continuing education courses for social workers

Professional Development and Training

Social work is a dynamic profession, requiring you to stay current in the field, whether it’s applying the latest research, understanding a new regulation and its implications, maintaining your license or professional credential, or acquiring additional training to meet the needs of an aging population, for example. Look to the following resources to. . .

• grow and manage your career;
• maintain a practice of excellence; and
• better serve individuals, families, and communities.

Continuing Education Resource Center

The cornerstone of professional development is continuing your education. Increase your knowledge and skills by attending face-to-face continuing education programs, receive relevant and timely information about the clients and community you serve, or plan to complete an online course in the privacy of your home or office. All social workers need continuing education to enhance their career. Below are resources that provide you with the continuing education you need to enhance your professional skills:

• Continuing Education Portal The CE Portal is a national listing of quality continuing education offerings. A wealth of information at your finger tips where you can search by topic, location, and/or date. 
• NASW Chapters NASW Chapters connect you to NASW chapter/state annual conferences and local continuing education programs and activities. Review an NASW Chapter Web site where you live and work to access continuing education events and a network of colleagues.
• Online Courses NASW WebEd online courses educate social workers on today’s practice topics. Free CEUs can be used for licensure, NASW credential application and renewal, professional development, and can enhance social work curricula.
• Risk Management Workshops NASW Assurance Services, Inc. (ASI) offers risk management workshops with CEUs and online resources to reduce a social worker’s risk and exposure to an ethics complaint, licensing board complaint, or malpractice law suit. To learn more, visit the ASI Education Center .
• NASW Lunchtime Series NASW members can take advantage of one-hour live teleconferences and earn 1.0 free CEUs. Can’t make a teleconference, but still want to earn the CEU? Listen to the pod cast, download the audio file, or read the transcript later. The Lunchtime Series covers current topics of interest to social workers. Register to listen right away.
• NASW Specialty Practice Sections Teleconferences NASW Sections sponsor practice-based teleconferences exclusively for section members. The live teleconferences provide you with the opportunity to earn more free CEUs. The courses are available 24/7 by downloading the audio file or reading the transcript.

Professional Networking

Strengthen and grow your social work career through networking with your colleagues around the globe and in your community.

• Attend NASW Chapters face-to-face events to meet professional social workers in your community.

• Comment on the latest social work issues at socialworkblog.org
• Expand your list of professional contacts by joining NASW’s LinkedIn official group page .
• Friend NASW on our official Facebook group page and introduce yourself, post comments on our Wall, and add topics for discussion.
• Tweet  on NASW’s Twitter Feed
• Tune in to social work happenings on NASW’s YouTube Channel and comment on what you have seen and heard.

Read, Research and Write for the Social Work Profession

• Publications NASW Press is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences. It serves faculty, practitioners, agencies, libraries, clinicians, and researchers throughout the United States and abroad. Known for attracting expert authors, the NASW Press delivers professional information to hundreds of thousands of readers through its scholarly journals, books, and reference works.
• Research Review the NASW Web site Research Page that provides information on social work research to help inform policy, practice, and education; visit the NASW Center for Workforce Studies Clearinghouse , an on-line library for those searching for information about the social work workforce; read Social Work Speaks Abstracts to research policy issues related to the social work profession; and apply for the dataset to conduct research on the social work workforce to strengthen your knowledge of professional social work!
• Write for Your Profession Submitting content to www.HelpStartsHere.org , publishing for the NASW Press, and writing in the NASW Sections newsletters is a great way to inform and connect with like-minded colleagues, build an impressive portfolio of writing samples, and enhance your opportunities for leadership and advancement in the social work profession.

Advocating for social work and the clients/communities we serve is critical to securing the future of social work. 

• The Social Work Reinvestment Initiative is a collaborative effort comprised of leading social work organizations and other stakeholders committed to securing federal and state investments related to recruitment, training, retention and research that strengthen the social work profession and the communities it serves. 
• Grassroots advocacy teaches you how to take action on federal and state issues important to social workers.  The Grassroots Toolkit is a great resource for lobbying and contacting your members of congress.

A state social work license is. . .

• Issued to regulate the practice of social work
• Issued to protect the public
• Issued by and useful only in the jurisdiction (state) where the holder plans to practice. 

Licensing requirements vary from jurisdiction. Visit the state regulatory board directly or the Association of Social Work Boards , for a list of social work state licensing agencies or for a comparison of state regulations .

Credentials and Certifications

NASW credentials and certifications provide recognition to those social workers who have met national standards for higher levels of specialized knowledge, skills, and experience.  Credentials and certification enhance your state license and attest to your commitment to advanced social work practice.

Ethics and Best Practices

The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers.  NASW. Our Code of Ethics addresses:

Leadership Series Documents

Social work can be a very rewarding profession.  However, transforming passion for your profession into a vibrant and satisfying career is not always easy.    The NASW Leadership Ladders series is designed to assist social workers with successfully navigating their careers.  Whether you are new to the profession, a second-career professional or a mid-career professional, these tips will help you broaden your sphere of influence and take on the challenges that can catapult you to the next level in your career!

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Continuing Education

As a professional, you are committed to lifelong learning and a pursuit of the latest information, skills and interventions that will help you best meet the needs of the clients and communities you serve.  Whether you're required to have continuing education credits as part of maintaining your license, or simply desire more experience in the field, we are committed to providing all social workers with vital professional development resources and cutting-edge opportunities that strengthen your professional skills. Our members receive access to up-to-date info on NJ licensing regulations and preparation for licensure, certificate and CE programs, student services, and resources for clinical social workers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Continuing Education

Online learning.

Sometimes it is easiest to jump online and learn, we understand that. Throughout the year we offer both live online continuing education programs and a robust library of on-demand programs as well. You can register for the live programs through events page and search for on-demand programs through our online institute.

In Person Courses

Throughout the year we offer various in person courses, both at our chapter office and in the community--through partnerships with organizations and in your units. These courses are sometimes a few hours, while others are full day symposiums around a central topic. You can search for in person programs on the event page.

Who Recognizes These Programs for CE?

The New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, The New Jersey Department of Education Professional Development (Provider #705), The State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners (family therapists, professional counselors, rehabilitation counselors and alcohol and drug counselors) for license and certification renewal, The New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work. In addition, most states will accept programs offered through NASW-NJ for credit in other states.

How Many Credits Do I Need?

If you are an LCSW: An LCSW shall complete a minimum of 40 credits of continuing education, of which at least 20 credits shall be in courses or programs directly related to clinical practice, 5 credits must be related to ethics, 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency, and 1 credit must be related to prescription opioid addiction. If the LCSW earns more than 40 credits during a biennial period, the LCSW may carry a maximum of eight surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period; If you are an LSW: An LSW shall complete a minimum of 30 credits of continuing education, 5 of which must be related to ethics, 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency, and 1 credit must be related to prescription opioid addiction. If the LSW earns more than 30 credits during a biennial period, the LSW may carry a maximum of six surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period. If you are a CSW: A CSW shall complete a minimum of 20 credits of continuing education, 5 of which must be related to ethics, 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency, and 1 credit must be related to prescription opioid addiction. If the CSW earns more than 20 credits during a biennial period, the CSW may carry a maximum of four surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period. If an applicant initially obtains a license or certificate within the second year of a biennial license period (September 1, 2019 or later) the applicant shall complete not fewer than one-half of the minimum required credits of continuing education, 3 credits of which shall be related to ethics and 2 credits of which shall be related to social and cultural competency. An LCSW shall complete at least 10 of their 20 credits in programs which directly relate to clinical practice.

Recorded Workshops

Sometimes it is easiest to jump online and learn, we understand that. Throughout the year we offer both live webinars and a robust library of on-demand programs as well. You can register for the live programs through our events page and search for on-demand programs through our Social Work Online CE institute . 

Live Webinars

Throughout the year we offer live webinars around a variety of topics that are eligible for clinical, social/cultural and ethics credits. You can search for live webinars programs on the event page .

If you are an LCSW: An LCSW shall complete a minimum of 40 credits of continuing education, of which at least 20 credits shall be in courses or programs directly related to clinical practice, 5 credits must be related to ethics, 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency, and 1 credit must be related to prescription opioid addiction. If the LCSW earns more than 40 credits during a biennial period, the LCSW may carry a maximum of eight surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period.

If you are an LSW: An LSW shall complete a minimum of 30 credits of continuing education, 5 of which must be related to ethics, 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency, and 1 credit must be related to prescription opioid addiction. If the LSW earns more than 30 credits during a biennial period, the LSW may carry a maximum of six surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period.

If you are a CSW: A CSW shall complete a minimum of 20 credits of continuing education, 5 of which must be related to ethics, 3 credits must be related to social and cultural competency, and 1 credit must be related to prescription opioid addiction. If the CSW earns more than 20 credits during a biennial period, the CSW may carry a maximum of four surplus credits into a succeeding biennial period.

If an applicant initially obtains a license or certificate within the second year of a biennial license period (September 1, 2021 or later) the applicant shall complete not fewer than one-half of the minimum required credits of continuing education, 3 credits of which shall be related to ethics and 2 credits of which shall be related to social and cultural competency. An LCSW shall complete at least 10 of their 20 credits in programs which directly relate to clinical practice.

Professional Development

• Clinical Supervision
• Licensure Exam Institute
• Licensing in NJ
• CE Course Approval

Explore Live Courses Now!

On-Demand Webinars

Our most popular webinars are now available on-demand on the Social Work Online CE Institute. Earn your credits at your convenience from the comfort of your home, office, or your favorite study place.

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Continuing Education

Ce approval.

NASW ME can provide certification for organizations and individuals seeking Continuing Education (CE) approval for trainings, workshops, and conferences. For additional information and an application form, please contact NASW ME Program Coordinator, KC Beaupain, at [email protected].

Upcoming Online Training Opportunities

New Hampshire

You can also view upcoming events on our events calendar!

Recorded Webinars

Social Work Symposium Webinar

Ethics webinar - Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice: Boundary Crossings and Boundary Violations

How to Develop an Effective Antiracist Lens Within your Clinical Practice

At every career stage, social workers are ethically required to stay informed of new research and practice techniques to better serve their clients and constituents. NASW is committed to helping our members meet their professional development needs through credentials, training courses, newsletters, consultations, employment information, job search tools, and publications.

Continuing Education

Specialty Practice Sections

Credentials & Certifications

CE Approval Program

Career Center

Find Social Work Jobs

Career resources.

Practice Standards & Guidelines

These documents describe the services that social workers should provide, employers should support and consumers should expect.

NASW Press is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences, offering journals, books, and reference works to enrich your professional knowledge.

Fighting Burnout

Hear from members about resources to manage and avoid burnout.

Social Work SmartBrief

Sign up for this free e-newsletter for a daily round-up of the top media stories affecting the social work profession.

Social work is the helping profession

Learn more about the opportunities that a career in social work offers

New & Experienced Social Workers Share Tips for Career Advancement

Get insights that can help develop your career

Social Work Online CE Institute

Find hundreds of NASW-accredited continuing education (CE) courses in a variety of formats. NASW members receive discounted prices.

Join this online community to connect with peers and to gain insight into real work challenges you're facing today.

Career Development Webinars

NASW members, watch videos for tips on using LinkedIn, creating your personal brand, job search and interview strategies and more.

Membership Is Powerful