To become a practicing Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW), you must:
- Apply with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to take the national exam, and:
- Provide an official transcript showing a baccalaureate degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) that included a practicum as part of the degree requirements.
Or:
- Provide a dean's letter in a sealed envelope or sent electronically from the school stating that you are in the last semester of actively completing a CSWE accredited BSW program.
- Apply with the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC) after exam passage to receive the license. This requires:
- An official transcript showing a baccalaureate degree in social work from a CSWW accredited program
- Proof of passing of the Bachelors examination administered by the Association of Social Work Boards
- A passing score on the jurisprudence examination
- A self-query request from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB)
- A request for fingerprinting for a background check upon submission of your online application
More Information
- For further information about applying for a license through the Behavioral Health Executive Council, please visit the BHEC website.
- For further information about applying to take the ASWB exam, please visit the ASWB website.
- For more information about taking the Jurisprudence Examination, please visit the BHEC Jurisprudence Examination webpage.
- For further information about a NPDB self-query report, please visit the NPDB website.