Licensing requirements for social workers in colorado

You hold an equivalent license in another state and wish to apply for licensure by endorsement in Colorado. The license level MUST be equivalent to apply by endorsement see requirements listed above by examination and the Social Work Board Rules for exemptions. Provisional licensure is available to marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists and social workers who have education appropriate to their fields and who work under supervision in a residential child care facility.

Detailed information about licensure can be found in the applications for provisional licensure. Information on the history of the restructuring of residential treatment centers and further defining residential child care facilities is noted in House Bill Please be sure to include your current email address on your application to receive important information about your application status and process. License Expiration Bump Period for New Applicants: All new applicants who are issued a license within days of the upcoming renewal expiration date will be issued a license with the next expiration date.

View your expiration date on your online account. This open-book, untimed exam tests your knowledge of the laws and regulations related to mental health treatment in the state. You need a scaled score of to pass. Consider taking the clinical exam during this step, as the exam is required for LCSW licensure.

Passing it at this stage helps you avoid taking a second test later. After you have passed both required exams, you can submit an LSW application to the board through the Division of Professions and Occupations Online Services portal. For more information about the documentation you must provide for the application, see the board's LSW application checklist. When the board reviews your application, you will receive notification if you must provide additional information.

If the board deems your application complete, you will receive your LSW license. At this point, you can begin practicing clinical social work under an LCSW's supervision. Colorado's most advanced level of social work licensure is the LCSW, which enables you to independently practice clinical social work. If you complete your supervised post-degree experience in Colorado, you need an LSW license before beginning this process.

The first step to LCSW licensure is completing 3, hours of supervised, post-degree clinical social work experience over a minimum of 24 months. You must spend at least half of these hours directly serving clients.

An LCSW must supervise you during this time, providing at least 96 hours of supervision. After completing your supervised experience, ask your supervisor to complete the Post-Degree Experience and Supervision Form , which you must upload with your online application.

The open-book test assesses your knowledge of the laws and regulations related to mental health treatment in Colorado. The exam includes 45 multiple-choice questions. You need a scaled score of or higher to pass. If you previously passed this exam for LSW licensure, contact the board to determine whether you must retake it. After you have acquired 3, hours of supervised experience and passed both exams, you can submit an LCSW application through the Division of Professions and Occupations Online Services.

The board provides a helpful checklist with information and supplemental documentation for the application. After you submit your LCSW application, the board reviews it to ensure you meet all licensure criteria.

If the board deems your application complete, you will receive your LCSW license and you can begin independently providing the full range of social work services, including supervising LSWs. Social workers in residential childcare facilities can pursue an SWP. Unlike the other two Colorado social work licenses, the SWP license does not require any exams. The following steps describe how to apply for an SWP license. You must also submit the Verification of Practice form documenting that you will be working in a residential childcare facility.

If the board determines that you meet the criteria to become an SWP, you will receive your license. This license is only valid while you work in a residential childcare facility. You must work under supervision. In Colorado, you may apply for social work licensure by endorsement if you are an LSW in another state. You must also pass the Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination before receiving your Colorado social work license.

Colorado requires LSWs to renew their licenses every two years.