How to Become a Certified Social Worker

A social worker helps improve society and the lives of people, focusing mostly on helping abused and neglected children, the poor and the elderly through social services such as individual and group counseling.
Certification is important in this field. This allows the agency or organization that employs the social worker to bill health insurance companies for services rendered by the employee for another individual. This article shows you how to become a certified social worker.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• master's degree in social work employment in an agency or organization as a social worker time commitment for getting certification social worker certification application

1. Obtain a master's degree in social work from a school that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). (See "Resources" for website.)

2. Complete two years of social work. You must gain this experience as an employee of an agency or in an organizational setting.

3. Work for 3,000 hours or full time for two years in a paid, supervised social work position. You must work these 3,000 hours over at least a two-year period. A supervisor who is already certified must oversee your work on a regular basis.

4. Obtain three professional references: One from a former supervisor and two from other social workers familiar with your work. All three of these people must hold master's degrees in social work from a CSWE-accredited school.

5. Complete the application for certification (see "Resources"). The school must send official transcripts to the National Association of Social Workers. Additionally, you must show completion of 20 hours of continuing education, taken in the last two years. Three of these hours must be in ethics-related courses.

Tips & Warnings

• If your social work employment occurs at a school, a 10-month school year counts as a full year of employment toward the two-year requirement.
• Self employment does not count for the two years of experience requirement.

Resources

• Council on Social Work Education website to find accredited social work programs
• Social Worker Certification Application
• National Association of Social Workers website

[MyJB]

on 6/6/2009 Good tips and suggestions for becoming a social worker.