by a social worker related credentialing association; or

(3) Any other acceptable CE course concerning suicide prevention.

New Licensees

1. Are not required to complete a training program on suicide prevention for two (2) years after the date of initial licensure, if the applicant can demonstrate successful completion of a two (2) hour academic training program that meets criteria established by the Board and that was completed no more than two (2) years prior to the application for initial licensure.

2. Licensed baccalaureate social workers and licensed master social worker applicants shall be considered to have sufficient preparatory education to be substituted for the required hours of continuing education for the remainder of the calendar year in which the education requirements were completed.

Requirements for licensed baccalaureate social worker:

• Eighteen (18) clock hours every two (2) calendar years.
• Six (6) of the eighteen (18) hours shall be in social work ethics.
• One (1) of the eighteen (18) hours shall be specific to Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 63-23-101, et seq., and the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure.
  

Requirements for licensed master's social worker:

• Twenty-four (24) clock hours every two (2) calendar years.
• Six (6) of the twenty-four (24) hours shall be in social work ethics.
• One (1) of the twenty-four (24) hours shall be specific to Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 63-23-101, et seq., and the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure.
  

Requirements for licensed advanced practice social worker and licensed clinical social worker:

• Thirty (30) clock hours every two (2) calendar years.
• Six (6) of the thirty (30) hours shall be in social work ethics.
• One (1) of the thirty (30) hours shall be specific to Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 63-23-101, et seq., and the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure.

Waiver of Continuing Education

The Board may grant a waiver to any licensee of the need to certify attendance and completion of the required hours of continuing education, if it can be shown to the Board that the failure to comply was not attributable to or was beyond the physical capabilities of the individual, i.e., disability, residence abroad, military service, or other reasonable cause. Such requests for waiver must be accompanied by written documentation acceptable to the Board. Licensees should submit a request to waive their hours prior to the end of the cycle in which the hours should have been completed.