As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of Montana, 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 Montana LCSWs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for Montana Licensed Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers in Montana are held to the exact same continuing education requirements as their MFT colleagues. LCSWs in Montana are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education every year, with two hours in suicide prevention specifically. Should a licensee exceed the required 20 hours, they are permitted to roll up to 20 into the next year. Note: 50% of licensees are subject to being audited every licensing cycle, so it is advised licensees keep record of their continuing education certificates for at least three years.
Though there is a lot of flexibility regarding how continuing education credits are fulfilled, no more than 10 hours can be obtained through authoring a professional journal or preparing a new course. Otherwise, continuing education is likely to be accepted if the following are true: it directly relates to social work, the education reviews existing concepts/techniques, it reinforces professional ethics and conduct, and it improves upon the knowledge of the practice.
Key Takeaways:
- LCSWs in Montana must fulfill a requirement of 20 hours of continuing education every year
- Two hours need to be on suicide prevention, specifically
- Up to 20 hours can roll over to the following year
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 20 or more certificates throughout the course of the year). As proof is required if you are selected for an audit, and should be maintained for three years, 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. All of your continuing education credits are tracked for you, and you even receive a reminder when it’s time to renew your license. 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 Montana, LCSWs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Montana Administrative Rules Services by phone at the number (406) 438-6122 or via email at sosarm@mt.gov.
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