As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of New Jersey, 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 New Jersey LCSWs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for New Jersey Licensed Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers within New Jersey must fulfill a requirement of 40 hours of continuing education every two years in order to maintain their license upon renewal. All of those hours need to be earned by participating in a course or program offered by a Board-approved entity, of which a full list can be found here. Additionally, at least 20 of the 40 hours must be regarding clinical practice, and of the remaining 20: five credits need to be on ethics and three need pertain to social and cultural competence. It’s important to note that the hours cannot overlap. Even if an ethics course specifically relates to clinical practice, it cannot be used to fulfill one of the 20 hours required under the clinical practice umbrella.
Key Takeaways:
- New Jersey LCSWs are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years.
- 20 hours must be on clinical practice, three on social/cultural competence, and five on ethics.
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 40 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. 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 New Jersey, LCSWs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the State Board of Social Work Examiners at the number (973) 504-6200 or at the email renewalapplications@dca.lps.state.nj.us.
Reference Links:
https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/sw/Pages/continuingeducation.aspx
https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-44G-State-Board-of-Social-Work-Examiners.pdf
