As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of North Carolina, 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 North Carolina LCSWs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for North Carolina Licensed Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers in the state of North Carolina are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years. Each licensee can find their personal expiration date on their current license. Some licensees are subject to shorter renewal cycles, so it’s best to check the cycle listed on your license before assuming you only need to renew every two years. Certain licensees must renew annually, with a requirement of 20 hours, and others have to renew every six months, with a requirement of 10 hours. Regardless of your renewal period, all licensees have a requirement to complete at least one hour of training in ethics every six months.
Half of a licensee’s continuing education can be obtained through online or home study programs, with the remaining hours required to be completed in-person. In-person trainings do not need to be pre-approved so long as they relate to social work, but distance learning activities must be pre-approved by the Association of Social Work Boards’ Approved Continuing Education Committee (ASWB-ACE) or the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-NC). Additionally, they must meet all regulatory listed requirements.
Key Takeaways:
- LCSWs in North Carolina must complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years, though, some licensees have different renewal cycles (every six months or once a year).
- Licensees are required to take one hour of ethics training every six months.
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 renewal applications are subject to random audits, 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 North Carolina, LCSWs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board at the number (336) 625-1679.
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