Requirements for Social Work Licensure in Kansas

The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) issues three types of social work licenses:

Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) – This license allows you to engage in the practice of social work at a basic general level. The practice of social work includes:

• Helping individuals, communities, and groups restore their capacity for physical, social, and economic functioning
• Applying social work techniques and principles to psychotherapy, social services administration, social planning, consultation, and research
• Helping people obtain services
• Counseling individuals, families, and groups
• Helping groups or communities improve health and social services

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) – This license allows you to engage in the practice of social work at an advanced specialized level. You can also engage in the practice of clinical social work under supervision.

Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW) – This license allows you to engage in the practice of social work, and engage in the practice of clinical social work, including the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. You can also engage in private and independent practice.

Steps Towards Social Work Licensure in Kansas

To qualify for licensure from the Kansas Behavioral Science Regulatory Board (BSRB) at any level you’ll need:

• A Social Work degree from a school that’s accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or that adheres to strict guidelines and meets these specific requirements; have your school send official transcripts directly to the BSRB
• To pass an exam sponsored by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
• Three professional references who fill out the reference forms provided in your application, and return them to you in an envelope that’s signed across the seal; include these with your application
• To pay a $50 application fee; once you’ve submitted an application to the BSRB you can check its status online

If you’re an LBSW or LMSW applicant the BSRB allows you to apply for licensure within four months of graduating from your degree program. If you choose to do this then you must complete the Verification of Academic Requirements form contained within your application packet.

You can indicate you’d like a temporary license on an LBSW or LMSW application if all requirements except passage of the ASWB exam have been met. Temporary licenses expire once you receive your full license or after six months, whichever comes first, and cannot be renewed. The fee is $50.

Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)

Learn More About LBSW here

Application process:

1. Earn at least a bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW).
2. Submit an application packet for licensure with the BSRB.
3. When you’re submitting your three professional references, one must be your on-site supervisor’s from your BSW field education program, and the other two must be licensed social workers who are familiar with your work.
4. Once the BSRB approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to register for the ASWB exam.
5. Register with the ASWB for its Bachelors exam. Once you pass it the BSRB will issue your LBSW license for a $100 fee.

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

Application process:

1. Earn at least a master’s degree in Social Work.
2. Submit an application packet for licensure with the BSRB.
3. When you’re submitting your three professional references, one must be your on-site supervisor’s from your MSW field education program, and the other two must be LMSWs and/or LSCSWs who are familiar with your work.
4. Once the BSRB approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to register for the ASWB exam.
5. Register with the ASWB for its Masters exam. Once you pass it the BSRB will issue your LMSW license for a $150 fee.
6. Once you’ve received your LMSW you can start accruing hours of supervised experience to qualify for the LSCSW license. For the hours to be eligible, you’ll need to gain BSRB approval for your supervisor and worksite by submitting this form to the BSRB.

Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW)

Application process:

1. Earn at least a master’s degree in Social Work. It must include 15 credits of graduate coursework related to the diagnoses and treatment of mental disorders, which you can confirm by filling out a chart contained in the LSCSW application packet.
2. Complete the supervised experience requirement, which is 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in a clinical setting completed over at least two years. This must include 1,500 hours of direct client contact conducting psychotherapy and 150 hours of clinical supervision. There are forms in your application packet that your supervisor and employer must fill out to verify this. You gain your supervision in-state as an LMSW.
3. Submit an application packet for licensure with the BSRB.
4. When you’re submitting your three professional references, one must be from your most recent social work supervisor at your current place of employment, and the other two must be from LSCSWs.
5. Once the BSRB approves your application it will notify the ASWB that you’re cleared to register for the ASWB exam.
6. Register with the ASWB for its Clinical exam. Once you pass it the BSRB will issue your LSCSW license for a $150 fee.

Renewing Your License

All social work licenses issued by the BSRB expire every two years. 40 hours of continuing education are required during each renewal cycle. You can renew online or by submitting this form to the BSRB. Renewal fees are:

• LBSW – $50
• LMSW – $75
• LSCSW – $100

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

After you’ve graduated from high school you could be working as an LBSW in Kansas in as soon as four years, the amount it usually takes to earn a BSW degree. If you invest two years into education beyond that to earn an MSW you can qualify for the LMSW. Once you’re an LMSW you can accrue two years of supervised work experience –for a total of at least eight years beyond high school– and qualify for the LSCSW.

Social Work Degrees in Kansas

The Kansas BSRB requires that all candidates for licensure graduate from a program that’s accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or that meets a series of specific requirements. Right now there are 13 CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW programs in Kansas. If a doctoral program in Social Work meets the specific requirements determined by Kansas then it can also qualify you for licensure at all levels.

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW)

Earning a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program will fulfill the education requirement to become an LBSW. Currently Kansas is home to nine such programs, that currently total at least 120 semester credits. Part of being CSWE-accredited means the BSW program automatically includes a field education segment that’s at minimum 400 hours. Your supervisor for this segment is required to be one of your professional references on your LBSW application.

Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW)

Having an MSW degree from a program that’s accredited by the CSWE fulfills the education requirements for the LBSW and LMSW, and there are four such programs in Kansas. It will also qualify you for the LSCSW if it includes 15 credits of graduate coursework related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in the following areas: diagnostic assessment, interdisciplinary referral and collaboration, professional ethics, treatment approaches, and psychopathology. Being CSWE-accredited means your MSW program automatically includes a 900-hour field education experience, and if you’re applying for an LBSW or LMSW your supervisor for this must be one of your professional references.

Doctoral Degree in Social Work

Even though the CSWE doesn’t accredit social work programs at the doctoral level, you can still qualify for licensure at every level with a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) or PhD in this field. To qualify it will need to meet a series of specific requirements, and additionally for the LSCSW it must include 15 credits of graduate coursework related to the diagnoses and treatment of mental disorders just like the MSW. A doctoral degree in Social Work is the highest degree in this field.

Reciprocity

If you hold an active license in another state, and the education, exam, and experience requirements for obtaining that license were similar to those required by Kansas, then you can apply for licensure via reciprocity. The BSRB has a separate application packet that you can use to apply for a license based on reciprocity at all levels. Include the following with your application:

• Application fee of $50
• ASWB exam scores, forwarded to the BRSB from the ASWB
• Official academic transcripts sent from your school directly to the BRSB

If you’re a licensed independent clinical social worker in another state you have the option of applying for a temporary permit to practice in Kansas. This allows you to practice in Kansas for 15 days in one calendar year, and it can be extended for an additional 15 days within the same calendar year. This costs $200, and another $200 if you extend it. You can apply with the BRSB using this form.

Social Work Salaries in Kansas

The US Department of Labor reports the following average annual salaries for several social work career trajectories in 2020, specifically for Kansas. It notes that Kansas offers post-secondary social work teachers the fourth-highest average salary of all states in the nation.

• Social and Community Service Manager – $64,220
• Healthcare Social Worker – $55,470
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker – $43,500
• Child, Family, and School Social Worker – $43,420
• Social Work Teachers, Post-secondary – $85,310
• Social Worker, All Other – $64,950

Social Work Resources in Kansas

Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers – This local chapter is dedicated to promoting and advocating for the practice and profession of social work. It’s thanks to them that Kansas was a national leader when it initially encouraged legislation establishing three licensure levels for social workers back in 1976, a suggestion adopted by the state legislature and countless others throughout the nation.

Kansas School Social Workers Association – This organization prides itself on advocating at the local, state, and national levels for Kansas school social workers. They welcome new members who are allies or freshly licensed, as well as seasoned veterans. The KSSWA is divided into four sub-chapter regions geographically.

Career Opportunities in Kansas

Kansas Department of Health and Environment – This state agency is responsible for ensuring and promoting the health and well being of all residents throughout Kansas. It’s comprised of several sections including the Bureau of Community Health Systems, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Health Promotion, and Bureau of Family Health.

Kansas Department for Aging and Disability – As a state-level agency devoted specifically to addressing aging and disability needs, KDADS provides a range of service options in the categories of aging, community services and programs, and behavioral health services including those that address substance abuse and veterans’ issues.

Wichita Public Schools – Approximately 11 percent of all public school students in the state graduate from one of WPS’s 95 schools, which include 54 elementary, 15 middle, and nine high schools. Last year nearly 50,000 students were educated by the district’s highly skilled teachers who work hand-in-hand with professionals like school social workers.

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission – With four locations in the Overland Park area, this healthcare system serves thousands of clients every year. Amenities offered include weight care, cancer care, diabetes treatments, community wellness and holistic health programs, home care, mother and infant care, and much more.

Substance Abuse Center of Kansas – This non-profit agency provides vital services to help those with the challenges posed by substance abuse. Some of these include case management and consultation, alcohol and drug treatment programs, court-ordered evaluations and assessments, and education presentations.

Kansas City Kansas Public Schools – As the fifth-largest district in the state, KCKPS includes 29 elementary, seven middle, and five high schools. Every year more than 20,000 students rely on the teachers and support staff in this district to provide them with a quality education that will open up doors that last a lifetime.

Johnson County Mental Health Center – Addressing important issues faced by the residents of Olathe and the wider county, this agency provides services related to substance abuse, mental health, psychiatric medication, and adolescent issues. Its mental health services are tailored specifically for adults, children, and families.