NJ LCSW requirements: from LSW to LCSW in New Jersey

What the LCSW needs

• A master's in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (or in candidacy), or a doctorate in social work
• 12 graduate credits in clinical social work practice methods, not counting field placement: diagnosis and assessment, models of psychotherapy, clinical supervision and consultation, or work with special populations (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1(b)3)
• The supervised clinical experience below, certified by your supervisor and completed no more than five years before you apply (4.1(b)4)
• Experience gained while you held an LSW, or in a setting where a license isn't required under N.J.S.A. 45:15BB-5 (4.1(b)6)
• A pass on the ASWB Clinical exam
• A criminal history background check; the Board's letter after you apply says how

The 3,000 hours

The regulation asks for 3,000 hours of work experience under direct supervision, after your master's degree in social work, completed in no less than two years and no more than four (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1(a)).

The Board's Documentation form splits them into three sections:

• A. Face-to-face clinical client contact in clinical assessment and clinical consultation: up to 960 hours are accepted toward the 1,920
• B. Psychotherapy (psychotherapeutic counseling): at least 960 hours
• C. Non-clinical hours, which can include time in supervision and other social work services: at most 1,080 hours

How long it takes

At least two years and no more than four, by the regulation. As arithmetic, 3,000 hours over 104 weeks is about 29 hours a week.

The form asks for the total months of supervised experience (a minimum of 24) and says not to include significant gaps. The Board doesn't define a significant gap; if you had a long break, ask the Board how to count it.

Then apply within five years of finishing: the experience must have been completed no more than five years before you submit your application (4.1(b)4).

If you began before September 17, 2018

If you began clinical social work experience under supervision before September 17, 2018, 1,920 hours of face-to-face client contact complete the requirement (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1(c); the Board's FAQ).

Do client sessions by video count as face-to-face?

We haven't found the Board's answer. The regulation's definitions don't define “face-to-face”, and the Board's FAQ answers questions about supervision by video, not about sessions with clients. Ask the Board before counting video or phone sessions toward the 1,920 or the 960.

Supervision

At least one hour of face-to-face individual or group clinical supervision every week. Individual supervision by HIPAA-compliant live video can count for no more than half of your supervision hours, apart from the Board's waivers for 2020 to 2024 (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(b)).

NJ LCSW supervision: the weekly hour, video and the Board's waivers

Who can supervise

Your supervisor must be:

• Licensed as an LCSW by New Jersey
• Clinically licensed as an LCSW for at least three years, not necessarily all in New Jersey (the Board's motion of May 8, 2024, as its FAQ states it)
• Completed at least 20 continuing education credits in clinical supervision approved by the Board; a SIFI course doesn't count (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(b))

Where you can gain the hours

• Not through a private practice you own, wholly or in part (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(a)); you may work or volunteer at a private practice owned by a healthcare professional licensed to provide clinical mental health services
• If no supervisor is available where you work, an outside supervisor with your employer's written, notarized consent on letterhead (8.1(i); the Board's FAQ), and each client's written consent to share records or other documents with that supervisor (8.1(i)1)
• The supervisor refers the clients to you, unless you work for an agency and have outside supervision under 8.1(i); the supervisor or the supervisor's employer receives the fees clients pay for your services; and your relationship with the supervisor can't violate the conflict-of-interest rule in N.J.A.C. 13:44G-10.4(b) (8.1(b)5 to 7)
• Working outside New Jersey: your supervisor must still be a New Jersey LCSW who meets the requirements above, and the Board recommends a Proposed Plan before you start (the Board's FAQ)

The Clinical exam comes after the hours

The Board's FAQ: “All supervision hours as stated in N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1 (a) must be completed prior to examination.” Since February 1, 2021, the Board approves you for the ASWB Clinical exam only once your clinical hours are complete.

Applying for the LCSW

• The online LCSW application and the $75 application fee (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-14.1)
• An official transcript, sent by your school
• A Documentation of Supervised Clinical Experience form for each supervisor, job title and location, signed by you and your supervisor, with the supervisor's 20-hour course certificate, the supervisor's resume or CV, the supervisor's separate sheet describing the direct clinical services you provided (the form's section 5 note), the official HR job description, and your employer's letter if your supervisor was outside your agency
• The Board estimates about four to six weeks for its first review, which ends in a letter listing anything missing and your background check instructions, with your exam approval if your documents for it are complete
• Once you pass, the initial clinical license fee is $160 ($80 in the second year of the two-year cycle)

New Jersey's Documentation of Supervised Clinical Experience form, explained