Indiana Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)

How to Become a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) in Indiana

At an Indiana county health clinic, a hiring manager may delay your start date until your LBSW number is issued. That can determine whether you’re assigned cases or billed under certain programs.

In day-to-day practice, many employers use the LBSW to confirm you’ve met Indiana’s baseline education and testing standards for bachelor-level social work roles. It can also affect what you’re allowed to do on day one and how much oversight an employer expects, especially for documentation, referrals, or program eligibility.

The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) – Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board is the licensing authority for Indiana social work credentials. The sections ahead cover education, the required exam, what supervision typically means for LBSW practice boundaries, how to apply, and how renewal works in Indiana.

Educational Requirements

In an Indiana public school social work office, the LBSW education requirement confirms bachelor-level social work training so services are delivered under legally authorized, competency-based standards.

Degree level to plan for: bachelor

Indiana ties the LBSW to a bachelor’s degree in social work, and the Board’s LBSW application instructions reflect the state’s statutory degree language (including how Indiana recognizes CSWE accreditation/candidacy and CSWE foreign equivalency).

What the degree must be (and how Indiana defines “approved”)

Indiana’s LBSW application instructions summarize the core requirement this way: you must furnish evidence of a bachelor’s degree in social work from an eligible postsecondary institution that is accredited or approved for candidacy by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or approved by the board, or from a foreign program approved by the CSWE Foreign Equivalency Determination Service. Use this official application document as the cleanest “one-stop” reference for what the Board expects to see in transcripts and supporting materials.

• CSWE-accredited or CSWE-candidacy programs: confirm program status through CSWE accreditation.
• “Approved by the board” programs: if a program is not CSWE-accredited/CSWE-candidacy, the Board may still accept it if it meets the Board’s standards—verify acceptability using the Board’s posted resources and application instructions.
• International degrees: build in time for CSWE’s Foreign Equivalency Determination Service review, since it can extend how long it takes to complete an application.

Checklist to avoid education-related slowdowns

• Confirm the major is “social work,” not a related field: the requirement is specifically a bachelor’s degree in social work.
• Verify accreditation/candidacy timing: if the program’s status changed while you were enrolled, keep documentation showing its status at graduation.
• Use official transcripts: Indiana’s application instructions emphasize an official transcript sent directly from the school showing the degree and the conferral date.
• If educated outside the U.S.: start the CSWE equivalency step early to avoid holding up later licensing steps.

If you’re unsure whether a specific program fits Indiana’s “accredited/approved for candidacy/board-approved” wording, contact the Indiana PLA – Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board before submitting an application.

Examination Requirements

Indiana requires an exam as part of the Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) licensing process. Passing the exam demonstrates entry-level social work knowledge and helps the Board confirm readiness for professional practice.

What exam Indiana requires

Indiana’s official LBSW application instructions state that the Board has adopted the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelor level examination for LBSW licensure. That’s the safest way to describe the exam level without guessing or extrapolating beyond what Indiana’s own materials say.

• Exam: ASWB Bachelor level exam (as adopted by the Indiana Board for LBSW licensure).
• Purpose: measures entry-level competence across core social work content areas.
• Key takeaway: selecting the correct exam level matters—Indiana’s LBSW pathway corresponds to the ASWB Bachelor exam per the Board’s own application instructions.

Steps to register, get approved, and test

1. Start ASWB registration: begin through ASWB’s exam information page. ASWB exam registration information
2. Select the correct exam level: choose Bachelor when scheduling for an Indiana LBSW.
3. Match identity details exactly: keep the same legal name across ASWB registration and Indiana licensure materials (including middle initials, hyphens, and suffixes). If a name changed recently, gather supporting documentation early so records can be matched without delays.
4. Watch for Board review/approval: Indiana’s LBSW instructions explain that once your application is complete, it is reviewed and you’re notified whether you’ve been approved for the exam or whether more information is needed.
5. Schedule and sit for the exam: once eligible, pick a testing date/location and arrive with acceptable identification that matches registration details.

Avoid common exam-related delays

• Name mismatches: even small differences (nickname vs. legal name) can slow verification; keep everything consistent.
• Wrong exam level: registering for a non-Bachelor level can create rescheduling issues and additional fees; confirm “Bachelor” before checkout.
• Missing items in the application file: Indiana’s process can stall if the application is not “complete with all required documentation” before Board review—assemble transcripts and supporting documents before submitting.

If questions come up about Indiana’s exam requirement

Start with Indiana’s official LBSW application instructions and the Board’s program page, since those materials identify the adopted exam level and explain the review/approval flow. Indiana PLA – Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board

Supervision Requirements

In an Indiana county child welfare office, “supervision” is often less about logging licensure hours and more about keeping LBSW duties inside defensible role boundaries—especially when cases involve elevated risk, complex consent/confidentiality questions, or requests for clinical-level services.

What supervision usually means for LBSW practice safety

• Scope boundaries first: use supervision to clarify what the LBSW can do independently in your setting (case coordination, resource navigation, service planning support) versus what must be escalated for clinical decision-making.
• Escalation triggers: create a written “when to consult” list (risk of harm, mandated reporting questions, crisis safety planning, diagnostic or psychotherapy requests, complex boundary issues).
• Documentation that matches the role: charting should clearly reflect services provided and when higher-level review/approval occurred, so the record is consistent with how responsibility is shared in the workplace.

Indiana-specific note: don’t assume a post-degree supervised-hours requirement for LBSW licensure

Indiana’s LBSW pathway is driven by education, exam, and application requirements; it is common for employers to set internal supervision structures, but those workplace policies are not automatically the same thing as a state licensure-hours requirement. If a job posting mentions “supervision hours,” treat it as an employer structure unless Indiana’s published Board materials explicitly tie hours to LBSW licensure.

For supervision-related guidance in Indiana’s behavioral health and human services programs, start with the Board’s licensing information hub: PLA: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Information

Application Process

When starting work in an Indiana county child welfare office, the LBSW application gate runs through the state portal so education and exam steps can be verified for legal authorization and public protection.

Assemble the file before logging in

• Official transcript: Indiana’s LBSW instructions emphasize submitting an official transcript (sent directly from the school) showing the degree and conferral date.
• Exam plan: be ready for the ASWB Bachelor exam pathway identified in Indiana’s application instructions, including Board review/approval steps.
• Name consistency: ensure the name on your transcript, ASWB record, and application matches; mismatches commonly trigger follow-up requests and delays.

Order of operations (to avoid “incomplete” status)

1. Start the online application: create/access your account and begin the LBSW application in Indiana’s licensing system. Indiana PLA online licensing portal
2. Submit required documentation: follow the Board’s LBSW application instructions (transcripts, any required affidavits, and other supporting items) so the file can be treated as complete.
3. Complete the exam process: proceed with ASWB registration and the Indiana approval/testing workflow described in the LBSW instructions. ASWB exam registration information
4. Track requests and respond quickly: Indiana’s instructions note that incomplete files can trigger additional information requests, which can delay approval and licensure.

Common incompletes (and how to prevent them)

• Transcript issues: copies or transcripts issued to applicants may be rejected—use the official transcript method described in the Board’s instructions.
• Identity mismatch: ensure your application name matches the IDs needed for exam entry and the name on school records.
• Starting before documents are ready: partial submissions often lead to additional documentation requests and longer timelines; assemble the file first.