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Continuing Education Requirements

Oregon BLSW Oregon Administrative Rule 877-025-0001 states “a regulated social worker must complete and report continuing education according to the requirements of OAR 877, Division 025…" This rule excludes CSWA certificate holder and the FIRST renewal for LCSW, RBSW, and LMSW license holders.


Important Reminders 

  • You do not need to complete any continuing education if this is your first renewal or you are a CSWA. 
  • Your continuing education can only be entered once and cannot be used for consecutive years. 
  • All continuing education requirements for regulated social workers are due no later than their renewal date (last day of a licensee's birth month).
  • A licensee's continuing education reporting period begins the first day of the month following their renewal date and goes through the last day of their current renewal month. 
    • For example: a June 2026 renewal with a July 2025 expiration date will be able to submit continuing education certificates from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026. 
  • All licensees that have a license on "Inactive status" do not need continuing education to renew their license. 

For additional information about the renewal process and status changes, please refer to the Renewals and Status Change page.



Continuing Education Requirements by License Type

Use the buttons below to help you find which continuing education requirements you need for your license or certificate type. 

How long until I renew?
Renew your license every year by your renewal date (last day of your birth month). ​
Continuing Education
None required
Carryover Eligible?
Does not apply

How long until I renew?

Renew your license every two years by your renewal date (last day of your birth month). ​

Continuing Education
40 hours including 6 Ethics and 6 Cultural Competency
Carryover Eligible?
Up to 10 general CE hours

How long until I renew?

Renew your license every two years by your renewal date (last day of your birth month). 

Continuing Education
30 hours including 4 Ethics and 4 Cultural Competency
Carryover Eligible?
Up to 10 general CE hours

How long until I renew?

Renew your license every two years by your renewal date (last day of your birth month). ​

Continuing Education
20 hours including 3 Ethics and 3 Cultural Competency
Carryover Eligible?
Up to 10 general CE hours

How long until I renew?

Renew your license every two years by your renewal date (last day of your birth month). ​

Continuing Education
20 hours including 6 Ethics and 6 Cultural Competency
Carryover Eligible?
Not eligible

IMPORTANT: If your license is on inactive status, you do not need to submit any continuing education to renew your license. 

How do I enter my continuing education? A guide.

To enter your continuing education in your Licensee Portal, please follow the steps below:

  1. Log into the Licensee Portal.
  2. Click on the Continuing Education tab to the left of your dashboard screen.
  3. Add a new Continuing Education plan.
  4. Enter each continuing education activity individually, please make sure that the following is included in each entry and on each completion certificate:
    1. Your name
    2. Full title of the course
    3. Date course was completed (if completed over multiple days, enter last the day)
    4. Credentialing Body (See list of Approved Credentialing Bodies)
    5. Number of CE Credit Hours
    6. Type of Continuing Education (Ethics, Cultural Competency or Clinical) 
      1. Board staff may request the type of continuing education be indicated on the certificate if it is not found in the title of the certificate. 

Oregon BLSW has found that the best practice for entering continuing education is to enter the training activity as it is completed. 

Since the Oregon BLSW licensing system will keep count of all CE activities entered over a two-year renewal period and can act as a filing system to help keep track of all CE activities completed throughout your renewal period. 


Types of Continuing Education

We are able to accept the following types of continuing education for your renewal. Please click on each box to learn more about each type of continuing education, required documentation, and any limitations. 

Description
These must relate to your social work practice, be attended or read in person or online, and be provided or approved by a credentialing body the board recognizes.
Required Documents
Certificate of Completion
Limitations
None

Description
Training required by your place of practice and meets the Oregon BLSW CE requirements.
Required Documents
Certificate of Completion
Limitations
You can only use this type of CE for up to half of your required total CE.

Description
You can use social-work-related classes at an accredited colleges or universities count for CE. This includes graduate-level courses in mental-health fields such as social work, psychology, counseling, or education.
Required Documents
Transcripts can be uploaded in place of a certificate of completion.
Limitations
You can count 10 hours per quarter credit and 15 hours per semester credit. There is no cap to how many CE hours you can claim for college or university courses.

Description
These can be used if they are provided or approved by an approved credentialing body recognized by the Board.
Required Documents
Certificate of Completion
Limitations
None

Description
A study group can be used if 5-10 mental health professionals, meet for a minimum of one hour, and discuss a published, clinical-related book or article.
Required Documents
Sign in sheets can be uploaded in place of a certificate of completion.
Limitations
All study groups must be board approved before beginning. Hours cannot be backdated. You can use this type of CE for up to half of your required total CE.

Description
Anyone that teaches or presents a course or workshop (including a college or university course) that is approved for CE.
Required Documents
Certificate of Completion OR a letter from the director of the social work program.
Limitations
For presenters, you can count the same amount of CE hours that attendees received. For individuals, teaching college/university courses 1 semester credit=15 CE hours and 1 quarter credit=10 credit hours.

Description
You can use language classes taken at an accredited college or university if they help you better serve clients.
Required Documents
Transcripts can be uploaded in place of a certificate of completion.
Limitations
No more than 25% of your required total CE hours may come from language courses.

Description
If you provide supervision for social work practicum or internship students, you can count this as continuing education.
Required Documents
Certificate of Completion OR a letter from the director of the social work program that includes: your name, dates that you supervised and how many hours you supervised.
Limitations
You can only count up to 6 total CE hours per year. Partial credit can be counted if you only supervisor students for a partial year.


List of Accepted Credentialing Bodies

The following list of Board-accepted Credentialing Bodies is provided as a resource. Please use this list to verify that your continuing education has a credentialing body listed that is recognized by the Board. 

If you do not find the credentialing body you are looking for, then the Board does not accept CE through them. You may submit a Continuing Education Application.




Special Requirement Definitions


Ethics 

For a course to be considered for the Ethics requirement: it needs to be related to; Professional Boundaries, Confidentiality, Dual Relationships, Legal or Law courses, and Mandatory Reporting topics.

Please reference the Board of Licensed Social Workers Code of Ethics in OAR 877, Division 30 - Oregon Secretary of State Administrative Rules

Regulated social workers may also reference the NASW Code of Ethics. This is a set of standards that guide the professional conduct of social workers. It reflects the commitment to all social workers to uphold the professions values and to act ethically. 


Cultural Competency 

For a course to be considered for the cultural competency requirement, it should teach attitudes, knowledge and/or skills that enable you as a health care professional to communicate and care for your patients from diverse cultures, groups, and communities effectively (as defined by  OAR 950-040-0010(3)(b) and OAR 950-040-0020(6)(a-c)).

Examples of skills that would count include on or more of the following:

  • applying linguistic skills to communicate effectively with patients
  • using cultural information to establish a therapeutic relationship with a patient or patients
  • and/or eliciting, understanding, or applying cultural/ethnic data while providing clinical care



Continuing Education Audits

Under OAR 877-025-0021(3), the Board conducts routine, random audits to make sure social workers meet continuing education requirements. If you are selected for an audit, you must keep your completion certificates and other supporting documents for a minimum of 24 months and provide them to the Board if asked. 

During an audit, staff compare your submitted certificates to the continuing education activities you reported. 

You can help ensure a smooth review by confirming the following before you submit: 

  • You have the required total amount of CEs, including ethics and cultural competency
  • Each certificate shows your name and license number
  • Full name of the course
  • Date the course was completed
  • Approved credentialing body (see approved credentialing body list)
  • Number and type of CE credits received

If your renewal is selected, please allow 10 business days for staff to review your materials. Staff will contact you directly if your audit does not pass. If everything is complete, you will receive an automatic email confirming your audit passed and your renewal will be approved. 



Does your continuing education certificate not list a credentialing body? 


Submit a Continuing Education Application.

OAR 877-025-0006 allows a licensee to submit up to 10 continuing education credits be approved by the Board using the Oregon BLSW Continuing Education Application below. 

Please make sure your application includes the following information and documents: 

  • Certificate of Completion - Needs to meet following requirements:
    • Each certificate shows your name and license number
    • Full name of the course
    • Date the course was completed
    • Number and type of CE credits received
  • An outline of the courses objectives and content
  • An explanation of how is this course relates to your social work practice
  • The presenter's credentials
  • Any other relevant materials from the course (brochures, syllabus, hand-outs, etc.)
If you have any additional questions about submitting an continuing education application, please contact our office at oregon.blsw@blsw.oregon.gov or via phone at 503-378-5735. Our office is open from 8 am - 4 pm PST. 


Oregon Administrative Rules about Continuing Education