As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of Ohio, 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 Ohio LCSWs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for Ohio Licensed Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers in Ohio share many of the same continuing education requirements as their MFT and LPC colleagues. LCSWs must earn a total of 30 hours of continuing education ahead of their license expiration date, every two years. Licenses expire the date they were first active, every 24 months, so be sure to check your license for your personal expiration date.
Within the required 30 hours, three hours must be on ethics (or a subject under the “ethics” umbrella). Additionally, all 30 hours can be earned through distance learning, though, all 30 hours have to be obtained through board-approved programs. A program is considered board-approved if it is approved by the OH CSWMFT Board, NASW National, NASW Ohio Chapter, and ASWB. You can also tell if a program has been pre-approved for LCSWs by the approval number, as approved programs will have an “S” present (example: RCSTX00000).
Key Takeaways:
- Ohio LCSWs are required to earn 30 hours of continuing education every two years
- Three hours must be related to ethics, though, ethics does not need to be in the course title
- All 30 hours can be obtained through distance learning programs
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 30 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 Ohio, LCSWs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board at the number (614) 466-0912 or email cswmft.info@cswb.ohio.gov.
Reference Links:
https://cswmft.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/cswmft/about-the-board/contact
