Utah Social Work License Requirements

The Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) issues four types of social work credentials:

Social Service Worker (SSW) – This credential allows you to provide general entry-level services under the supervision of a mental health professional including:

• Conducting non-clinical psychosocial assessments
• Engaging in goal setting and collaborative planning
• Ongoing case management
• Supportive counseling
• Making referrals
• Gathering information

Certified Social Worker (CSW) – This credential allows you to engage in social work, including:

• Supervised practice of mental health therapy
• Independent and unsupervised application of social work principles and practices, including as an employee or self-employed professional

Certified Social Worker Intern (CSWI) – This status allows you to provide mental health therapy under general supervision pending your taking and passage of the Clinical exam from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – This license allows you to engage in all acts and practices of clinical social work, including mental health therapy, that’s conducted as a private and independent practitioner or as an employee.

Steps Towards Social Work Licensure in Utah

Earning your social work credential from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) is a multi-step process that typically involves the following organizations and process:

• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) – This organization accredits social work programs at the bachelor’s (BSW) and master’s (MSW) levels. Graduating from one of these programs is helpful or required for most credentials, as detailed below.
• Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) – This organization sponsors the test you’ll need to pass at the appropriate level to earn most credentials. You apply to this organization for testing before you apply with the Utah DOPL for your credential.
• You can apply for your credential with the DOPL online, or with a paper application on the forms listed below.

Social Service Worker (SSW)

Application process:

1. Meet the education requirement, which is one of the following (you can also qualify if you’re in your final semester of study):

BSW from a CSWE-accredited program

Master’s degree in Psychology, Mental Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy

Completion of one year of a CSWE-approved MSW program, including completion of a practicum

Bachelor’s degree in any field that includes three semester credits each in human growth and development, social welfare policy, and social work practice methods; plus 2,000 hours of qualifying experience as documented on an experience form completed by your supervisor (included in the SSW application with the DOPL); you can find a list of qualifying courses offered in Utah here

2. Apply for pre-approval to take the ASWB exam. You do this by creating an online account with the ASWB and paying a $60 application fee. Once you’ve created your account the ASWB will request your official academic transcripts.
3. Once the ASWB approves you to test, you’ll need to register with the ASWB and pass its Bachelors exam.
4. Once you’ve passed the ASWB Bachelors exam you can apply for the SSW credential with the Utah DOPL online or by mail with this form. The application fee is $85, and make sure to include your official academic transcripts in a sealed envelope with your application. Once the DOPL approves your application it will mail you your SSW credential.

Renewal:

The SSW credential needs to be renewed by October 1st of even-numbered years. To be eligible for renewal you must complete 20 hours of continuing education. You can renew online or by mail with this form. There is a $78 renewal fee.

Certified Social Worker (CSW)

Application process:

1. Meet the education requirement: an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, or a doctoral degree in Social Work that includes a clinical social work concentration and practicum.
2. Apply for pre-approval to take the ASWB exam. You do this by creating an online account with the ASWB and paying a $60 application fee. Once you’ve created your account the ASWB will request your official academic transcripts.
3. Once the ASWB approves you to test you’ll need to register with the ASWB and pass any one of its following exams: Masters exam, Advanced Generalist exam, or Clinical exam. If you plan to eventually become an LCSW this requires passage of the Clinical exam, so choosing that to qualify for the CSW will save you from having to take it later.
4. Once you’ve passed your chosen ASWB exam you can apply for the SSW credential with the Utah DOPL online or by mail with this form. The application fee is $120, and make sure to include your official academic transcripts in a sealed envelope with your application. Once the DOPL approves your application it will mail you your SSW credential.
5. Once you’ve become a CSW you’re qualified to start accruing hours of supervised experience that you can use to apply for an LCSW license.

Renewal:

The CSW credential needs to be renewed biannually by October 1st of even-numbered years. You can renew online or by mail with this form. There is a $93 renewal fee. Continuing education is not required.

Certified Social Worker Intern (CSWI)

Application process:

1. Meet the education requirement: an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, or a doctoral degree in Social Work that includes a clinical social work concentration and practicum.
2. Apply for pre-approval to take the ASWB Clinical exam. You do this by creating an online account with the ASWB and paying a $60 application fee. Once you’ve created your account the ASWB will request your official academic transcripts.
3. Once you receive authorization to test from the ASWB you can apply for the CSWI from the Utah DOPL either online or by mail with this form. Include an $85 application fee, a copy of your authorization to test from the ASWB, and your official education transcripts.
4. The CSWI is a temporary credential that allows you to take the ASWB Clinical exam. While you can still provide mental health therapy services under supervision as a CSWI, the supervised hours you accrue as a CSWI will not count towards fulfilling the supervised experience requirement to become an LCSW.

Renewal:

The CSWI credential expires after six months or once you pass the ASWB Clinical exam, whichever comes first.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Learn more about the LCSW

Application process:

1. Meet the education requirement: an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, or a doctoral degree in Social Work that includes a clinical social work concentration and practicum.
2. Have passed the ASWB Clinical exam, done in-state previously as a CSW or CSWI, with the ASWB having forwarded your passing scores to the Utah DOPL.
3. Meet the supervised experience requirement, done in-state as a CSW, which is: 4,000 hours of supervised post-graduate experience completed over at least two years, including 1,000 hours of supervised training in mental health therapy and at least 100 hours under direct supervision.
4. Complete a two-hour suicide prevention training course.
5. Apply for the LCSW license with the DOPL either online or by mail with this form. There is a $120 application fee. The application includes a Verification of Post-Graduate Experience Form where your supervisor can document that you’ve fulfilled the supervised experience requirement.

Renewal:

The LCSW needs to be renewed by October 1st of even-numbered years. To be eligible for renewal you need to complete 40 hours of continuing education. You can renew online or by mail with this form. There is a $93 renewal fee.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Social Worker in Utah?

The time you need to invest post-high-school to become a social worker in Utah depends on which credential level you’re going for:

• SSW – Around four years; the time it takes to earn a BSW degree
• CSW – Around six years; it take about two years to earn an MSW degree once you have a BSW
• CSWI – Around eight years; once you’ve earned an MSW you’ll need to accrue two years of supervised experience and then apply for this status
• LCSW – At least eight years; a BSW plus an MSW plus two years of supervised experience

Social Work Degrees in Utah

You can qualify for a social work credential in Utah starting with a bachelor’s degree and going all the way up to the doctoral level of education. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredits BSW and MSW programs, of which there are eight in Utah, including one that’s offered online. The CSWE doesn’t accredit doctoral programs, however these can also qualify you for a social work credential.

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW)

Utah is home to four CSWE-accredited BSW programs. Earning one of these will meet the education requirement for becoming an SSW, and is the first logical step on your way to earning an MSW degree if you want to advance in the social work field. BSW programs take approximately four years to complete and total 120 semester credits. CSWE-accredited programs automatically include a 400-hour field education experience.

Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW)

Earning an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program meets the education requirement to become a CSW, CSWI, and LCSW. There are four such programs in Utah, including one that’s offered online. As part of CSWE accreditation, all MSW programs include a 900-hour field education experience.

Doctoral Degree in Social Work

Doctoral degrees in Social Work are offered as PhD programs that can be more research-focused and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs that can be more clinically focused. Either type of program will fulfill the education requirement to become a CSW, CSWI, or LCSW, provided it includes a clinical social work concentration and practicum.

Reciprocity

You can apply for a social work credential based on out-of-state reciprocity if you’re currently licensed in good standing and the state where you’re licensed had similar qualification requirements as Utah’s. Go through the steps listed above for your desired credential, and additionally:

Have your out-of-state licensing agency send verification of your social work license to the Utah DOPL

Have your official education transcripts and passing ASWB exam scores forwarded to the DOPL

For CSWs and LCSWs – fill out the Verification of Active Practice/in Another State form contained within your respective DOPL applications; you must have practiced for at least 4,000 hours, including 1,000 hours in the area of mental health therapy

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Social Work Salaries in Utah

The US Department of Labor reports the following average annual salary information specifically for Utah social work career niches in 2020:

Social and Community Service Manager – $67,690

Healthcare Social Worker – $63,280

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker – $51,160

Child, Family, and School Social Worker – $46,400

Social Work Teachers, Post-secondary – $78,440

Social Worker, All Other – $51,720

Social Work Resources in Utah

Utah Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers – The local state chapter of the largest professional social work organizations in the world, this branch provides resources for clinicians on subjects like continuing education, ethics, licensing questions, and social worker advocacy.

Career Opportunities in Utah

Utah Department of Human Services – Utah’s central agency for addressing issues that affect the health and well being of all residents, DHS runs its own programs and works with local partners to implement change. It has departments specifically dedicated to topics like substance abuse and mental health, services for people with disabilities, child and family services, and adult and aging services.

Utah Behavior Services – This agency runs treatment centers across the state in six different cities. Perhaps the most well-known private provider of behavior and human services in the state, its expert staff work with clients to address issues like autism, behavioral problems, social skills, medication management, and mental health.

Salt Lake City School District – The oldest public school district in the state, every year over 1,000 teachers provide a crucial educational foundation for more than 25,000 students. The district’s fleet of facilities include five middle schools, five high schools, and 26 elementary schools.

Provo Canyon Behavioral Hospital – Based in Orem, this hospital provides one-stop shopping for all behavioral health needs. Its team of dedicated professionals cater their services specifically to adolescents, adults, and seniors. Each population segment can choose from inpatient and outpatient options, and programs include acute psychiatric, diagnostic, detox, and rehabilitation.

Provo City School District – Comprised of 13 elementary schools and five secondary schools, nearly 18,000 students learn the skills they’ll use the rest of their lives in this school district. Five schools host dual language immersion programs for Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Southwest Behavioral Health Center – Serving Utah residents from 11 locations across the Southwest portion of the state, this agency provides assistance for emergencies, outpatients, inpatients, day treatment programs, residential housing support, and case management.

Highland Ridge Hospital – One of the best known psychiatric hospitals in the state, this organization places a strong focus on addiction treatment among the adolescent, adult, and elderly populations. It provides inpatient and outpatient care, and additionally includes treatment options for 11 specific behavioral issues including depression, dementia, anxiety, and schizophrenia.