Becoming a Licensed Social Worker — LSW

  • If you wish to attain the title Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in Minnesota, you must first get a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education accredited university or college, such as Bemidji State University
  • Next, you must pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelor’s Level Exam
  • Upon successful completion of the ASWB exam you must apply to be a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) through the Minnesota Board of Social Work.

State of MN Supervised Practice Requirements for Social Workers

Supervision means a professional relationship between a licensing supervisor and a social worker in which the licensing supervisor provides evaluation and direction of the services provided by the social worker to promote competent and ethical services to clients through the continuing development of the social workers knowledge, skills and values.
A minimum of 4,000 hours of supervised practice is required for the LSW and LGSW after the license is issued, and for LISW and LICSW license eligibility.
The requirements are described in the following links:

Non-Clinical Supervised Practice Requirements

Social Worker Licensing Supervisor must be a LSW who has completed the supervised practice requirements; LGSW; LISW; or LICSW; and 30 hours of training in supervision.
Supervision is a one-time requirement for

  1. LSW
  2. LGSW engaged in non-clinical practice; or
  3. eligibility for the LISW license
  • 100 hours of supervision is required over 4,000 hours of practice at the rate of 4 hours of supervision for every 160 hours of practice
    • 50 hours must be provided through one-on-one supervision, and
    • a minimum of 25 hours of in-person supervision, and
    • no more than 25 hours of supervision via eye-to-eye electronic media while maintaining visual contact, excluding e-mail
    • Remaining 50 hours must be provided through:
    • one-on-one supervision, or
    • group supervision (limited to 6 supervisees)
    • supervision may be in-person, by telephone or via eye-to-eye electronic media while maintaining visual contact, excluding email

Alternate Licensing Supervisor

Up to 25% of the required supervision hours may be provided by a Mental Health Professional as defined in Minnesota Statutes 245.462, Subdivision 18, clauses (1) to (6) and is a registered psychiatric nurse, licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed marriage and family therapist or licensed professional clinical counselor.

Up to 100% of the required supervision hours may be provided by an alternate supervisor if:

  • there are 5 or fewer licensed social workers in the county where the supervisee practices;
  • the supervisor is an unlicensed social worker who is employed in, and provides supervision in, a setting exempt from licensure and has equivalent qualifications;
  • the supervisor is a social worker engaged in authorized social work practice in a state or province surrounding Minnesota; or
  • the licensee is engaged in authorized social work practice outside of Minnesota and the supervisor meets equivalent qualifications

Supervision Documentation

  1. Supervision Plan Form (Non-Clinical or Clinical)
    • Based on their scope of practice, supervisees must submit a Non-Clinical or Clinical Supervision Plan form no more than 60 days after beginning a social work position and a revised form if there is a substantial change from the approved plan.
    • Non-Clinical Supervision Plan
  2. Supervision Verification Form (Non-Clinical or Clinical)
    • Based on their scope of practice, supervisees must submit a Non-Clinical or Clinical Supervision Verification form
      1. at the time of license renewal and
      2. when applying for an LISW or LICSW.
    • Non-Clinical Supervision Verification

Board of Social Work Forms