This information was obtained from Florida’s Department of Health’s website:
To be licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in Florida you must have:
1. A master’s degree in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited school of social work.
2. Completed 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours in theory of human behavior and practice methods as courses in clinically oriented services, including a minimum of one course in psychopathology. Courses not considered to be clinically oriented are: policy, administration, organization and communities.
3. A supervised field placement that was part of the applicant’s master’s program, during which the applicant provided clinical services directly to clients.
4. Two (2) years of post-master’s supervised experience under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker.** The supervision experience must have consisted of at least 1,500 hours providing psychotherapy face to face with clients for the profession for which licensure is sought, and shall be accrued in no less than 100 weeks. At least 100 hours of supervision per 1,500 hours of psychotherapy face to face with clients provided by the intern; At least one (1) hour of supervision every two (2) weeks; at least one (1) hour of supervision per fifteen (15) hours of psychotherapy, with a minimum of one (1) hour of supervision every two (2) weeks. If the applicant obtained group supervision, each hour of group supervision must alternate with an hour of individual supervision. Individual supervision is defined as one supervisor supervising no more than two (2) interns and group supervision is defined as one supervisor supervising more than two (2) but a maximum of six (6) interns in the group.
5. Passed the national clinical level examination developed by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).
6. Completed an eight-hour laws and rules course from a board approved provider.
7. Completed a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from a board approved provider.
8. Completed a three hour HIV/AIDS course and two hour domestic violence course from a board approved provider within six months of licensure.
**Licensure by Endorsement for CSW/MFT/MHC
- If you cannot document two year’s of postmaster’s supervised experience by a qualified supervisor and you hold an active valid license to practice and have actively practiced the profession for which licensure is applied in Florida for 3 of the last 5 years immediately preceding licensure, you are eligible to apply by endorsement. This will exempt you from meeting the post-master’s supervised experience requirement.
This is the end of the information obtained on Florida’s Department of Health’s website. Always recheck for updated information.
Attorney Lars Soreide, of Soreide Law Group, PLLC, will represent you in front of the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work regarding licensing issues. To speak to an attorney, please call: (888)760-6552 or visit our website at: ww.floridaprofessionallicense.com.