An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Yes. The Kentucky Board of Social Work is now offering a supervision CEU for CSW's. Check it out here. As of March 15, 2022, this CEU will be required for all CSW's in supervision. Once you complete the CEU, you will receive a certificate via email in 3-5 days.
Supervision
No. A licensee completes the training course one time, the DV course does not have to be repeated again.
For example, If you were licensed as a CSW and take the course then you become an LCSW then you will not need to repeat the course again in the new license cagetory for renewal.
Continuing Education
Yes. See 201 KAR 23:075, Section 3.
Please note: These sponsors or providers are not approved for the KY Social Work Ethics course or the LCSW Supervision Training course; these courses have to be pre-approved by the KY Board of Social Work. Please check our approved listing from our website. The courses will have a KBSW approval number on the certificate upon completion.
The board approves CE courses on various topics and assigns an approval number (KBSW#), including courses on Ky. Social Work Ethics and LCSW Supervision.
No. The three (3) hours of CE are required on the Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct established in 201 KAR 23:080 – a course on the NASW Code of Ethics will not meet this requirement. You can take the NASW course as an elective for credit toward your continuing education hours, but it will not count toward this requirement.
LCSW: Thirty (30) hours, CSW: Thirty (30) hours, LSW: Fifteen (15) hours.
A list of approved LCSW supervisors can be viewed here. [PDF, 375KB]
Yes, but you cannot count the hours under supervision if you work less than 20 hours per week.
You have to be an employee with Social Security and taxes withdrawn from your paycheck – as a CSW who is practicing clinical social work, you are in "training" and you cannot practice as an independent therapist until you complete the supervision and are licensed as a LCSW by the board. You can be a full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) or part-time employee (minimum of 20 hours per week)., NOT a 1099 contract employee. Talk with the HR department where you intend to work and tell them that you cannot be a 1099 employee. Any supervision hours will not count if you are a 1099 contract employee.
Your supervisor(s) should complete and mail the supervision experience documentation form (link) so the board can approve and document your hours under supervision.
You or your approved supervisor(s) can mail a termination letter to the board explaining the reason for termination (I’m moving out of state; I am taking a new job; my supervisor of record is changing (quitting, retiring, etc.). All your supervisees must concur with termination and have new contracts with a new supervisor. Termination notice with supervisees must have a 30 day notice.
A new contract needs to be submitted for board approval when you change your 1) clinical practice setting or 2) supervisor of record.
Average time is three weeks once all the required documents have been received. Kentucky law allows the board ninety (90) days. Link to Section 8 (5).
Yes. The minimum is two (2) hours during every two (2) weeks of clinical social work practice, but you can arrange more hours. Keep in mind that a LCSW is two year’s post master’s experience for full time (30 hours), or three years post master’s experience for part-time practice. Also, keep in mind that a CSW must be licensed for two years full time (30 hours), or three years part-time practice before applying to take the LCSW exam.
Supervision must total a minimum of 150 hours, which shall include individual supervision of not less than two (2) hours during every two (2) weeks of clinical social work practice.
Depending upon whether you are working full-time or part-time, at least 60% of your work per week must be directly working with your clients.
Yes. If a CSW is practicing under supervision of a LCSW, the CSW is required to notify in writing each client during the period of the supervision. The board has determined that hanging the notice on the wall of the office meets the requirement. Please find the form on our website: bsw.ky.gov/forms/supervision forms/notice to client.
An approved LCSW supervisor has to be:
1) licensed for two (2) years as a clinical social worker;2) has to take an approved 6 hours LCSW Supervision training course every renewal period and;3) send a request to the board.4) take a 3 hour renewal course every renewal period.
No.
No. You must remain under supervision from the time you are approved to take the exam until your new license is issued by the Kentucky Board of Social Work.
Two (2) years plus 150 hours of supervision by an approved licensed clinical social worker (licensed a minimum of two years) - your supervisors will need to complete the Supervised Experience Documentation Form or documents that show you have been licensed in another state at the clinical level or your resume that shows you have been engaged in the active practice of clinical social work for five (5) years. Example: official job description(s) signed by the executive director, human resource director, or agency supervisor where the clinical social work services were provided. We will also accept letters of recommendation documenting the type of services you have provided in the clinical practice, and letters confirming that you are an approved provider for an insurance company or Medicaid.
Apply for Licensure
1. Official Transfer Score Report. If you took the ASWB exam in another state, the required report is called an “Official Transfer Score Report.” You contact ASWB to have them send that directly to us (or to you). The website is aswb.org and their Customer Service telephone number is 888-579-3926. 2. Official Transcript. Only submit the Official Transcript from your university that confers or awards your degree in Social Work. 3. Official Verification of License (from each state where you hold a social work license). You can get an Official Verification of License by contacting each board where you hold a license. You may attach this form with your application or have it sent to us directly.
No, Kentucky does not accept the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam category.
Kentucky accepts the ASWB exam categories for Bachelor, Masters and Clinical categories of the exam.
No, not at this time.
Click here to submit an online application.
If you prefer, visit our Forms page and complete the license application and send the required application fee to our office. Note: On Line 5, state your current employment (does not have to be social work related); please read under line 5 to provide the correct documents. If unemployed please don’t leave blank. You can apply for a temporary permit to practice for up to 90 days.
Yes, just ensure you have all required documents attached for both the application and the temporary permit.
Temporary Permits
1. You must have an approved application on file with your official transcript showing your degree awarded; 2. You must send in a completed request for temporary permit form; (it can be found above or on the forms tab) 3. You must be employed and send in a signed job description; and4. You must be in supervision with a licensed social worker (CSW or LCSW) as your supervisor
It depends on when you took the exam.
You do not have to retake the exam if you passed the exam after 2018. You will have to retake the exam if you passed the exam before 2018.
Reinstatement
You can request a six (6) month extension of time.
Note: After your license is reinstated, you will still have to take the required hours of continuing education for the next renewal period.
LSW: 15 CSW & LCSW: 30
If the license has been expired for three (3) months or less:
If the license has been expired for three (3) months or more:
1. Go to the Online Application and complete the application 2. Licensed at the Master’s level for a minimum of two (2) years of full time post-master’s experience, consisting of at least thirty (30) hours per week, or (3) years of part-time, consisting of at least twenty (20) hours per week. 3. Supervised Experience Documentation form completed by each supervisor that you received supervision from while licensed in the other state(s). If you have been licensed in Kentucky as a CSW then you do not need to submit your Official Transcript conferring your Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Yes, 4-6 weeks before graduation. You will need to attach your unofficial transcript to your application. When you pass the exam, you will not receive a license until your official transcript arrives in the office. You can attach your official transcript to your unofficial score report after you pass the exam for a quicker process.
Once you have all your documents together, attach a $25 check or money order payable to the KY State Treasurer and mail to 125 Holmes Street, Suite 310, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Your application will be incomplete, and that will delay processing your application. But you will be informed by email about the missing items.
We recommend you apply online here.
If you prefer, visit our Forms page, complete the license application, and send the required application fee to our office. Note: On Line 5, state your current employment (does not have to be social work related); please read under line 5 to provide the correct documents. If unemployed please don’t leave blank.
License Renewal
Send a cover letter stating explaining the situation along with other items to finish your licensure process. Please note: processing will take longer since we have to take other steps to recover the Official Score Report from ASWB.
The initial licensing process takes can take two to three weeks.
If you have applied for licensure online, have been approved, and have just passed your ASWB exam, visit our Initial License Payment system.