As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of Tennessee, 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 Tennessee LCSWs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for Tennessee Licensed Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers in Tennessee have their own set of continuing education requirements that differ from all other types of social workers. For LCSWs specifically, they must complete 15 hours of continuing education every year. Of the required 15 hours, ten need to be regarding social work directly. In addition, three hours must be on professional ethics. There is also a suicide prevention requirement, with no specific hour requirement, that must be obtained through an approved professional association or organization.
There is flexibility around how a licensee earns their continuing education credit, though, no more than two thirds (10 hours) can be earned through multi-media courses (internet, satellite broadcasts, videotapes, teleconferencing, or distance learning). Beyond that, so long as a formal course or activity aims to improve the competency of a LCSW in their practice, it is likely to be considered approved. For a full breakdown of what types of activities licensees typically partake in, reference this resource.
Key Takeaways:
- LCSWs in Tennessee must complete 15 hours of continuing education every year.
- Ten hours need to be specifically on social work, three on professional ethics, and a suicide prevention requirement should be fulfilled.
- No more than ten hours can be earned through multi-media courses or activities.
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 15 or more certificates throughout the course of the year). 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 Tennessee, LCSWs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Tennessee Department of Health via email at tn.health@tn.gov.
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