A social work license is an official, regulated professional license proving that a social worker is able to competently, legally practice as a social worker. Beyond just receiving a social work education, social workers also obtain licenses that allow them to practice universally across the field. Similar to a driver’s license requiring an examination in order to be issued an official clearance to drive on the roads, a social work license has specific requirements an individual must meet in order to practice as a licensed social worker.
Why Get a Social Work License?
Social work licenses hold two main purposes: protecting the profession and protecting the public. In a nutshell, social work licensure provides a pathway for professionals to express to the public that they have been trained for the job they are completing, they are competent in their profession, and they are legally held to follow a set professional conduct. In some jurisdictions, a social worker is only allowed to call themselves a social worker if they are licensed. This regulation protects the profession from being diluted by professionals who have received credentials and education outside of the field of social work.
Secondly, social work licenses protect the public. Licensed social workers are required to uphold the ethical conduct and professional behavior necessary in the field of social work. Licensure ensures social workers are qualified for their work with a client because the only individuals eligible for social work licensure are those who have received the required education, experience, and ethical training. If a client is working with a social worker who is not upholding the standard of conduct required, the licensing board provides an avenue to hold the social worker accountable for their behavior. The ability to be held accountable in such a way can provide clients comfort in knowing that licensed social workers will provide proper services in an ethical fashion because the license requires it.
What are the Levels of Licensure in Social Work?
Though states vary in the specific names and types of licensures, there are general levels of licensure available to social workers. Some states offer licensure to bachelor-level social workers who have obtained their BSW while others require social workers to have completed an MSW or master of social work before they are eligible. Beyond these license levels, social workers may also progress to receive their clinical licenses or advanced generalist licenses.
Again, availability of and eligibility for these licenses vary greatly between states so each social worker must ensure they are familiar with the requirements of the state in which they are aiming to be licensed.
Additionally, the letters given to a social worker with a specific license are not uniform across the industry or nationwide — meaning two social workers from two states can be equally qualified with the same amount of experience but referred to by two separate titles.
Generally, bachelor-level licensed social workers are referred to as Licensed Social Workers (LSWs) or Licensed Baccalaureate Social Workers (LBSWs). However, in Louisiana, they are uniquely referred to as Registered Social Workers (RSWs). Generally, master-level social workers are referred to as Licensed Master’s Social Workers (LMSWs), but in Massachusetts master-level social workers are referred to as Licensed Certified Social Workers (LCSWs).
To complicate the letters further, clinical social workers are generally referred to as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), but some states refer to them as Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSWs).
Because social worker titles are not federally regulated, there is great variation between states in social work qualifications. As is obvious, it can be difficult at times to judge based on the letters after one’s name what level licensure they have earned because it is not uniform or clinically established within the industry.
All this to say, it is of utmost importance to research and be fully familiar with the levels available in or required by the state in which an individual aims to be licensed. No matter the specific title of a licensed social worker, they must have completed all requirements to be eligible for licensure in their state and must be professionally adhering to all expectations of social work practice in order to be licensed.
General Requirements for Social Work Licensure
Despite the differences in requirements between states, there is a general theme of requirements which render a social worker as license-eligible. These requirements are often referred to in the field of social work as “three Es and a fee.” To be licensed at any level of social work, an individual must have completed the proper Education, Experience, and Examination, as well as pay a fee to their state with their application. For education, it is important to ensure that an individual’s social work degree is from an institution that is accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). Only CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW programs allow an individual to be license-eligible.
Though the following is not true for every state, generally associate-level licenses (BSW and MSW licenses) require two Es (education and examination) but may not require a specific amount of experience to apply. However, advanced licenses (clinical and advanced generalist licenses) have a requirement for supervised hours of experience. It will often take a social worker around three years after finishing their MSW to be eligible for an advanced license if they begin pursuing this license promptly after graduation. Lastly, states require each license-eligible social worker to sit for and pass an exam to prove competency beyond education and experience. Refer to “What is the ASWB Exam?” below for more information on the examination.
After obtaining a license, there are requirements a social worker must uphold in order to maintain their license and be eligible for renewal. These requirements can vary to include supervision hours, earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or upholding the National Association of Social Work’s Code of Ethics.
What is the ASWB Exam?
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) administers examinations that social workers must pass in order to become licensed in their state. Every state except Texas requires and recognizes the ASWB exams. Texas administers a separate exam called the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Exam that is required for Texan social work license applicants. ASWB offers four separate exams. At the associate level, license applicants can sit for the bachelor-level exam or the master-level exam, depending on the license for they are applying. At the advanced level, license applicants can sit for the Advanced Generalist or Advanced Clinical exam, again depending on which license they are pursuing.
However, there are steps a license applicant must take before they are able to register for the ASWB exam.
- A license applicant must apply to their state’s board in charge of administering social work licenses. As was previously mentioned, each state’s license opportunities and requirements are unique.
- A license applicant must ensure they have completed each of the requirements for their level of licensure and submit an application to the board including documented proof of completion of the requirements. Only after being approved as license eligible in their state may an applicant register for, pay for, and schedule their exam through aswb.org.
The ASWB exam is scored as pass or fail. Each test taker will know their result before leaving the test center on test day. For all levels of exams, there are four hours allotted in which a test taker answers 170 questions. Only 150 of these questions are scored; the remaining 20 are included to be tested for possible future inclusion in the exam. While taking the exam, test takers will not know which questions are and are not trial questions.
Though the content included on each level of exam is similar, there are distinctions in specific topics and depth of knowledge required. The ASWB provides guides of what an individual should know before sitting for the exam.
Both bachelor-level and master-level exams include:
- Questions testing human development, diversity.
- Behavior in the environment.
- Assessment and intervention planning.
- Interventions with clients/client systems, professional relationships, values, and ethics.
The master-level exam requires deeper and more specific knowledge on these topics than the bachelor-level exam.
The exam for clinical licensure includes:
- Testing on Diagnosis
- Treatment Planning
- Psychotherapy
- Clinical Interventions
- Case Management
The exam for advanced generalist practice includes testing on intervention processes and techniques for use across systems as well as for use with larger systems.
Beyond simply knowing content, the ASWB exam tests a social worker license applicant’s knowledge to assure a level of understanding of the proper application of what they have learned. The test includes questions asking what a social worker must do first in a given situation. Each answer option may be a task that the social worker would eventually do, but the license applicant must be able to know in which order proper practice occurs in active practice.
Additionally, the test includes questions asking what would be best for a social worker to do in a given situation. Each answer option may be a task that could technically be correct, but in order to get the question right, the license applicant must be able to identify best practices within the field and within a specific clinical situation.
Passing the ASWB exam is not the only requirement for a social worker to become licensed, but it is a large step in the process for a social worker to obtain the level of license for which they are aiming.
What is Supervision?
On a basic level, social work supervision is when an experienced social worker provides personal guidance to a less experienced social worker. For the advanced social work licenses, eligibility is based on specific requirements of hours of supervision received. Some social work jobs provide individual or group supervision to newer social workers, but often social workers pursuing advanced licenses must independently search for a supervisor willing to provide an hour of supervision weekly or biweekly. In supervision, a supervisee can present cases for which they need advice, ethical dilemmas with which they are grappling, or any other questions they may have, related to their practice. Supervision in social work allows the profession to remain a connected community and to ensure individual social workers are not operating alone, especially at the beginning of their careers.
Pursuing Licensure
All in all, one of the most important takeaways is to ensure social workers seeking licensure are knowledgeable about the requirements in their state. Though earning a social work license requires many steps and various levels of approval, ultimately licensure protects practicing social workers and the public interacting with social workers by regulating the profession and ensuring those who are qualified receive the professional distinction they deserve.
As different as the requirements may be, consistently, all states require a degree from a reputable, accredited university to become a licensed social worker. Check degree programs for related licensure eligibility and access to best align with the requirements of the region you desire to be licensed as a social worker.
