A Guide to Social Worker Certification in New York

Something that every New Yorker can feel good about is the fact that all licensed social workers in the Empire State have earned a master’s degree and passed stringent testing requirements to get the job.

But social work covers an immense field of practice. For every way that big systems grind the little guy under their wheel, for every shade of color or class that sparks discrimination, and for every misfortune or abuse that can happen in human society, there’s an opportunity for social workers here in New York to get involved.

All of that depth of complexity and knowledge is too much to expect any single social worker to absorb, let alone pass a test on. So licensure in New York and other states is more like a baseline.

To show real niche expertise, social workers all over New York turn to specialized professional certifications.

Social Work Certification Explained – Clearing Things Up About the Role and Reason for New York Social Workers to Become Certified

What Social Worker Certification Is and Isn’t …

Certification is not a requirement. Certification is a purely voluntary step that social workers can take to have their professional capabilities assessed by independent national organizations, namely the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
In New York, social worker certification is separate from the state-issued LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) or LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) licenses you get from the NYSED Office of the Professions, which you do need to legally practice in the state.

You’ll often hear the term “license plus” used in the field, which refers to licensed social workers who took the extra step to also earn national certification as a way to make themselves more marketable.

Certification is different from an educational certificate in social work, which is a short course sequence offered by a college or university to give you specialty training in a niche area of social work or to fill gaps in knowledge and coursework.
The most Widely Recognized Social Work Certifications Come from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), but it’s not the only certifying body. Founded in 1955 through a merger of seven different national and specialist groups of social work advocacy organizations, today NASW represents the largest collective of active social work professionals in the world. That gives it plenty of weight when it comes to assessing and recognizing the expertise of its members.
General social work professional certification independently assesses both knowledge and ability. It’s a representation of having met nationally recognized standards for professionalism and ethics in social work practice.
Specialized certification takes a deeper look at more niche capabilities and specialist knowledge, and gives employers and clients a widely recognized seal of approval that you are an expert in your field of practice. Under the big tent it draws in individuals who focus on homelessness, specialize in working with immigrants and marginalized minority populations, or who have expertise in navigating the complex web of New York healthcare subsidies and insurance markets.

The Right NASW Certification Category and Level for Your Career Goals in New York

Certification is a significant commitment, particularly in a place like New York, where it often seems that the problems are coming in faster and faster every day.

So getting the right certification on your radar is step number one.

NASW offers certifications that are categorized into 10 different roles:

Leadership

Addictions

Case Management

Clinical

Education

Gerontology

Health Care

Hospice & Palliative

Military

Youth & Family

As you can see, within each of those categories, there can be one or more certification levels. These usually fall into three sub-categories, based on qualifications:

Certified or Qualified - Basic level, sometimes with a different title… for example, the basic gerontology certification is called just Social Worker in Gerontology, while the certification for clinical social workers is called the Qualified Clinical Social Worker. In some categories, this can be achieved with only a BSW degree.
Clinical - A specialized clinical practice credential, that requires you to first hold LCSW licensure, proving that you have training and experience in a clinical role. Clinical social worker certification is valuable in other practice areas outside of strictly clinical evaluations and counseling.
Advanced - The top-level certification, always requiring a Master of Social Work degree and a greater level of both education and on-the-job experience.

Not every category has every certification level, and not all certification levels have the same requirements across specialties.

Some certifications cross over between categories… for instance, the Certified Clinical Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs Social Worker credential exists in both Addictions and Clinical categories.

School Social Work Certification in New York Is Required for Educational Practice

While certification for most clinical social workers in New York is a voluntary bonus credential, there is one area of practice where it’s a must: school social work.

While NASW offers a Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS) credential, that’s not the same thing as a New York state social work certification to work in educational settings.

On top of an LCSW or LMSW license, NYSED (New York State Education Department) rules require that every school social worker hold a school social worker certification from the Office of Teaching as well.

Unlike the other kinds of certifications discussed here, it’s a two stage process: you must immediately obtain a provisional school social worker certification before starting to work in schools. You’re eligible for that certification as long as you have an MSW… you can start work even before you complete your LMSW licensure.

There are, however, some additional steps that normal LMSW applicants don’t have to complete. School social workers have to receive a fingerprint clearance, and go through workshops covering school violence intervention and prevention and the Dignity for All Students Act in addition to the common child abuse identification course.

Provisional certification lasts for two years, during which you will need to earn your LMSW to become permanently certified.

The National Association of Social Workers also has 11 separate sections that align with their certification categories. Social workers can join these section member groups for access to everything from the latest research and publications to continuing education opportunities within the specialty.

What Exactly are the Qualifications for Social Worker Certifications?

While the exact requirements for each credential from NASW will vary, almost all of them stick to the same outline:

If you are in New York state, earning any NASW certification requires an MSW in practice, since there are no licensed social work jobs available at the BSW level.

Specialized Continuing Education - A specific number of post-graduate continuing education hours from a NASW-approved provider are needed. Some entry-level certifications don’t have this requirement, while others can satisfy it with proof that you earned a suitable concentration as part of your degree program.
Current Licensure - You must either hold a current license to practice in New York or have proof that you have achieved a passing score on the relevant ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards) examination.
Verified Practical Experience - You’ll need documented proof of actual supervised experience working with the population group or speciality area for the certification.
Ethics Qualification - Adherence to the NASW Code of Ethics, Standards for Continuing Professional Education, and any specific standards in the certification area is required.

In addition, the two leadership credentials, the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) and Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW), require that you be a current NASW member in good standing.

Renewal for ACSW is every year, and the DCSW must be renewed every three years. For the QCSW and all specialty credentials, renewal runs on a two year cycle.

Social Work Certification Important in New York Offered by Organizations Other than NASW

While NASW offers certification options for social workers in all the major areas of practice, if you are in a more niche part of the field, you might be looking to other organizations for your credentials.

These certifications fill the same purpose, but may have far different qualifications. In some cases, they may blur the lines between certificates and certifications. In those cases, a specific education program, run by the certification agency, is often part of becoming certified.

Otherwise, their requirement categories often mirror the NASW standards. You’ll need particular levels of education, extra study, on-the-job practice, and sometimes have to pass a specific test in the field.

In many cases, these certifications aren’t necessarily specific to social workers. They may be open to all kinds of different behavioral health or human services professionals.

Each professional cert has its own level of importance and respect in the field, often according to the relative strength or role of the organization that offers it.

It’s important to do your due diligence to make sure you are getting a legitimate certification and that it will offer the kind of career boost and assurance for clients that you are looking for.

There are too many possible certifications to catalog every one; with new social justice issues and new developments in human services, more pop up all the time. But here are a few of the more common types of social work certifications offered outside of NASW.

Forensic Social Work Certification

NAFC, the National Association of Forensic Counselors, offers a range of forensic treatment and counseling certifications social workers may be eligible for. Certification in forensic social work covers criminal justice practice areas that NASW certs don’t cover.

Financial Social Work Certification

The Center for Financial Social Work created the Certified Financial Social Worker credential in 2013 to empower social workers focusing on financial well-being. A number of other industry certs may be available to and useful for social workers, ranging from Certified Personal Financial Counselor to Certified Financial Therapist.

Oncology Social Work Certification

The OSW-C, or Certified Oncology Social Worker™, credential is offered by the Board of Oncology Social Work Certification. This can pair up with the medical social work certification or advanced palliative and hospice social work certification offered by NASW for more specific cancer care skills.

New York Resources to Help You Align Certification Options with Your Career Goals

The New York State Chapter of NASW (NASWNYS) is the natural place to start sorting through what social work certification credentials offer the most benefit to your career and to start building your qualification for earning them.

School social workers can turn to a different organization, the New York State School Social Workers’ Association. Since school social workers are an exception to the general rule that certifications aren’t required for practice authority here, it’s nice to have an organization that is devoted to helping you figure out the process.

Unlike licensure, which only applies to the state in which you hold it, professional certifications for social work are good everywhere in the country.

Even though certification doesn’t have any direct impact on state licensure in New York, this is not a state where you want to bring anything less than your very best to the world of social work. Legends are created here, and still preach and teach on the streets, at the universities, and in the halls of power in Albany.

Getting the right social work certification will bring you one step closer to standing side by side with those heroes and making your own mark for social justice in the state and in the world.