California LCSW Pre-license Mandated Coursework that is Time Sensitive
The following mandated pre-licensure coursework has specific time sensitive mandates:
- California Law and Ethics Training (12 hours): For candidates who sit for and fail the California Law and Ethics Exam, they must obtain an additional 12 hours of California law and ethics training, and this training must be obtain after the date of failing the exam, i.e., they can use courses taken before they sat for and failed the exam. Candidates who fail are unable to apply to sit for the California Law and Ethics Exam until they have obtain these 12 hours of training.
- Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention (6 hours): This is a new, one-time requirement as of January 1, 2021. At the time of the associates’ or licensees’ first renewal after January 1, 2021, they will be required to sign under penalty of perjury as part of their associate or license renewal that they have met this requirement.
All other mandated pre-license coursework (child abuse, aging and long-term care, human sexuality, spousal/partner abuse, alcohol/chemical dependency, and the first mandated 12 hours of California law and ethics training for out of state applicants), have no time lines.
Examples:
- Most MSW programs in California have incorporated some, if not all, of the LCSW mandated coursework into their curriculum. The coursework taken through an approved provider or during MSW program still counts years later—there is no time limit. Visit the BBS website for more information https://www.bbs.ca.gov/applicants/lcsw.html under “Social Work Schools in California” for information about individual SW programs.
- A person who registers as an California ASW and then drops out only to register again years later can also count the mandated coursework as long as the coursework was obtained through an approved provider or university program, and they can provide certificates of completion.