As an aspiring social worker, studying toward your Bachelors in Social Work, you may already know that once you obtain your professional license, you will be required to pursue continued education (CE) to maintain your credentials.
For example, in South Carolina, licensed social workers are required to complete 40 hours of continued education biannually. At least a half of those hours must be provided by a trained social worker but up to 12 hours may be transferred from a surplus occurred during a prior renewal.
So where and how does one go about getting their continued social work education?
The good news is that in South Carolina, CE requirements can be completed through home study, and there are plenty of virtual and face-to-face recourses social workers can use to continue their professional development. Here are a few examples:
NASW Professional Education Center
Launched by the National Association of Social Workers, this center provides online education for professionals in social work and human services. Courses are offered in a variety of formats including webinars, webcasts, podcasts and presentations, and are available 24 hours a day. New courses are added regularly and cover many practice areas such as gerontology, poverty, children services, policy, health and wellness among others.
NASW Chapters and Events
For those who are members of their local NASW chapters, there is often an opportunity to attend a local chapter or state event. Such events are known for offering continuing education opportunities through various workshops.
NASW Lunchtime Series
This monthly lunch hour webinar provides an update on the latest issues that the NASW is working on. For those that may not be able to spare their lunch hour, a transcript and an audio recording of the webinar is also offered through NASW’s website. To earn a continuing education unit (CEU), NASW members must complete an online test for the select webinar.