Effective July 1, 2020 The online application must be started BEFORE the results of the Criminal Record Check are received by LABSWE. If the board office receives the results of your background check and your application has not been started, you will be required to complete the background check process again. This includes resubmission of the fees associated with the background check. LABSWE is prohibited from storing the results of a background check for an individual who is not currently a social work applicant.
The Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners offers applications for Registered Social Worker, Licensed Master Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Each of the applications can be submitted online. In addition to submitting the online application, an applicant must submit an official transcript verifying their degree in social work and complete the state and federal background check. Additional documents may be requested/required upon review of the submitted application.
The deadline to have all application requirements, including the results of the background check, to the Board office is 7 days prior to the Board meeting date. Click here for current Board meeting dates.
Applicants must have every step completed on their application in order for the Board to review the application. Steps will be pending verification until approved. Once all your steps are marked as complete, except the Board review step, your application will be ready for Board review at the next meeting. Please allow 2-3 weeks for pending steps to be verified.
After review of the application by the Board, the Board review step will be marked as complete 5 – 10 business days following the meeting. Please continue to check your email and application for updates throughout the application process.
Online applications are valid for one year from the date received by the Board office. If all application requirements are not marked as complete by the one year deadline, the application will be considered a “no follow through”. The applicant will be required to resubmit the application/application fee, background check and possibly additional information in order to complete the application process.
CERTEMY STATUS KEY
Complete– step has been completed by applicant and is automatically approved
Pending Verification– step has been completed by applicant and is pending review and approval
Partially Completed– applicant has partially completed the step
Incomplete– applicant has not started step
Please click a link below to access the appropriate retake application:
After you complete each step on your retake application, your application will be pending until verified. Once each step is verified, you will then receive an email that your application is approved. Your retake letter will be uploaded into your Digital Wallet.
An official transcript, including the social work degree and date the degree was conferred, is required for all initial applications. For LCSW applicants who are current LMSWs or applicants who have a lapsed credential as of 2000, a new transcript is not needed as the Board office should have this information on file.
Universities may send official electronic transcripts directly to Blake Williamson at bwilliamson@labswe.org. Transcripts sent through email from applicants will not be accepted.
Any document required with an application shall be in the English language or accompanied by a certified translation into the English language.
As a condition of the board’s consideration of the application of a graduate of a foreign college or university, the applicant shall provide the board with a statement from the Council on Social Work Education that the applicant’s degree is equivalent to an accredited social work degree in the United States.
For LSP/FBI Applicant Privacy Notice, click here.
There are two options to complete the required background check; either in person at the La State Police Headquarters or by mail to the Board office. Please carefully review the instructions below on how to complete the background check for initial applications. Incomplete packets received by the Board office will not be submitted to the State Police until the entire packet is received. The processing times for background checks are approximately 1-2 weeks if completed in person and 6-8 weeks by mail from the date the LA State Police receives the information. The results will be sent to the Board office from the State Police once completed. These forms are also found on the Background Check step of your application.
Military-trained applicants and their spouses shall receive a temporary social work practice permit upon completion of the application submitted to the Board office. For eligibility, the military-trained applicant or spouse must submit a copy of the current orders, transfer or discharge showing honorable discharge from military service. For a military spouse, the orders will be required along with a copy of the applicant and military-trained spouse’s marriage certificate and an original notarized letter stating they are still currently married to the military-trained spouse or former military-trained spouse. Once this information is received, along with the completed application, a temporary social work practice permit will be issued for a maximum of 90 days from the date of issuance or until the Board meets to review the application.
Applicants who are endorsing their license(s) from another jurisdiction to Louisiana must complete the online application via endorsement for the credential that is equivalent to their current credential(s) held in the other jurisdiction(s). Along with all the other application requirements listed above, LABSWE will need a verification of the credential from each licensing board the applicant holds/held a license with. For LCSW endorsements, verification of supervision hours completed and the supervisor’s license verification is required. Below are the forms the applicant may submit to their Board(s) to complete and mail directly to LABSWE. If an ASWB examination was passed to receive the current credential, applicants must contact ASWB to send LABSWE an official score transfer report verifying the passing score. It is also required that the applicant submit the licensing law for each jurisdiction. This is the section of the law/statue that refers to the qualifications met to receive the credential(s) in the other jurisdiction(s). This can be found on most social work board websites. Applicants can upload the licensing law(s) on their application under the Verification of Licensure step.