As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of California, it is your responsibility to adhere to continuing education requirements each period in order to renew your license. Beyond license renewal being key to you maintaining your practice, continuing education is essential to stay abreast of what is happening in your field – something your clients will always appreciate you taking seriously. Education is how we all continue to learn and further hone our skills and expertise, so it’s certainly something to be celebrated. Though education is fantastic, keeping on track with the many hours you need to fulfill can be a challenge. Thankfully, there is a fantastic resource available to help you with that. Before we dive into the resource, let’s start by outlining what is required of California LCSWs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for California Licensed Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers in California must complete a total of 36 hours of continuing education every two years, ahead of their expiration date, in order to renew their license. All of those hours can be obtained via self-study or online programs, should you choose to go that route. There is no requirement for hours to be obtained in a live course or program. There is, however, a requirement that six of the 36 required hours be specifically regarding law and ethics. Additionally, within a LCSW’s first renewal, seven hours of continuing education on HIV/AIDS are required. Lastly, as of January 1, 2021, all licensees must fulfill a one-time 6-hour requirement on suicide prevention and intervention.
Key Takeaways:
- California Licensed Clinical Social Workers LCSWs are required to complete 36 hours of continuing education every two years
- Six of the 36 hours must be specifically related to law and ethics
- There is a new, one-time, 6-hour requirement on suicide prevention and intervention
Given licensed social workers are likely to achieve their continuing education certificates in increments, from various workshops, conventions, agencies, and institutions, there is a lot of documentation to keep track of (potentially 36 or more certificates throughout the course of two years). As proof is required when you apply for renewal, it’s imperative you keep all of those certificates in a safe place – easily accessible and easy to track your progress. CE Hub is the safe place you need to work through your continuing education with ease.
What is CE Hub?
CE Hub is an app built specifically for social workers. Recognizing the difficulty that is storing continuing education certificates and keeping track of your hours, CE Hub was created to take the stress out of continuing education requirements. Instead of worrying throughout the period that you may not be on track, or perhaps that you may have lost a document or two, CE Hub provides you the peace of mind you need to enjoy the learning process. Using the platform is simple: you sign up, upload your continuing education certificates as you obtain them, then CE Hub handles the rest. Your hours and certificates are tracked, then you are notified when it’s time to submit for your renewal – something you’ll never have to monitor yourself again. Alleviate the stress of continuing education requirements by taking advantage of CE Hub today!
Disclaimer: this content is for informational purposes only. Licensees should always confirm their continuing education requirements with their respective governing agency. In the state of California, LCSWs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the California Board of Behavioral Sciences using this link to their messaging platform (expand “Message the Board” and select “Continuing Education”).
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