The Importance of Licensure

By S. Jolene Hui, LCSW, Membership Coordinator

I recently read an article that bothered me. It was an opinion piece on the reasons why social work is failing as a profession. One of the reasons (the most troublesome point) was the perception that social workers are pressured into becoming licensed — that social workers are “force fed” the idea of licensing which, the writer thought, does not have much value.

The writer was wrong.

Throughout history social workers have been in a constant fight for legitimacy in our profession. The battle started when we took our “friendly visits” to another level. After acknowledging the need to become professional and not just a concerned neighbor, the next step was education; we moved on to studying, with research, in the academic world. Post-educational training was the last step in keeping up with other professionals; so, logically, licensing was another way to legitimize our work.

Most professionals, especially in the state of California, are licensed. The Department of Consumer Affairs oversees all of the professional boards and bureaus in California (an enormous list). These bureaus include, but are definitely not limited to: Architects Board, Board of Pharmacy, Board of Optometry, Bureau of Real Estate, Court Reports Board, Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

The Department of Consumer Affairs exists for the protection of the consumer. It ensures that the consumer is getting a qualified professional to provide the service for them. Without a licensing board, how does a consumer know your skills are up to an acceptable standard?

In order to become licensed you must have graduated from an accredited school, have an education that includes a number of pertinent social work topics (pre-licensure courses can satisfy some of these requirements), have 3,200 post graduate clinical hours of experience, 104 weeks of supervision by a licensed mental health professional, and take two rigorous exams. Currently, California requires the standard written exam and the clinical vignette exam. The tests are difficult. You must have a wide range of clinical knowledge to pass them.

Of course, study materials for these tests can be costly. But once you pass the licensing exams, as long as you keep up your license, this is likely a one-time cost that is very worth it.

LCSWs renew their licenses every two years and along with this renewal you need to have completed a number of continuing education courses. These courses may sometimes be costly — but there are ways to find free or discounted courses. You probably won’t be able to earn all of your credits for free, but you can do some — which will help significantly. Some agencies offer courses in-house trainings or a reimbursement for courses. This education requirement is not to force social workers to spend unnecessary time and money, but for a very legitimate and important reason — so that social workers can keep up with the latest clinical trends. We must constantly keep current on new developments in the field so that we can provide our clients with the best care. As a professional you should always be evolving and learning.

One thing that’s often forgotten is that licensure is not only for clinicians. Many social workers who decide to move on from clinical work find that their licensure and clinical training were valuable experiences. Also, overall, those who are licensed earn more pay. Licensed Clinical Social Workers have that valuable direct practice experience that can be beneficial throughout their careers — whether in the micro or macro arena.

Licensing is extremely important to our profession and staying on top of the field is the best way for us to earn respect as well as title protection all around. Professional development, an awareness of our constantly changing field, and rigorous academic programs keep us competitive in the workplace.

Jolene Hui, LCSW, is NASW-CA’s membership coordinator and can be reached at jhui@naswca.org.