Board of Social Workers

Continuing Education

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.

Basic Requirements – Every licensed social worker is required to complete continuing education during each calendar year.

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.

Please note the Board of Social Worker Licensure does not pre-approve continuing education courses.

  • Newly licensed baccalaureate social workers and licensed masterl 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:

  • For each calendar year, nine (9) hours are required.
  • Four (4) of the nine (9) hours shall be in social work.
  • Three (3) of the nine (9) hours shall be in professional ethics.
  • Two (2) of the nine (9) hours shall be in either social work or professional ethics.
  • Those 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.

Requirements for licensed master social worker:

  • For each calendar year, twelve (12) hours are required.
  • Seven (7) of the twelve (12) hours shall be in social work.
  • Three (3) of the twelve (12) hours shall be in professional ethics.
  • Two (2) of the twelve (12) hours shall be in either social work or professional ethics.
  • Those 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.

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

  • For each calendar year, fifteen (15) hours are required.
  • Ten (10) of the fifteen (15) hours shall be in social work.
  • Three (3) of the fifteen (15) hours shall be in professional ethics.
  • Two (2) of the fifteen (15) hours shall be in either social work or professional ethics.
  • Those 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.

Social Work Continuing Education is  considered to be those preplanned/formalized activities with written learning objectives that are directed at developing and enhancing an individual’s awareness of professional ethics and an individual’s social work knowledge base and service delivery skills in the applicable areas of social work planning, administration, education, research or direct service with individuals, couples, families, and groups.

  • These activities may include short academic courses, courses audited at accredited colleges and universities, workshops, seminars, conferences, and lectures oriented toward enhancements of professional ethics awareness and of social work practice, values, skills and knowledge for the purpose of accomplishing specific written learning objectives.
  • Multi-Media courses may be taken for continuing education credit. Multi-media learning activities must have specific learning objectives, be presented by a qualified presenter, have a method to verify completion of the learning experience and include the issuance of verification of the completion of the continuing education.
  • Multi-Media course 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.

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.)

Acceptable continuing education shall consist of seminars, workshops, or mini-courses
oriented to the awareness of professional ethics and to the enhancement of social
work practice, values, skills, and knowledge for the purpose of accomplishing specific
written learning objectives.

  • Cross-disciplinary offerings from medicine, law, administration, education and the behavioral sciences are acceptable, if they are clearly related to the awareness of professional ethics and to the enhancement of social work practices, values, skills, and knowledge.
  • In-service training can be provided by the employer using presenters from the staff or from outside agencies.
  • Attendance at educational events sponsored by national, state, regional, or local professional associations in the field or events related to the practice of the profession for which a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education grants CEU’s is acceptable. Providers who measure continuing education activities in “continuing education units” shall define CEU in clock hours.
  • Master or doctoral level social work courses or social work related courses in  mental health, administration, health and social research, psychology, sociology, human growth and development, child and family development, counseling and guidance taken for credit or audited from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education and baccalaureate level social work courses or social work related courses such as mental health, administration, health and social research, psychology, sociology, human growth and development, child and family development, counseling and guidance taken for credit or audited from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education are acceptable for licensed baccalaureate social workers.
  • Presentation for the first time of an academic social work course, in-service training  workshop or seminar, or other professional seminar.
  • Preparation for the first time of a professional social work paper published in a recognized professional journal or given for the first time at a statewide or national professional meeting.

Note: Please refer to Rule 1365-01-.09 for additional continuing education information.