Board of Social Work Examiners FAQs Applying for Social Work Licensure Application Fees Selecting an Application Current License Processing Time Supervision MFT and LPC for clinical Supervision Supervisor Job Changes During Supervision Professional Reference – Supervisor Requirements Supervisor Providing Both Supervision and a Reference Continuing Education Earning CE Credit for Instructing a Course Limits on Daily Contact Hours Maintaining CE Course Records and Certificates Proof of CEUs and Work Experience for Licensure by Credentials Synchronous/Live CE Requirement Other Questions Contacting a Board Member Clients in Alaska Customer Contact Form Application Fees Fees associated with applications are determined by the division and are subject to change. The most current fees are listed within each application listed HERE. Selecting an Application Alaska social work license applications are divided by "exam" or by "credentials." Here's how to determine which application you need: Do you hold an equivalent license in another state? Have you passed the ASWB exam (bachelor's, master's, or clinical) at the level for which you are applying? If yes to both - apply "by Credentials" For all other applicants, apply "by Exam." Current License Processing Time The duration of the license process can vary depending on the applicant and their diligence in submitting the required forms as complete and correct. Once the application and all supporting documentation is reviewed by the licensing examiner and the packet is determined complete, it will be forwarded to the board for review. Should the application contain professional fitness items for review, the application will not be complete until the investigative review has concluded. The Board of Social Work reviews applications via an online platform twice a month and during regularly scheduled board meetings. An applicant will be notified of the board’s decision upon receiving a quorum of votes. If a board member requests to discuss an application with the rest of the board, that application will be tabled until the next scheduled board meeting and the applicant notified. Applicants are advised to expect a minimum of 6 weeks to process an application with no guarantee that the application will be completed in this timeframe. For example, the requirements for an Alaskan LCSW include (but are not limited to): A Masters or Doctorate degree in Social Work from a CSWE accredited university A minimum of two (2) years of postgraduate clinical social work full-time employment (or 3,000 hours of part-time employment) under the supervision of an LCSW, PsyD, or psychiatrist. 100 hours of face-to-face supervision with your clinical supervisor. MFT and LPC for Clinical Supervision Receiving postgraduate clinical social work supervision from a licensed marital and family therapist (LMFT) or licensed professional counselor (LPC) requires pre-approval before supervision takes place. You must submit the Alternate Supervision form (#08-4944), detailing a justifiable reason as to why a licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychologist or Psychiatrist wouldn’t be able to provide your supervision. The form/request must be voted on and approved by the board prior to counting supervision hours with the alternate supervisor. Any hours received prior to approval will not count towards licensure in accordance with 12 AAC 18.115(e). Supervisor Job Changes During Supervision Upon conclusion of your hours with any supervisor, complete the postgraduate clinical social work supervision form with your supervisor. If you would like to continue supervision with your supervisor who is now employed by a different agency, obtain a written release from your employer approving your supervision arrangement and submit this release with your completed supervision forms. Professional Reference - Supervisor Requirements When obtaining your three (3) professional references, the board requires references from your current and previous supervisor. These supervisors do not need to hold a license – they can be any individual who held a position above you in a supervision capacity while you were employed as a social worker. Your third professional reference must be a mental health practitioner outlined in the Social Work Statutes and Regulations under 12 AAC 18.130(b). Examples include: Master's or doctorate degree social worker Licensed psychological associate ro clinical psychologist Licensed medical or osteopathic physician Licensed APRN with a mental health specialty Licensed registered nurse with a master's degree in psychiatric nursing LMFT or LPC Supervisor Providing Both Supervision and a Reference Clinical level applicants only: The supervisor who signed off on your postgraduate clinical social work supervision form may also provide one of your three required professional references. Note, that supervisor must complete both the supervision form and a professional reference form. 1) offered by a professional organization and 2) contributes to social work competence. If you are unsure if a specific course satisfies 1 & 2 listed above, review 12 AAC 18.220 for more details. Earning CE Credit for Instructing a Course You may receive CEU credit the first time you teach the class or course for a maximum of 10 contact hours in accordance with 12 AAC 18.220(b)(8). Limits on Daily Contact Hours 12 AAC 18.210(e) allows a maximum of 12 hours of continuing education per day. CE hours in excess of 12 in a single day will not be counted. Maintaining CE Course Records and Certificates Licensed social workers are required to maintain records for each continuing education course completed for at least three years, per 12 AAC 18.230. The board may request this documentation for audit purposes. You are not required to send us copies of your CE certificates when renewing your license unless you have been selected for an audit or are under a consent agreement. Each renewal period of licensees are randomly selected for audit. If audited, you will be required to send in copies of your documentation. Proof of CEUs and Work Experience for Licensure by Credentials When applying "by credentials" you can satisfy the continued competency requirements in one of two ways. First, if you passed the ASWB exam (at the level for which you are applying) within two years of the date of your application, submit a score transfer request to ASWB requesting your scores be sent to Alaska. Second, if you passed the exam more than two years prior to the date of your license application, you must submit verification of work experience and documentation of continuing education. Additional information and forms may be found in the specific application for the license for which you are applying. Synchronous/Live CE Requirement NEW (2024): All social workers are required to submit 10 hours of "live, live online, or synchronous" training courses for renewal. These 10 hours can pertain to any subcategory (i.e. substance-use education, teletherapy practice, cross-cultural education/Alaska Native related, suicide education or general continuing education). Contacting a Board Member Board members contacted individually cannot respond on behalf of the Board, as the entire Board must have all discussions on the record in scheduled meetings. If you were to contact all Board members, this could be seen as a violation of the Open Meetings Act by the Board members. The best option for submitting inquiries to the Board is to email the Division at: SocialWorkExaminers@Alaska.Gov Clients in Alaska To see a client who resides in Alaska, a social worker must hold an active license in Alaska. AS 08.95.100 Customer Contact Form Fill out our Customer Contact Form for the fastest response. Return to Top