District of Columbia Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Guide - 2024

District of Columbia Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Licensure Process

You can provide a full range of both clinical and non-clinical social services without supervision with a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker or LICSW license. You can earn this after holding an LGSW license.

Educational Requirement

To become eligible for LICSW, you need to hold a master of social work, or MSW degree, from an accredited institution by the CSWE. Here you can find all schools offering social work degree programs in the District of Columbia.

A few programs are available in the District of Columbia. They have the same course curriculum required by social workers. The main difference between programs would be the specializations you can focus on and the available electives.

Experience Requirement

All applicants for LICSW are required to complete 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate clinical social work experience. You have to complete the work between two and four years. You also need to accrue 100 hours of face-to-face supervision.

Application Requirement

Upon completing the previous requirements, your application process involves completing and submitting the new license application form to the Board of Social Work along with the following supporting documents:

• Work Experience Form
• Two recent passport-sized photos
• Three character reference forms.
• Supervision documentation using the verification form and calculation worksheet
• Proof of payment of the licensure fee

Submit all the requirements in a single package to help expedite the process. The Board of Social Work will assess everything and, upon approval, will allow you to go to the next step.

Examination Requirement

Each candidate has to complete the ASWB Clinical Exam. The exam will test your knowledge of clinical practices, interventions, and methods for social work. There are a total of 170 questions. Your score is sent to the Board of Social Work directly.

Once you complete all the above steps and requirements, you are granted the LICSW license. It authorizes you to practice clinical and non-clinical social work in the district. You can also supervise other social workers who hold LSWA, LGSW, and LISW licenses.