Florida Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Guide - 2024

Florida Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensing Process

If you want to work in a clinical setting without direct supervision, you can become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Then, you can oversee group, individual, and family therapy sessions and help with mental health issues.

Education Requirements

You must earn a master’s degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program. First, select an accredited master’s in social work degree program in Florida. You can search through in-person and online options to find the right program for your situation. Once you find a program, apply and begin working toward your degree.

After you graduate, the school will need to email your transcripts to MQA.491@FLHeatlh.gov. Then, the board can review them along with the rest of your application package.

Experience Requirements

You will need at least two years of supervised work experience after completing your master’s degree. The post-master’s experience must include at least 100 hours of supervision in no fewer than 100 weeks. You also need to spend at least 1,500 hours working face-to-face with psychotherapy patients and undergo an hour of supervision every two weeks.

After completing your experience requirements, your supervisor will need to fill out and submit the Verification of Clinical Experience form. Then, the supervisor can email the form to info@floridasmentalhealthprofessions.gov.

Advanced Standing Letter

Your school must provide an advanced standing letter if you meet the criteria. The letter should include all bachelor’s level coursework that was completed to fulfill courses at the master’s level but not required. You can use the Education Worksheet for Clinical Social Work to determine which courses to include.

Practicum

You will gain quite a bit of field experience during your master’s degree program. In order to receive your license, you must have a school official verify the field experience, practicum, or internship.

Examination Requirements

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) oversees the national exam. You can register for the exam on the ASWB website. You’ll need to pay the $260 exam fee when registering online.

Background Check Requirements

The state will run a background check on you based on the information in your application. If you are unsure if you can obtain al incense based on your previous history, review the conviction record guidelines for applicants for licensure for more information.

Licensure Process

You can apply online via the MQA Online Services portal. The portal will prompt you to upload documents when applying. You’ll also need to pay the $180 fee with your application.

You’ll receive a file number once you submit your application. You can use it to track your application as it moves through the systems. These applications generally take 10-12 days to process but can take up to 30 days.