Social Work

LCSW License Requirements

General Requirements

The practice of licensed clinical social work and the use of the title "Licensed Clinical Social Worker" and the designation of "LCSW" or derivatives thereof in New York State requires licensure as a licensed clinical social worker, unless otherwise exempt under the law.

To be licensed as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• have an education that includes a masters degree in social work (M.S.W.) with at least 12 semester hours of clinical coursework;
• have at least 3 years of post M.S.W. supervised experience in clinical social work;
• meet examination requirements; and
• complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider.

You must file an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 154, Section 7704 of New York State Education Law and Part 74 and Section 52.30 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. Copies of the relevant sections of NYS Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations are also available from opforms@mail.nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 ext. 320.

Fees

The fee for licensure and first registration is $270.

The fee for a limited permit is $70.

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail your application and fee to:

  New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions
  PO Box 22063
  Albany, NY 12201

Partial Refunds

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Social Work Unit at opunit5@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 592 or by fax at 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure fee and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

Education Requirement

• social work values and ethics;
• diversity, social justice, and at-risk populations;
• human behavior in the social environment;
• social welfare policy and service delivery systems;
• foundation and advanced social work practice;
• social work practice evaluation and research;
• a field practicum of at least 900 clock hours in social work integrated with the prescribed curricular content; and
• clinical coursework of at least 12 semester hours that prepares the individual to practice as an LCSW. The courses must include content that emphasizes the person-in-environment perspective and knowledge and skills in the following areas:
  • diagnosis and assessment in clinical social work practice;
  • clinical social work treatment; and
  • clinical social work practice with general and special populations.

The clinical coursework must be offered by an acceptable two-year graduate social work program, such as one registered by the Department as licensure qualifying for the LCSW. Coursework may be completed either as part of the M.S.W. degree program or after completion of the program to remedy deficiencies in clinical content. Continuing education is not acceptable for the graduate social work education.

In addition to the professional education requirement, every applicant for LCSW licensure or a limited permit must complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. You must submit a certificate of completion from an approved provider or file a certification of exemption before a New York State license or permit can be issued. See additional information regarding this training and a list of approved providers. You may request a paper version of the list of approved providers by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 570. You may be eligible for exemption from the training if you can document, to the satisfaction of the Department, that your practice does not involve professional contact with persons under the age of 18 and that you do not have contact with persons 18 or older with a handicapping condition who reside in a residential care school or facility. You may request an exemption by submitting Form 1CE.

Examination Requirements

Please note: New York State candidates for the Social Work licensure examination must have completed their Social Work program and received their M.S.W. degree as a condition for admission to the examination. Applicants for licensure will not be approved to take the examination prior to receipt of the M.S.W. degree.

An individual who applies for licensure as an LCSW on or after November 15, 2007, will only be made eligible for the ASWB Clinical examination when the requirements for clinical education and supervised experience in diagnosis and psychotherapy have been met, to the satisfaction of the Department. The instructions below are being updated to reflect this change based on an amendment to Commissioner's Regulations approved by the Board of Regents in October 2007.

Licensure as an LCSW requires successful completion of the "Clinical" examination administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) or an examination determined by the Department to be comparable in content.

To qualify to take the ASWB examination:

1. Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and fee ($270) to the New York State Education Department.
2. Request your school to verify your education directly to the New York State Education Department on Form 2.
3. The New York State Education Department must approve your education and all application materials. [We will notify you and ASWB when you have satisfied the examination eligibility requirements.]
4. You must register directly with the ASWB to take the Clinical examination. Information and the Candidate Handbook for the examination are available on the Web at www.aswb.org or through ASWB (see contact information).

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examination, you must complete ASWB's Disability Accommodation Form and submit it with supporting documentation directly to ASWB (see contact information). If your application for a reasonable accommodation is denied, or you have any complaints about your accommodations, please contact the New York State Board for Social Work (see contact information).

Experience Requirement

To meet the experience requirement for licensure as an LCSW, you must have completed three years of full-time post-masters, or the part-time equivalent in no more than 6 calendar years, supervised experience in clinical social work. Only experience in diagnosis, psychotherapy and assessment-based treatment plans, as defined in Section 7704 of the Education Law, is acceptable for LCSW licensure.

You must document that the experience meets the following conditions:

1. Full-time experience is defined as 20 client contact hours of psychotherapy per week for 48 weeks of employment.
2. Part-time experience is defined as no less than 10 client contact hours per week of psychotherapy.
3. Experience may be completed in a facility or non-facility setting, acceptable to the Department, or a combination of facility and non-facility experience.
4. A client contact hour is at least 45 minutes of psychotherapy with individuals, families, or groups. Sessions may be combined to determine the weekly client contact hours.
5. All experience must be supervised by an LCSW, licensed psychologist or psychiatrist.
6. Supervisory sessions must be in-person supervision of an individual or group for one hour per week or two hours every other week. Group supervision may constitute no more than 50 percent of the total hours of supervision.
7. The purpose of supervision is to improve the applicant's skills in clinical social work and to assure on-going review of the patient/client treatment.
8. When the applicant is working less than full-time, supervision still must average one-hour per week for the entire period.

Requirements for Supervisors:

Supervision of applicants for the LCSW must be provided by a(n):

• LCSW licensed in New York State or the equivalent as determined by the Department; or
• Psychologist who, at the time of supervision of the applicant, was licensed as a psychologist in the state where supervision occurred, was qualified in psychotherapy as determined by the Department based upon the Department's review of the psychologist's education and training, including but not limited to education and training in psychotherapy obtained through completion of a program in psychotherapy registered pursuant to Part 52 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education or a program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association; or
• Physician who, at the time of supervision of the applicant, was a diplomate in psychiatry of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. or had the equivalent training and experience as determined by the Department.

Experience supervised by an MSW or a CSW prior to September 1, 2004 may be used to meet this requirement if the supervisor had at least three years of full-time experience in diagnosis, psychotherapy and assessment-based treatment plans, or the part-time equivalent, prior to supervising the applicant.

A supervisor may not have a familial relationship with the applicant, as such dual relationships may constitute a charge of unprofessional conduct under the Education Law and Regents Rules.

Types of Supervision:

1. Individual, facility-based: The facility assigns an appropriate, qualified employee to supervise the applicant in one-to-one sessions. The supervisor should have more experience than the applicant, superior expertise or training in a relevant practice area, or both.
2. Individual, consultant: The applicant (or facility) hires an appropriately qualified individual to supervise the applicant's clinical work in one-to-one sessions. If hired to supervise facility-based work, an appropriate agreement or contract should be reached between the facility, the consultant and the applicant. If hired to supervise a private practice, the supervisor should have experience (a minimum of three years) or documentable clinical expertise superior to that of the applicant.
3. Group, facility-based: The facility schedules regular reviews of cases and/or skill and knowledge development sessions under the supervision of an appropriately qualified employee. No more than 50% of the required supervision may be in a group format for the LCSW.
4. Group, consultant: The applicant, as part of a group of applicants, hires a qualified supervisor to supervise the group. No more than 50% of the required supervision may be in a group format for the LCSW.

Definition of Terms

Licensed Clinical Social Worker: The practice of licensed clinical social work encompasses the scope of practice of licensed master social work and, in addition, includes the diagnosis of mental, emotional, behavioral, addictive and developmental disorders and disabilities and of the psychosocial aspects of illness, injury, disability and impairment undertaken within a psychosocial framework; administration and interpretation of tests and measures of psychosocial functioning; development and implementation of appropriate assessment-based treatment plans; and the provision of crisis oriented psychotherapy and brief, short-term and long-term psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic treatment to individuals, couples, families and groups, habilitation, psychoanalysis and behavior therapy; all undertaken for the purpose of preventing, assessing, treating, ameliorating and resolving psychosocial dysfunction with the goal of maintaining and enhancing the mental, emotional, behavioral and social functioning and well-being of individuals, couples, families, small groups, organizations, communities and society.

Diagnosis: Diagnosis in the context of licensed clinical social work practice is the process of distinguishing, beyond general social work assessment, between similar mental, emotional, behavioral, developmental and addictive disorders, impairments and disabilities within a psychosocial framework on the basis of their similar and unique characteristics consistent with accepted classification systems.

Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy in the context of licensed clinical social work practice is the use of verbal methods in interpersonal relationships with the intent of assisting a person or persons to modify attitudes and behavior which are intellectually, socially, or emotionally maladaptive.

Assessment-based treatment plans: Development of assessment-based treatment plans in the context of licensed clinical social work practice refers to the development of an integrated plan of prioritized interventions, that is based on the diagnosis and psychosocial assessment of the client, to address mental, emotional, behavioral, developmental and addictive disorders, impairments and disabilities, reactions to illnesses, injuries, disabilities and impairments, and social problems.

Applicants Licensed in Another State

Endorsement, often referred to as reciprocity, is not available in New York State. However, you may be eligible for licensure in New York State if you:

• meet all the general requirements for licensure;
• have passed the Clinical ASWB licensing examination or an examination that the Department determines adequately tests social work proficiency at the clinical level and adequately measures the candidate's knowledge concerning practice as an LCSW; and
• have completed three years of supervised post-M.S.W. clinical social work experience, acceptable to the Department.

Full documentation of compliance with all New York State licensure requirements, including professional education and experience, must be submitted directly to the Department by the appropriate entity, not by the applicant.

Limited Permits

A limited permit allows an individual who has met all requirements for licensure as an LCSW except the licensing examination to practice as an LCSW provided that the individual is under the general supervision of an LCSW. To be eligible for a limited permit, you must:

• submit an application (Form 1) and fee for licensure and first registration ($270);
• have your school verify completion of the M.S.W. degree (Form 2);
• have your supervisor verify at least three years of full-time experience in clinical social work (Forms 4 and 4B);
• submit proof of completion of coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider; and
• be at least 21 years of age and be of good moral character.

You may apply for a limited permit (Form 5) at the same time as or any time after you submit your Application for Licensure (Form 1). The fee for a limited permit is $70.

The limited permit is issued for a specific work setting and the permit holder must be under the supervision of an LCSW. If you are a new applicant for licensure in New York State, a private practice that you own or operate would not be an acceptable setting for a limited permit holder.

Limited permits are valid for a period of one year and are not renewable.

A limited permit cannot be issued until the Department has determined that you have satisfied all requirements for licensure except the licensing examination.

Limited permits are not issued to applicants for employment in public schools. Such applicants should apply for a provisional school social worker credential through the Office of Teaching Initiatives. See more information on teaching certificates at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html.