Compliance Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL LCSWA’s
IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE DURING YOUR ASSOCIATES STATUS

1. License and information packet: Upon issuance of your LCSWA license, you will receive a packet of information (license packet) along with your license. Please read all information thoroughly to have a clear understanding of the responsibilities and expectations associated with your license.
2. Supervision: Supervision must be in place before you begin clinical practice. Without specific written approval from the Board, supervision must be provided by an LCSW with a MSW degree and two years of post LCSW clinical practice experience, AND who is in good standing with this Board. Supervision must meet the requirements established in the NC Statutes and Rules. With your LCSW Supervisor, review all materials; complete the Position Statement on Clinical Supervision, and submit the signature page along with your signed Emergency Crisis Plan as outlined in the Supervision Manual [available on the website at www.ncswboard.gov ]. You will not receive an acknowledgement or reply from the Board office. Please maintain copies for your records.
3. Employment & Private Practice: An Employment Verification form must be submitted for each place of employment and must include an attached job description. Please be advised that the Board strongly discourages independent private practice during the associate licensure period, and will closely examine any request for permission to practice outside the structure of a public agency. If you are in a private practice setting, you must submit the Private Practice Approval documents on the Board’s website to demonstrate compliance with the NC General Statutes and Rules.
4. Continuing Education: Upon receipt of your license, you should begin exploring and participating in continuing education activities that are designed to enhance your professional skills. The Board allows discretion in selecting attended training events, provided they satisfy the guidelines set forth in the Administrative Code [21 NCAC 63.0401], but mandates that distance education courses must be offered by pre-approved providers [ASWB-ACE or NCSWNC are the only Board approved providers for distance education.]
5. Report to the Board every Six Months: Review the dates assigned to you for reporting your practice to the Board. Note them on your calendar to remind you of when to submit your LCSWA Six-Month Review form to the Board. Each should be submitted in a timely manner on or near the assigned date. [Reporting to the Board every 6 months is required by law and failure to do so may result in action being taken against your license.]

• If you have more than one employer, an Employment Verification form must be on file with the Board office for each place of employment, including an attached job description.
• If you have more than one employer you must submit a Six-Month Review form for each place of employment.
• If you have not engaged in clinical practice during the review period, you are still required to report to the Board by submitting the LCSWA Six-Month Review form indicating that you were not engaged in clinical practice during the review period. No supervisor evaluation is required if you have not engaged in clinical practice.
• You MUST maintain appropriate clinical supervision until you have been issued the LCSW license.

The original signature LCSWA Six-Month Review must be received into the Board office. DO NOT FAX or send electronic copies. They will not be processed and are an added expense to the Board.

You will not be notified in writing upon completion of our review; unless additional information is required or compliance concerns are noted. You and your supervisor should retain copies of your review forms submitted for accrual of your supervision hours and clinical practice hours. While you are not required to submit a case narrative to the Board with the Six-Month Review document, you are required to prepare a narrative for review with your supervisor. This narrative shall be retained by the supervisor and available to the Board upon request.

Please do not contact the Board office to check on receipt of your information. If you wish to know whether or not materials were received in the office, please send them by traceable mail (FedEx, certified mail, delivery confirmation, etc.). We receive hundreds of calls every day and we are happy to answer questions and field queries; however, telephone requests to check on receipt of information delays all other processing.

6. Change of Supervisor/Employment:  If you change employment, please submit an updated Employment Verification form and job description. If you change supervisors at any time during your Associate licensure period, you are required to submit a newly signed position statement providing the supervisor’s information. An updated Emergency crisis plan should be submitted for any change in employment and/or supervision.
7. Renewal of the LCSW Associate license: LCSW Associate licensees will need to renew their LCSWA license prior to their two year ending date to avoid any lapse in licensure. Prior to the two year ending date, you will need to obtain the LCSWA Renewal Affidavit from the Board’s website to list the required continuing education and submit to the Board with the renewal fee.
8. Clinical Exam required: All LCSW Associate licensees must document two years of clinical practice to the Board prior to being granted examination eligibility. Once you have completed two years of clinical practice, you may submit the Clinical Exam Request form available on the Board’s website with the $40.00 processing fee (money order or certified check) and a six-month review form. Upon receipt, the Board will review the documentation submitted to ensure two years of clinical practice has been completed and will then provide further information regarding registration with ASWB and paying for the examination ($260.00 due to ASWB upon registering). You may submit this form with your LCSWA Renewal IF you have documented two years of clinical practice at that time.

In the event of an unsuccessful examination, the processing fee and exam fee must be paid for each subsequent examination. ASWB requires that you wait 90 days between testing attempts.

9. Moving from LCSWA to LCSW: When you have completed all requirements for LCSW [Two full years (24 months) with 3,000 hours of supervised clinical practice, with a minimum of 100 hours of supervision, and passed the ASWB Clinical exam], you may submit the LCSW Short Form application, $145 application fee, documentation of required CE activity, and your final 6 month review. You must continue to maintain supervision until the LCSW license has been issued.