DORA Board Decision on Hours for LCSW

Supervision Hours for Licensure - Recently DORA has stated that in order for supervision and work experience hours to count toward earning an LCSW the candidate MUST concurrently be licensed as an LSW or be in the Unlicensed Psychotherapy Database. Many candidates had their applications denied by DORA for this reason. The issue was discussed at length at the DORA Social Work Board meeting on January 16th when NASWCO and others presented.  It was discussed again at the Board meeting on March 13th when the following decision was made.

At the  March meeting the Board voted to give an extension for those not in compliance until August 31, 2009. Anyone whose application for licensure was previously denied for this reason will want to contact DORA and ask for a re-evaluation of their application in light of this new ruling. Going forward from Aug 31, 2009 if you are working toward your LCSW it is REQUIRED that you be an LSW or in the Unlicensed Psychotherapy Database. If you are not in compliance, DORA will not count any supervision or work experience hours that are earned after August 31st. NASWCO strongly encourages all masters level social workers to get their LSW, rather than register in the Unlicensed Psychotherapy Database, as this strengthens our profession. We also recommend getting an LSW even if you are not working toward clinical licensure, as having an LSW gives you the status of being a licensed professional and gives you the option to earn your LCSW later if you decide to do so.

This deadline does NOT mean that you must have all your experience and supervision hours completed by August 31st, if you do not have an LSW.  It is interpreted to mean that any hours earned before August 31st may count without an LSW, but for any hours earned after August 31st to be counted you must have an LSW.  Dependiing on your situation, you may be submitting an LCSW application at some point in the future with "mixed" hours - some earned before August 31st without an LSW, and some earned after that date with an LSW.  There is no need to panic and feel you must submit your application by August 31st.  What is most important is that you get your LSW if you are earning hours after August 31st.