A part of the state’s Department of Health, the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (TBSWL) issues the following four types of licenses:
Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) – This license allows you to practice social work at a basic generalist level. You need to work for an agency or organization, and cannot practice privately or independently. You can engage in activities like:
- Conducting interviews and assessments
- Case management
- Providing mediation and supportive intervention
- Direct non-clinical practice
- Client advocacy and education
- Community organizing
Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) – This license allows you to apply advanced skills and specialized knowledge as you practice social work. You can engage in the scope of practice of an LBSW at a more advanced level, but you still need to work for an agency or organization, and cannot practice privately or independently. As an LMSW you can also additionally engage in activities including:
- Supportive counseling
- Consultation
- Research
- Clinical social work under supervision, for the purposes of becoming an LCSW
Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker (LAPSW) – This license allows you to apply advanced practice knowledge and specialized skills to your practice of social work. You can do everything an LBSW and LMSW can, and additionally work independently outside of agencies and organizations in exchange for direct payment or third-party reimbursement. Specialty areas in which you can practice include:
- Administration of activities and programs
- Development and implementation of policies
- Research, education, and community organizing
- Case management and counseling
- Direct practice
- Clinical social work under supervision, for the purposes of becoming an LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – This license allows you to do everything all other types of social work licensees can. You can work independently outside of agencies and organizations in exchange for direct payment or third-party reimbursement. You can also engage in clinical social work, including:
- Diagnosing and treating behavioral, emotional, and mental disorders
- Treating, assessing, and diagnosing addiction disorders
- Treating severe mental health illnesses in adults
- Treating serious emotional disturbances in children
- Therapy treatments for individuals, couples, families, and groups
- Counseling and advanced case management
Steps Towards Social Work Licensure in Tennessee
To qualify for licensure from the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (TBSWL) at any level you’ll need:
You can apply for a temporary license at a reduced fee if you’ve graduated from a school whose CSWE accreditation is pending but not yet approved.
Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW)
Requirements
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in Social Work.
- Submit an application for the LBSW license to the TBSWL, including a $110 fee. Once the TBSWL approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to test.
- Register with the ASWB for its Bachelors exam. Once you pass it the TBSWL will issue your LBSW license.
Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
Requirements
- Earn at least a master’s degree in Social Work.
- Submit an application for the LMSW license to the TBSWL, including a $160 fee. Once the TBSWL approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to test.
- Register with the ASWB for its Masters exam. Once you pass it the TBSWL will issue your LMSW license.
- As an LMSW you can accrue supervised experience hours to fulfill the supervised experience requirements for the LAPSW and LCSW licenses. For your supervision to count it must be performed by a TBSWL-qualifying supervisor. Make sure to keep a log (LAPSW log | LCSW log) of your supervised experience throughout its duration.
Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker (LAPSW)
Requirements
- Earn at least a master’s degree in Social Work.
- Fulfill the LAPSW supervised experience requirement, which is at least two years of supervised work experience as an LMSW under the supervision of an LAPSW or LCSW. This must include at least 3,000 hours of non-clinical experience, and of those 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. To verify this include the following with your application:
A copy of your current LMSW renewal card
A professional reference
Verification of supervision
Verification that your supervisor is qualified
Logs detailing your supervision
- Submit an application for the LAPSW license with the TBSWL, including a $235 fee. Once the TBSWL approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to test.
- Register with the ASWB for its Advanced Generalist exam. Once you pass it the TBSWL will issue your LAPSW license.
- Note – As an LAPSW you can also elect become an LCSW by fulfilling that license’s supervised experience and ASWB exam requirements.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Requirements
- Earn at least a master’s degree in Social Work.
- Fulfill the LCSW supervised experience requirement, which is at least two years of supervised work experience as an LMSW under the supervision of an LCSW. This must include at least 3,000 hours of clinical client-therapist contact experience, and of those 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. To verify this include the following with your application:
A copy of your current LMSW renewal card
A professional reference
Verification of supervision
Verification that your supervisor is qualified
Logs detailing your supervision
- Submit an application for the LCSW license with the TBSWL, including a $235 fee. Once the TBSWL approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to test.
- Register with the ASWB for its Clinical exam. Once you pass it the TBSWL will issue your LCSW license.
Renewing Your Social Work License in Tennessee
All TBSWL social work licenses expire two years after they’re issued, and every two years thereafter. You can renew online and the renewal fee is $95. To maintain your license you need to complete continuing education requirements at the following yearly rates:
- LBSW – Nine hours
- LMSW – 12 hours
- LAPSW – 15 hours
- LCSW – 15 hours
How Long Does it Take to Become a Social Worker in Tennessee?
Once you graduate from high school it typically takes around four years to earn a BSW degree, which will qualify you for the LBSW license. Studying at least two years beyond that can net you an MSW degree, and thereby qualify you for the LMSW license. With at least two final years of additional supervised experience on top –for eight years in total– you can qualify for the LAPSW or LCSW licenses.
Social Work Degrees in Tennessee
The fastest way to meet the education requirements for licensure in Tennessee is to earn a degree from a social work program that’s accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Right now there are 24 such programs in Tennessee, including two that are offered online and two that are offered as hybrid on-campus/online programs. The only other way to qualify for licensure in Tennessee is to earn a doctoral degree in Social Work.
Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW)
Earning a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program is the only way to qualify for the LBSW license. Luckily Tennessee is home to 17 such programs, including one that is offered online and one that is offered as a hybrid. BSW programs total at least 120 semester credits, and being CSWE-accredited means they also include a community education experience that’s at least 400 hours.
Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW)
If you’re qualifying for licensure with an MSW then it must be accredited by the CSWE. There are seven such programs in Tennessee, including one that’s offered online and one that’s offered as a hybrid. Part of being CSWE accredited means your MSW program will include a field education segment that’s at least 900 hours. Earning a CSWE-accredited MSW fulfills the education requirement for the LMSW, LAPSW, and LCSW.
Doctoral Degree in Social Work
Even though the CSWE doesn’t accredit programs at the doctoral level, you can still qualify for the LMSW, LAPSW, and LCSW licenses with a doctoral degree in Social Work. These come in two forms: a PhD and a Doctor of Social Work (DSW). Both include specialized study in this field and represent the highest education possible within the discipline.
Reciprocity
If you’re licensed at a similar level in another state, and your state’s requirements for licensure were similar to Tennessee’s, you can apply for licensure via reciprocity in Tennessee. Follow the procedure outlined above for your desired license level, and when you submit an application:
- Include a photocopy of your out-of-state license showing your license number
- Include a photocopy of a renewal certificate showing that you’ve renewed your out-of-state license
- Have the ASWB forward your exam scores to the TBSWL
- Have your out-of-state board of social work send verification of your license to the TBSWL
- Include a copy of your state’s laws and rules for licensure, if available
- When applying out-of-state supervised experience to fulfill Tennessee’s requirements, the out-of-state requirements must have been at least as stringent as Tennessee’s
Social Work Salaries in Tennessee
In 2020 the US Department of Labor reported the following average annual salaries for social work career categories, specifically for Tennessee:
- Social and Community Service Manager – $69,140
- Healthcare Social Worker – $48,280
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker – $39,980
- Child, Family, and School Social Worker – $42,760
- Social Work Teachers, Post-secondary – $73,710
- Social Worker, All Other – $53,000
Social Work Organizations and Resources in Tennessee
Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Social Work – The local branch of the largest social work organization in the country, the Tennessee Chapter of the NASW provides resources about job opportunities, networking events, legislative developments, and ways to earn continuing education.
Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare – A statewide non-profit private agency, TCSW’s roots stretch back to 1912 at a conference convened to address issues like child labor, prison reform, and improving social conditions. Today it’s celebrating its 107th annual conference and continues to make an important impact throughout the state.
Tennessee Association of School Social Workers – Founded in 1978, TASSW is made up of enthusiastic school social workers and their allies. It hosts an annual conference, has its own scholarship, provides continuing education opportunities, and is a great networking resource.
Career Opportunities in Tennessee
Tennessee Department of Human Services – This state-level agency strives to connect every state resident to the employment, education, and support services they need. It runs its own programs and partners with local organizations across Tennessee. It focuses on issues relating to children, families, adults, and people with disabilities.
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services – This state-level department plays a vital role in the resources it provides to some of the state’s most vulnerable populations. Mental health services are offered for children, youths, and adults. Substance abuse services are provided by partners that include everyone from faith-based services to resources within the criminal justice system.
Shelby County Schools – The largest school district in the state and among the top-25 largest in the nation, by the most recent count SCS is responsible for the education of more than 100,000 students out of more than 200 schools. This is a heavy lift for the district’s 6,500 teachers and 7,500 additional staff. School social workers will play an instrumental role in helping SCS reach its 2025 goal of 80 percent of students being college or career-ready.
Vanderbilt Health – With 100 offices, centers, clinics, medical centers, and hospitals throughout the state, this healthcare organization plays a vital role in the physical and mental well-being of Tennessee. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center campus alone employs over 24,000 professionals and is home to the nation’s only NCI-designated cancer center for adults and children. Notable among this system is the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital.
Knoxville Behavioral and Mental Health Services – This organization takes a unique approach to improving the well-being of its clients. It offers tutoring services by trained special education teachers, as well as parent services, therapy, and evaluations designed to match clients with the most relevant help.
Metro Nashville Public Schools – Among the top-50 largest school districts in the nation, and the second-largest in the state, MNPS is home to over 86,000 students annually who depend on the education they get from over 5,500 teachers who enjoy important assistance from an additional 4,000-plus staff members. This district includes 25 high schools, 33 middle schools, and 73 elementary schools.
