The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (BHHSLB) issues three types of social work licenses: Here you will be able to follow the steps for each licensure process. Additionally you will find required education, see required exams and other criteria to become and maintain a social work license in Indiana. With a high demand for well skilled social workers in Indiana, this is a great place to start.
Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) – This license allows you to practice social work on a generalist level that includes:
- Administration
- Planning
- Research
Licensed Social Worker (LSW) – This license allows you to practice social work using specialized knowledge to do things like:
- Effect emotional responses and changes in behavior for individuals, families, couples, groups, and communities
- Use advanced knowledge to engage in administration, planning, and research
- Offer social work services informed by specialized insight into unconscious motivations, the knowledge of social systems, and the availability of social resources
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – This license allows you to engage in the LSW scope of practice, and to additionally practice clinical social work including:
- Provision of psychosocial evaluations
- Use of counseling and psychotherapeutic techniques
- Use of casework social work advocacy
- Use appraisal instruments in treatment planning
Steps Towards Social Work Licensure in Indiana
To qualify for licensure at any level with the Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (BHHSLB) you’ll need to meet the following requirements:
Earn a degree in Social Work from a school that’s approved by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and request that your school sends official transcripts directly to the BHHSLB
Temporary 180-day permits are available at each level of licensure if all requirements are met except passing a pending ASWB exam.
Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)
Application process:
- Step One – Earn a bachelor’s degree in Social Work; an MSW or higher will not qualify you for this license.
- Step Two – Submit an application for licensure to the BHHSLB. Once the BHHSLB approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re eligible to take its exam, which you must do within a year.
- Step Three – Register with the ASWB for its Bachelors exam. Once you pass it the ASWB will notify the BHHSLB, and the BHHSLB will issue your LBSW license.
Licensed Social Worker (LSW)
Application process:
- Step One – Earn a master’s degree in Social Work.
- Step Two – Submit an application for licensure to the BHHSLB. Once the BHHSLB approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re eligible to take its exam, which you must do within a year.
- Step Three – Register with the ASWB for its Masters exam. Once you pass it the ASWB will notify the BHHSLB, and the BHHSLB will issue your LSW license.
- Step Four – You’ll notice a Verification of Supervision form and a Verification of Employment/Experience form contained within your application for licensure. If you want to start accruing hours of supervised experience to eventually qualify for an LCSW license you’ll need to first find a supervisor and get these forms filled out and turned in to the BHHSLB.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Application process:
- Step One – Earn a master’s degree in Social Work. It must include at least 24 credits in clinical topics.
- Step Two – Complete two years of post-MSW paid full-time supervised social work experience totaling at least 3,000 hours. Have your supervisor submit a Verification of Supervision form, and your employer submit a Verification of Employment/Experience form, to the BHHSLB. These forms are found in the application for licensure, and must be submitted before you can start accruing qualifying supervised experience.
- Step Three – Submit an application for licensure to the BHHSLB. Once the BHHSLB approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re eligible to take its exam, which you must do within a year.
- Step Four – Register with the ASWB for its Clinical exam. Once you pass it the ASWB will notify the BHHSLB, and the BHHSLB will issue your LCSW license.
Renewing Your License
All licenses expire on April 1st of even-numbered years. To be eligible to renew online you’ll need to complete 40 hours of continuing education, and attest to this, for every renewal cycle.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Social Worker in Indiana?
Indiana offers a post-high-school pathway to licensure in as soon as four years through a BSW degree and an LBSW license. By investing about two more years into your education you can earn an MSW that qualifies you for the LSW license. Add two years of experience on top of that, for a total of eight years, and you can become an LCSW.
Social Work Degrees in Indiana
To be eligible for licensure at any level in Indiana you’ll need to graduate from a social work program that’s accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). There are 22 such programs throughout the state, including four that can be completed online.
Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW)
To be eligible for the LBSW license you must have a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program. Indiana is home to 16 such programs, including two that are offered online. It usually takes four years to complete a BSW program and they total around 120 credits. You cannot qualify for the LBSW with an MSW degree.
Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW)
An MSW from a CSWE-accredited program is required for both the LSW and LCSW licenses. If you want it to qualify you for an LCSW, make sure your MSW program includes at least 24 semester credits of clinical coursework in the following seven areas: psychopathology, clinical practice with diverse populations, clinical theory and practice, family practice, group practice, human behavior in the social environment, and practice evaluation research. Indiana is home to six CSWE-accredited MSW programs, two of which offer options for online study.
Doctoral Degree in Social Work
While a PhD or Doctor of Social Work (DSW) aren’t required for licensure, holding either one of these degrees demonstrates you’ve mastered the field academically and approach social work with an advanced understanding and depth. PhDs can be more focused towards research, while DSWs can concentrate more on a clinical application. The CSWE doesn’t accredit programs at the doctoral level.
Reciprocity
You can qualify for all three license types via reciprocity if you’re a licensed social worker in another state and meet Indiana’s examination and education requirements. You’ll need to pass an Indiana jurisprudence exam prior to earning an LSW or LCSW license. Temporary permits are not available if you’re applying for licensure via reciprocity.
To apply you’ll need to follow the procedure above for your desired license, and include a verification of out-of-state licensure form. Have the ASWB send your exam scores to the BHHSLB, and you should include page 7 of this form, and the following appropriate application:
Social Work Salaries in Indiana
The following salary statistics represent the average yearly wages for social workers in these sectors, as reported by the US Department of Labor in 2020:
- Social and Community Service Manager – $61,850
- Healthcare Social Worker – $52,090
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker – $45,820
- Child, Family, and School Social Worker – $42,440
- Social Work Teachers, Post-secondary – $72,150
- Social Worker, All Other – $63,010
Social Work Resources in Indiana
You can find more information about employment, professional networking, and legislative developments in this field through organizations like:
Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers – This local chapter of the national NASW organization works to promote economic and social justice, human rights, and access to services for all; in general to advance the professional practice of social work.
Indiana School Social Work Association – Since 1997 the INSSWA has been promoting school social work throughout the state. It does this through advocacy of issues related to professional practice, inter-organizational communication, and professional growth.
Central Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers – Originally chartered as the Indianapolis Chapter in 1985, this organization is proud of its rich tradition of initiatives at the community, family, and organizational levels. It collaborates with more than 50 organizations every year.
Career Opportunities in Indiana
Some of the most important employers of social workers in Indiana include:
Indiana Department of Health – As the state-level agency responsible for the health and well-being of all residents, this department addresses issues that include preventing drug overdoses, promoting women’s, children’s, and minorities’ health, conducting health outreach, and managing chronic diseases.
Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana – Based in Fort Wayne, this organization can trace its roots back to the 1950s when people with severe mental health issues were restrained with chains in asylums. Today MHA is proud to have been a leading organization to end that kind of mistreatment, and in addition to providing mental health services it also advocates and educates.
Indianapolis Public Schools – As the largest public school district in the state, IPS employs over 5,000 people including 2,600 teachers who are responsible for the education of more than 30,000 students. Schools in this district are spread across 80 miles of the city.
Park Center – This behavioral health provider offers services in Wells, Adams, and Allen counties. It serves clients of all ages and specializes in outpatient issues including depression, eating disorders, behavior therapy, and substance abuse.
South Bend Community School Corporation – As St. Joseph County’s largest and oldest school corporation, this district is comprised of over 30 schools that serve as the educational home for more than 18,000 students. It includes four high schools, 10 intermediate centers, and 18 primary centers.
Midwest Behavioral Health – With locations in Fishers, Evansville, Greenwood, and Zionsville, MBH employs over 40 mental health professionals who have served 200,000 clients. This organization specializes in treating more than 34 issues including those related to anger management, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.
Indiana University Health – As the largest network of physicians in the state, this healthcare provider employs over 30,000 who themselves support the health needs of clients from across the state, including more than 118,000 annual hospital admissions and over one million annual clients.
