What is a Clinical Social Work Associate certificate?
Oregon Administrative Rule 877, Division 20 allows for the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers to offer a Clinical Social Work Associate (CSWA) certification to anyone interested in completing the requirements for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license. This certification is the formal starting point for you to begin supervised clinical practice as a social worker in Oregon with the hope that it will help future social workers build the skills, post-MSW hours, and professional competence and standards required for licensure.
For requirements you need to meet to apply for the CSWA certificate, please check out our What License Should I Apply for? page.
How do I apply for a CSWA certificate?
After you have reviewed the What License Should I Apply for? page, you can begin your application using the Apply for a License page. You will find supplemental information and helpful instructions for how to submit the required items for your CSWA application.
If you find that you have questions, please contact our office through the Contact Us page.
What am I required to do once I have my CSWA certificate?
Once you have your CSWA certificate, you can begin practicing under your approved supervision plan that meets Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 877-020-0008(3). Each plan should list the agency you are working for and the Oregon BLSW approved supervisor that will be over seeing your clinical supervision.
You will need to meet with your supervisor for at least two, one-hour sessions each month and document these supervision meetings and your clinical experience hours using the Board's Supervision Report form. Once you have met the requirements below, you will receive permission from the Board to sit for the ASWB Clinical Exam. After passing, you can transition from the CSWA certificate to the Licensed Clinical Social Worker license.
Required Hours for CSWA Candidates:
- 3,500 total work hours
- 2,000 out of the 3,500 are required to be direct client hours
- 100 total supervision hours
- 50 out of 100 are required to be individual supervision
- And a minimum of 24 months supervised clinical experience
You are also responsible for making sure your CSWA certificate remains in good standing. This means renewing your CSWA certificate by your renewal date (last day of your birth month) and updating any changes to your plan of supervision in a timely manner. You can find information about how to renew your CSWA certificate on the Renewals and Status Change page.
Submitting Your Supervision Report, a Guide.
Every CSWA is required to submit a supervision report every 6 months. Your reporting dates as a CSWA are determined by your birth month. For example, if your birth month is May, then your reports will always be due within 30 days of May 31 and November 30.
You can use the steps below to help assist you with submitting your supervision report:
Step 1: Meet with your supervisor, and fill out the Oregon BLSW supervision report.
Step 2: Log into your Licensee Portal.
Step 3: Upload your supervision report to the Evaluation Report tab located to the left of your dashboard.
- You can only enter one submission at a time in your portal. If you have more than one report document to submit, make sure to upload ALL report documents to one submission before saving.
All reports are reviewed within 5-7 business days. If our staff see any issues or have follow up questions, they will reach out to you directly.
Frequently Asked Questions - CSWA Certificate
Below is a list of questions that our staff are asked regularly regarding the CSWA certificate. If your question is not listed below, please use our Contact Us page to share your question with staff.
Is there a limit to how many supervisors or supervision plans I can have?
Answer: No there is no limit to the amount of supervisors or plans of supervision that you can have. Our rules do state that you must meet with each supervisor for a minimum of 6-months before submitting a plan change.
Is a CSWA certificate a license to practice independently?
Answer: The CSWA is a certificate that allows you to practice clinical social work under a plan of supervision with an agency and an Oregon BLSW approved supervisor. Any hours collected through an independent practice may NOT be counted towards your LCSW.
Oregon Administrative Rule: OAR 877-020-0009(4) Requirements for Certificate of Clinical Social Work Associate
I am a CSWA, what happens if I no longer have a place of practice?
Answer: If you are no longer working at an agency, you have 30 days to find an employer and submit a new plan of supervision. If you do not have another employer and supervision plan within 30 days, then you will need to go inactive.
I am a social worker on a school social work schedule, do I need to go inactive for the summer?
Answer: If you are a CSWA and will not be working under an active plan of supervision over the summer, you will need to place your CSWA on inactive status. Please refer to the Renewals and Status Change page for instructions on how to do that.
Helpful Link: Renewals and Status Change page
What is a supervision report and who completes it?
Answer: A supervision report is a document that shares details about a CSWAs progress toward LCSW licensure. Each supervisor listed on an approved supervision plan must complete a supervision report and provide it to the CSWA to submit to the Board.
Helpful Link: Supervision Report Form
What counts as direct client hours?
Answer: Direct client hours are hours you spend in direct dialogue with a client that leads to: assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Time spend consulting with family members or other professionals does not count. Group sessions count by hours, not by participants.
Oregon Administrative Rule: OAR 877-001-0006(7) Definitions
When can I request to take the ASWB Exam?
Answer: You may receive permission automatically after your final hours are approved. OR you can request to take the exam with our Exam Request Form after you have collected 75 supervision hours and 24 months of supervised practice.
Helpful Link: ASWB Exam Request Form
When should I put my CSWA certificate on inactive status?
Answer: You will need to place your CSWA on inactive status once you stop practicing under an approved supervision plan for more than 30 days.
What are the supervision requirements for CSWAs?
Answer: You must meet with your supervisor at least two times per month, for a total of at least one hour each time. One, two-hour session does not meet this requirement.
Oregon Administrative Rule: OAR 877-020-0009(4)(d) Requirements for Certification of Clinical Social Work Associate
Do I have to have a plan of supervision for every place of practice I work at?
Answer: Yes, you need to have a supervision plan for every place of practice you will be working at and using to collect supervision and clinical experience hours. To update your employment information, use the Place of Practice tab in your portal.
Helpful Link: Licensee Portal