Arkansas
Your Step-by-Step Path to Licensure and Beyond
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
How to become a social worker
Step 1: Attain MSW from a CSWE-accredited Social Work program
Step 2: Accrue Clinical Social Work Experience
- Find a supervisor, fill out a Supervision Plan together, and have it approved by the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board
- Must be submitted at least 60-days before the first day of supervision
- Must pertain to:
- Development of professional identity
- Practice skills
- Practice management skills
- Skills for continuing competence
- Ethical practice
- If you change supervisors before you complete your hours, you will need to submit another supervision plan together and get Board approval
- Accrue 4,000 hours of postmaster’s LCSW-supervised social work experience
- Experience must be completed in no less than 2 years
- At least one hour of face-to-face supervision per week
Step 3: Apply for your Arkansas Social Work License
- Complete the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board LCSW application. This includes:
- Official transcripts sent directly from your school to the Board
- $100 application fee ($105 for online submission)
- Supervision verification
- Complete and pass a state and national criminal background check + $35.75 processing fee
Step 4: Pass the ASWB Clinical Exam with TDC!
- Contact the ASWB to register for the exam, $260 registration fee
- Contact Pearson VUE to select your exam date and test center
- Study and pass with TDC’s LCSW Exam Prep: ASWB Clinical Level program
Continuing Education Requirements
Pre-licensure-Social workers in AR have the same CE requirements as Licensed Social workers.
License Renewal
- Renewal Cycle: Every 2 years (Must be renewed by licensee’s birth month)
- Total Hours Required: 30 hours
- Must include:
- 3 hours Ethics
Therapist Development Center is an approved provider through ASWB ACE
Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)
How to become a Marriage & Family Therapist
Step 1: Earn Your Degree
- Master’s in MFT or related field from COAMFTE approved school
Step 2: Accrue Supervised Experience
- Completion of 3,000 client contact hours of supervised work experience as an MFT
- Up to 2,000 client contact hours of experience may be counted towards this requirement if the applicant has 60 semester hours of graduate work beyond a master's degree.
- 2,200 hours of direct client contact, and 800 hours of indirect client contact.
- For the first 500 hours of supervised experience, no indirect hours will be applicable
- A minimum of 1,500 hours must be direct client contact with families, couples, or groups
- Direct supervision must be obtained at a ratio of 1 hour of supervision for every 10 hours of client contact for the first 500 hours of direct client contact. Then a ratio of one hour for every 20 hours of client contact
- A minimum of 300 hours of direct supervision is required
- Group supervision may not exceed over half of direct supervision
- Must be supervised under a board-approved LMFT supervisor
Step 3: Pass Required Exam
- Apply to take the AMFTRB National MFT Exam
- Exam fee $365
- Sign up for TDC’s NMFT exam prep course and study with confidence!
Step 4: Apply for Full LMFT Licensure
- Submit supervised hours and exam results
- A minimum of 4 references required
- 2 from full-time faculty members in the degree granting program
- 1 supervisor of clinical work
- 1 from another mental health professional
- Pay licensure fee $200
Continuing Education Requirements
License Renewal
- Renewal Cycle: Every 2 years by May 31
- Total Hours Required: 24 hours
- Must include:
- 3 hours ethics
- 6 hours supervision for supervisors
- 21 hours must support the licensee’s statement of intent
- 24 hours may be earned online
Therapist Development Center is an approved provider through ASWB ACE
