New applicant instructions
Instructions, eligibility, and documentation requirements for new applicants for licenses in Massachusetts.
Eligibility and documentation
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
- An official, certified transcript is required for the highest relevant degree. The transcript must be sent electronically directly from the school to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Applicants must be currently licensed in Massachusetts at the LCSW level (or equivalent in another jurisdiction). Applicants must provide the correct license information.
- Passing of the Clinical exam
- Applicants must submit a total of three references (two professional and one supervisory). All references must be able to evaluate the applicant’s social work experience. Please provide a current email address for each reference so that a secure link can be sent to the references listed on your application.
- Two licensed professional references are required. Qualified professional references include:
- LICSW (or equivalent clinical social work license in another jurisdiction)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist (LMFT)
- Psychiatrist
- Psychologist
- Psychiatric nurse with a specialty in clinical mental health
- A clinical supervisor licensed at the LICSW level (or equivalent in another jurisdiction) shall document the applicant’s qualifying clinical work experience.
- For MSW graduates with a degree conferred date, a minimum of 3,500 hours clinical social work services experience obtained over a period of not less than two years after the issuance of a LCSW
- Documented supervision must be a minimum of 100 hours of individual face-to-face clinical supervision, at a rate of 1 hour for every 35 hours worked (with a maximum of 1 hour per week). If the experience is earned at a rate less than 35 hours per week, the experience and supervision hours must be computed on a pro-rata basis. Clinical duties must meet the scope of practice provision 1 or 2.
- Supervisors must be licensed in the jurisdiction where the supervision takes place; out of state supervisors may not supervise work experience taking place in MA. All work experience must be complete as of the application date.
- Two licensed professional references are required. Qualified professional references include:
- A criminal history acknowledgment form (PDF) must be notarized, signed with corresponding dates, and mailed or faxed to ASWB.
- A 2” x 2” clear, color photo must be uploaded via the online application, or emailed as an attachment to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Applicants will be notified via email when the application has been approved or needs further attention.
- If approved, applicants will receive information regarding registering for the ASWB examination.
- Applicants may not register for the examination until the application has been approved.
- LICSW applicants must review the MassHealth enrollment requirement
Licensed Certified Social Worker
- An official, certified transcript is required for the highest relevant degree. The transcript must be sent electronically directly from the school to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Passing of the Masters exam
- Three references are required. At least one of the references must be completed by an individual licensed at the LICSW or LCSW level (or equivalent social work licenses in another jurisdiction). All references must be qualified to evaluate the applicant’s social work experience. Please provide a current email address for each reference so that a secure link can be sent to the references listed on your application.
- The most recent advanced field placement supervisor must document the placement supervision that was completed as part of the CSWE accredited MSW program curriculum.
- A criminal history acknowledgment form (PDF) must be notarized, signed with corresponding dates, and mailed or faxed to ASWB.
- A 2” x 2” clear, color photo must be uploaded via the online application, or emailed as an attachment to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Applicants will be notified via email when the application has been approved or needs further attention.
- If approved, applicants will receive information regarding registering for the ASWB examination.
- Applicants may not register for the examination until the application has been approved.
Licensed Social Worker
- An official, certified transcript is required for the highest relevant degree. The transcript must be sent electronically directly from the school to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Passing of the Bachelors exam
- Three references are required. At least one reference must be licensed at the LICSW or LCSW level (or equivalent social work license in another jurisdiction). All references must be qualified to evaluate the applicant’s social work experience. Please provide a current email address for each reference so that a secure link can be sent to the references listed on your application.
- Applicants who hold a BSW must submit
- Two professional references
- One field placement supervisory reference to document the placement supervision that was completed as part of the CSWE accredited BSW program curriculum
- Applicants with non-social work bachelor degrees must submit
- Two professional references
- One supervisory reference to document a minimum of 3,500 social work experience hours and 100 individual face-to-face supervision hours at a rate of one hour per 35 hours worked. Hours must be documented over a period of not less than two years post degree.
- Qualified supervisory references include:
- Social worker who holds a MSW or BSW from a CSWE accredited school
- LICSW (or equivalent clinical social work license in another jurisdiction)
- LCSW (or equivalent masters social work license in another jurisdiction)
- Qualified supervisory references include:
- Applicants who hold a BSW must submit
- A criminal history acknowledgment form (PDF) must be notarized, signed with corresponding dates, and mailed or faxed to ASWB.
- A 2” x 2” clear, color photo must be uploaded via the online application, or emailed as an attachment to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Applicants will be notified via email when the application has been approved or needs further attention.
- If approved, applicants will receive information regarding registering for the ASWB examination.
- Applicants may not register for the examination until the application has been approved.
Licensed Social Work Associate
- An official, certified transcript is required for the highest relevant degree. The transcript must be sent electronically directly from the school to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Passing the Associates exam
- Three professional references are required. At least one reference must be completed by an individual licensed at the LICSW or LCSW level (or equivalent social work license in another jurisdiction). All references must be qualified to evaluate the applicant’s social work experience. Please provide a current email address for each reference so that a secure link can be sent to the references listed on your application.
- If the applicant does not hold a bachelor’s degree in any field or an associate’s degree in a human services field, then a supervisory reference must be supplied to document a minimum of four years of social work experience.
- A criminal history acknowledgment form (PDF) must be notarized, signed with corresponding dates, and mailed or faxed to ASWB.
- A 2” x 2” clear, color photo must be uploaded via the online application, or emailed as an attachment to mass.sw.app@aswb.org.
- Applicants will be notified via email when the application has been approved or needs further attention.
- If approved, applicants will receive information regarding registering for the ASWB examination.
- Applicants may not register for the examination until the application has been approved.
All fees are nonrefundable
Fees
Application fee (all licenses): US$173
Exam registration fees
- Bachelors or Masters: US$230
- Clinical or Advanced Generalist: US$260
Licensure fees
(due after exam and licensing requirements have been met)
- LICSW: US$82
- LCSW: US$68
- LSW: US$54
- LSWA: US$42
Massachusetts MassHealth enrollment requirement
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers are eligible to order, refer or prescribe services for MassHealth members and, under state law, must apply to enroll with MassHealth.