NEW JERSEY
SOCIAL WORK
LICENSING & CE


REMINDERS & UPDATES!
When do I renew my license or certification?
August 31, 2018 - you will receive renewal information in the mail during the summer from the NJ Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE).
How many CE credits do I need to renew my license/certification?
Continuing Education (CE) Credits are required for each biennial (two year) licensing cycle. To renew your license (LSW or LCSW) or certification (CSW), you will need to have completed the required number of CE credits outlined below during the current biennial period, which is September 1, 2016 - August 31, 2018.

If you are an LCSW:
An LCSW shall complete a minimum of 40 credits of continuing education, of which at least 20 credits shall be in courses or programs directly related to clinical practice, 5 credits must be related to ethics, and 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency. If the LCSW earns more than 40 credits during a biennial period, the LCSW may carry a maximum of eight surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period;

If you are an LSW:
An LSW shall complete a minimum of 30 credits of continuing education, 5 of which must be related to ethics, and 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency. If the LSW earns more than 30 credits during a biennial period, the LSW may carry a maximum of six surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period.

If you are a CSW:
A CSW shall complete a minimum of 20 credits of continuing education, 5 of which must be related to ethics, and 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency. If the CSW earns more than 20 credits during a biennial period, the CSW may carry a maximum of four surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period. 

If you initially obtained a license or certificate within the second year of a biennial license period (September 1, 2017 or later) the applicant shall complete not fewer than one-half of the minimum required credits of continuing education, 3 credits of which shall be related to ethics and 2 credits of which shall be related to social and cultural competency. An LCSW shall complete at least 10 of their 20 credits in programs which directly relate to clinical practice.
Is there a limit to the # of CE credits I can do online?

No! You can complete as many of your CE credits online as you would like, as long as they are courses that are valid according to the NJ BSWE regulations.
Where can I take CE courses? What courses are accepted by the Licensing Board?

Some of the more common sources of CEUs:

  • Attendance at a course offered by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) or any NASW State Chapter, including NASW-NJ. This does NOT cover programs given by individuals or other agencies that are listed as approved by NASW or an NASW State Chapter. (See section (o) on our Tips Sheet for further explanation.)

  • Attendance at programs or courses approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): one credit for each hour of attendance. NOTE: The course itself must be approved by the ASWB New Jersey Continuing Education Course Approval Program. If the provider is approved rather than the course, this course will NOT be accepted by the NJ Board of Social Work Examiners. Provider approval by the ASWB ACE Program is not sufficient.

  • Attendance at courses approved by “an entity recognized by the Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE)” pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.7. Currently the only “approved entities” are the New Jersey Social Work CE Approval Collaborative (which is administered by NASW-NJ) and the Association of Social Work Boards’ NJ CE Course Approval Program (ASWB-NJ). Remember, provider approval by the ASWB ACE Program is not sufficient.

  • Attendance at courses given at state and national social work association conferences, where the criteria for association membership is an academic degree in social work.

  • Attendance at continuing education programs offered at a regionally accredited Institution that is accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. As with all continuing education requirements, the programs must be directly related to social work practice. To see the list of recognized schools, click here.

  • Attendance at continuing education programs provided by institutions accredited or in candidacy for accreditation, by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). To see the list of schools accredited by the CSWE, click here.

  • Attendance at courses related to social work practice that are recognized or approved by the NJ Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee, the NJ State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners or the NJ Professional Counselor Examiners Committee.

There are various other eligible categories not listed above. Look through our CE Tips Sheet here to help you determine if a course is valid.

And remember...when you take an NASW-NJ CE course or webinar, it definitely counts for your license! Check out our upcoming programs here.
What Do You Do With Your CE Certificates When It's Renewal Time?

You must keep your CE certificates for your own records. You do not send them to the BSWE when you renew your license.

  • We recommend that you keep an actual or electronic folder/binder, and put your certificates there as soon as you complete your courses.
  • The BSWE requires you to keep certificates of attendance for 5 years following the end of the biennial cycle for which the credits have been obtained. However, NASW-NJ encourages members to keep documentation permanently as this information may be useful to you in ways you cannot predict right now. 
  • You will NOT be sending your CE certificates to the BSWE when you renew your license. When you renew your license online, you will be asked you to confirm that you have completed or will complete your CE requirements by August 31st. 
  • Completing your CE requirements is part of your responsibility in keeping up to date with techniques and resources for your practice. In addition, the BSWE does audit a percentage of social workers each cycle, so make sure that you have completed all your CEUs and have certificates ready to hand over if needed.
Proposed Changes to Clinical Supervision Regulations

The BSWE has approved changes to the Social Work Regulations related to LSWs obtaining their clinical hours to become an LCSW. Note that these Regulations are not currently in place. We will notify you once we are aware of the effective date.

What to expect about the proposed changes: 
  • Documentation of hours: LSWs will need to document 3000 hours total for their LCSW application.

  • Only 1920 of the 3000 hours must be face-to-face client contact. In addition, at least half (960) of the 1920 face-to-face hours must be psychotherapeutic counseling. The rest of the1080 hours can be other activities (see below).

  • Psychotherapeutic counseling is defined in the BSWE statutes as: the ongoing interaction between a social worker and an individual, family or group for the purpose of helping to resolve symptoms of mental disorder, psychosocial stress, relationship problems or difficulties in coping with the social environment, through the practice of psychotherapy. 

  • What do I document for the time beyond my 1920 face-to-face clinical hours? The remaining 1080 hours can be face-to-face with clients, but can also be time spent documenting sessions, contact with collaterals/family members, record-keeping, report writing, progress notes, consultations, research specific to the clinical work, and supervision. Additional information will be available when the new Regulations are finalized.

  • Time frame to obtain clinical hours: Completion of 3000 hours must be done in no less than 2 years, and no more than 4 consecutive years. (The current Regulations allow only 3 years).

  • Who will need to document 3000 hours? Anyone who begins to track hours after the new Regulations are finalized and in force will have to document 3000 hours. If you began accumulating hours before the new Regulations go into effect, you only need to document 1920 hours.
Reminders When Receiving Clinical Supervision
  • Before beginning supervision, ask your supervisor to provide you written documentation that they have had their LCSW for at least 3 years and have taken a 20-hour Clinical Supervision Course approved by the BSWE. This is not the same as a Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) course.

  • If you are using a supervisor outside of your agency, you must:
  • Receive written consent of the employer for off-premises supervision,
  • Disclose to clients that you are practicing under supervision and identify the supervisor by name,
  • Obtain the client's written consent if you choose to share documentation or case records with the supervisor.

  • The supervisor must provide written progress reports concerning the social worker to the social worker and the employer on at least a quarterly basis.