Social Work Licensure in Washington

Find Education Requirements in Washington for one of the following:

LSWAIC
LSWAA
LICSW
LASW

Washington State has some of the most beautiful geography in the country. From the incredible Puget Sound, to the Olympic National Rainforest, Washington is one of the most breathtaking states in the union. Washington is also home to major industries such as Boeing and Microsoft. With plenty of economic opportunity, culture and natural beauty Washington is a fabulous state to make your home. Washington is also a great state to start your licensed Social Work career in. It is important to remember that there can always be updates or changes to a state’s rules and regulations. It is critically important to stay informed with regards to current regulations around licensure, here is the website for the State of Washington:

There are four different kinds of social work licenses in Washington: Licensed Social Work Associate & Independent Clinical (LSWAIC), Licensed Social Work Associate & Advanced (LSWAA), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW).

Learn about Washington Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW)
Learn about The Bachelors Degree in Social Work (BSW)
Learn about The Doctorate Degree is Social Work (DSW)

Do you know your education options? Begin or continue a degree – AS, BS, MSW, MS, PhD, Cert. Online and campus locations. Know your degree choices!

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Licensed Social Work Associate & Independent Clinical (LSWAIC)

If you wish to attain the Licensed Social Work Associate & Independent Clinical (LSWAIC) in Washington, you must first get a Master or Doctorate of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited university or college or one in candidacy for accreditation.
You will need to pass a criminal background check. You will need to provide proof of at least 4 hours of AIDS awareness training acceptable to the board. You must also sign a letter of intent to pursue eventual licensure as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Advanced Social Worker. There is no field experience requirement for this position.
Finally, you must pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical Level Exam.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 36 contact hours of continuing education.

Licensed Social Work Associate & Advanced (LSWAA)

If you wish to attain the title Licensed Social Work Associate & Advanced (LSWAA) in Washington, you must first get a Master or Doctorate of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited university or college or one in candidacy for accreditation.
You will need to pass a criminal background check. You will need to provide proof of at least 4 hours of AIDS awareness training acceptable to the board. You must also sign a letter of intent to pursue eventual licensure as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Advanced Social Worker. There is no field experience requirement for this position.
Finally, you must pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Advanced Generalist Level Exam.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 36 contact hours of continuing education.

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

To become a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Washington, you must first get your Master or Doctorate of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited university or college or one in candidacy for accreditation. You will need to pass a criminal background check. You will need to provide proof of at least 4 hours of AIDS awareness training acceptable to the board.
When applying for this license you will need to provide verification of at least 4,000 hours of experience in a supervised Social Work setting. Of the 4,000 hours, there must be 1,000 hours of direct client contact. This must occur over a three year period in which you are supervised by an LICSW. You must have 130 hours of supervision which must be by a licensed mental health practitioner. Of the 130 hours of supervision 70 must be by an LICSW, you can earn the other 60 hours under an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner. You will need to have 60 hours which are one-on-one supervision; the remaining 70 hours may either be one-on-one supervision or group supervision. You may not have more than 60 hours of supervision which happens at a distance.
You must then receive a passing score on an Association of Social Workers ASWB Clinical Level Exam.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 36 contact hours of continuing education.

Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW)

If you wish to hold the title of Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW) in Washington, you must first get a Master or Doctorate of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited university or college or one in candidacy for accreditation. You will need to pass a criminal background check. You will need to provide proof of at least 4 hours of AIDS awareness training acceptable to the board.
To apply for this license, you must first log 3,200 hours of social work practice. 800 hours of this must be in direct client contact. There must be 90 hours of supervision by a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or an LASW. They must have been licensed for at least two years prior to the supervision. Of the required 90 hours of supervision, you must have at least 50 hours of direct supervision by an LICSW or LASW. You may earn the remaining 40 hours of supervision from an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner. You must have at least 40 hours of one-on-one supervision. You may earn the remaining 50 hours in either group or one-on-one supervision. You may earn no more than 40 hours of supervision via distance supervision.
Once you have completed and sent in your application you may apply with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) for their Advanced Generalist exam. Once you pass the test you will be eligible to receive your new title Licensed Advanced Social Worker in the state of Washington.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 36 contact hours of continuing education.