NASW-TN CONTINUING EDUCATION APPROVAL PROGRAM

Would you like an opportunity to market your upcoming workshops and training to over 1,800 social workers throughout Tennessee?

All licensed and certified social workers in the state of Tennessee must verify with the Tennessee Board of Social Work Certification and Licensure that they have completed 15 hours of continuing education training each calendar year.  NASW TN Chapter offers organizations the opportunity to have the professional organization for social workers verify their training event meets the standards set by the Tennessee Board of Social Work Certification and Licensure.

The National Association of Social Workers – Tennessee Chapter (NASW-TN) views continuing education as an essential activity for ensuring quality social work services for clients. 

In this spirit, NASW-TN has developed a Continuing Education Approval Program to assist social workers in locating quality continuing education that is relevant to their professional practice.  The goal of this program is to establish a professional standard of excellence in organizations offering continuing education opportunities to social workers. NASW-TN is currently offering Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for workshops, seminars, conferences, and lectures meeting the criteria outlined in the Rules of the Tennessee Board of Social Work Certification and Licensure and NASW Standards for Continuing Professional Education.

Check the NASW-TN Chapter Calendar of Continuing Education for All Upcoming CEU Approved Continuing Education Events.

NASW TN Chapter has recently updated our Continuing Education Approval Program to better meet the needs of organizations.  All approved events will receive a complimentary website listing under the CEU Approval section of our website.  Organizations then are able to select which approval package best suits their needs.  NASW TN Chapter offers organizations several opportunities to reach not only NASW members but all licensed and certified social workers in Tennessee through website promotion, advertisements in several NASW TN publications and announcements sent to all NASW TN members.  Please contact our chapter office to discuss which package fits the needs of your event.

Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to reach out to Tennessee social workers by providing quality education events approved by the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. 

Please click here to download the CEU Approval Program Guidelines. 

Please click here to download the CEU Approval Program Application. 

Please click here to fill out the on-line form and to pay by credit or debit card.
All supporting documentation will have to me mailed to the NASW office: 50 Vantage Way Ste 250 Nashville, TN 37228.
If you need the Fast Track approval option, please call the NASW office (877) 810-8103.

Continuing Education as Defined by the Tennessee Social Work Licensure Board

Social Work continuing education is considered to be those pre-planned/formalized activities with written learning objectives that are directed at developing and enhancing an individual's social work knowledge base and service delivery skills in the areas of social work planning, administration, education, research, or direct service with individuals, couples, families, and groups.

Every social worker certified or licensed by the Board must complete fifteen (15) clock hours of continuing education each calendar year. The calendar year is defined as January through December. This documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of the calendar year in which the continuing education was acquired. This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested in writing by the Board during its verification process.

The board does not pre-approve continuing education programs. It is the CMSW/LCSW's responsibility, using his/her professional judgment and utilizing the guidelines provided within rule 1365-1-.12 to determine whether or not the programs are applicable and appropriate to his/her professional development and meet the standards specified within the rules.

ACCEPTABLE CONTINUING EDUCATION

• Consists of seminars, workshops, or mini-courses oriented to the enhancement of social work practice, values, skills, and knowledge for the purpose of accomplishing specific written learning objectives.
  • Cross-disciplinary offerings from medicine, law, administration, education and the behavioral sciences are acceptable if they are clearly related to the enhancement of social work practices, values, skills, and knowledge.
  • In-service training provided by the employer using presenters from the staff or from outside agencies.
  • Attendance at educational events sponsored by national, state, regional, or local professional associations in the field or events related to the practice of the profession for which a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education grants CEUs is acceptable.
• Master or doctoral level social work courses or social work related courses such as mental health, administration, health and social research, psychology, sociology, human growth and development, child and family development, counseling and guidance taken for credit or audited from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Presentations for the first time of an academic social work course, in-service training workshop or seminar, or other professional seminar.
• Preparation for the first time of a professional social work paper published in a recognized professional journal or given for the first time at a statewide or national professional meeting.

Continuing education credit will not be allowed for the following:

• Regular work activities, administrative staff meetings, case staffing/reporting, etc.
• Membership in, holding office in, or participation on boards or committees, business meetings of professional organizations, or banquet speeches.
• Independent unstructured or self-structured learning such as home study programs or college courses.
• Training specifically related to policies and procedures of an agency.
• Non-social work or non-clinical content courses - examples, computer, finance or business management.
  

REINSTATEMENT OR REACTIVATION OF A CERTIFICATE OR LICENSE

An individual whose certificate or license has been retired for one year or less will be required to fulfill continuing education requirements to reinstate the license. Those hours can not be counted toward future continuing education requirements.

Any individual requesting reactivation of a certificate or license which has been retired for more than one year must submit, along with the reactivation request, verification which indicates the attendance and completion of fifteen (15) contact hours of continuing education for the renewal period the license is to be reactivated. The continuing education hours must have been begun and successfully completed within twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date of the requested reinstatement.

No person's certificate or license which has been revoked for failure to comply with continuing education or nonpayment of renewal fees shall be reinstated until continuing education documentation and payment of all required fees is received in the Board's administrative office.

WAIVER OF CONTINUING EDUCATION

The Board may, at its sole discretion, grant a waiver of the need to attend and complete the required hours of continuing education if it can be shown to the Board that compliance was beyond the physical or mental capabilities of the person seeking the waiver. Waivers will be considered only on an individual basis and may be requested by submitting the following items to the Board's administrative office.

• A written request for a waiver which specifies which requirements are sought to be waived and a written and signed explanation of the reason for the request.
• Any documentation which supports the reason(s) for the waiver requested or which is subsequently requested by the Board. 

A waiver approved by the Board is effective only for the renewal period for which it is sought.

CONTINUING EDUCATION VERIFICATION PROCESS

Routinely, the Board conducts a random audit of selected individual records to assure that the continuing education requirements have been met. An individual's records may be audited during consecutive renewal periods. If audited the individual must within fifteen (15) working days of a request from the Board provide evidence of continuing education activities. Such evidence includes submission of one or more of the following:

• Certificates verifying the individual's attendance at acceptable continuing education programs.
  Continuing education program along with two or more of the following for each program submitted: original registration receipt, signed program canceled check (front and back), hotel bill, name badge, or an original letter on official stationery signed by a professional associate who attended.
• Original letter on official institution stationery from the instructor of the graduate level course verifying that the course was completed and listing the number of credit hours of attendance completed by the individual.
• Official transcript verifying credit hours earned. One academic credit hour is equivalent to 15 clock hours for the purpose of certification/licensure renewal. Credit for auditing will be for the actual clock hours in attendance, not to exceed the academic credit.
• Written documentation of training that is kept by the social worker's employer. When submitting evidence of CE, the documentation must include employer's name, address, and phone number along with the individual's name as registered with the board, certificate/license number, social security number, course name and clock hours of attendance. The CMSW/LSCW must sign the form as well as his/her supervisor or employer certifying that the program was monitored and the social worker was in attendance at all of the sessions listed.
• A copy of the course syllabus and verification that the course, workshop or seminar was presented may be used as documentation. A maximum of five clock hours will be allowed for preparation and presentation during each renewal cycle.

If a person submits documentation for training that is not clearly identifiable as appropriate continuing education, the Board will request a written description of the training and how it applies to the practice of social work. If the Board determines that the training cannot be considered appropriate continuing education, the individual will be given sixty (60) days to replace the hours not allowed. Those hours will be considered replacement hours and cannot be counted during the next renewal period.

The Board will not provide reminders concerning the continuing education requirement. If you have any questions concerning continuing education, please contact the Board office . Our toll free telephone number is 1-800-778-4123. Local callers may contact the Board by calling (615) 532-3202.

NOTE: Please refer to Rule 1365-1-.12 for additional continuing education information. A copy of the Board rules is provided with each application packet. If you have lost or misplaced your copy of the rules, you may obtain an additional copy by contacting the Board's administrative office.