Social workers play an essential role in California's society, providing critical support and services to individuals and communities in need. To ensure that social workers maintain high standards of practice, the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) has established continuing education requirements for license renewal. These requirements aim to promote ongoing learning and development, helping social workers stay up-to-date with the latest research, trends, and best practices.
In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the continuing education requirements for social workers in California, including what's required, how many hours are needed, and where to find approved courses.
What's Required?
Social workers in California must complete a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs) every two years to maintain their license Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) and are required to complete 36 CEUs every two years.
The BBS mandates that these CEUs must be taken from approved providers and must be relevant to the social worker's area of practice. The courses must be designed to improve the social worker's knowledge, skills, and abilities, and must be completed within the two-year renewal cycle.
How Many Hours are Needed?
There are 36 hours of CEUS required for both first-time and subsequent renewals.
In addition to the required CEUs, social workers in California must also complete a six-hour course in California Law and Ethics. This course covers important legal and ethical issues that affect social workers in California. There is an additional one-time course requirement that includes Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention (6 hours). For all licensees renewing after July 1, 2023, there is also a one-time Telehealth (3 hours) course requirement
Where to Find Approved Courses
To ensure that the courses they take meet the BBS's requirements, social workers should only take courses from providers that offer approved courses like Gerry Grossman Seminars. These providers offer a range of courses that are specifically tailored to the needs of social workers, and many of their courses are pre-approved for CEUs by the BBS.
Continuing education is an essential component of maintaining a social work license in California. By completing the required CEUs, social workers can stay up-to-date with the latest research, trends, and best practices, and ensure that they are providing the highest quality services to their clients. Social workers should take care to choose courses that are relevant to their area of practice and only take courses from approved providers to ensure that they meet the BBS's requirements.
