Kentucky LCSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Kentucky is a multi-step process governed by KRS Chapter 335 and detailed in 201 KAR 23 and the Kentucky Board of Social Work’s policy documents. The board defines not just how many years you must practice, but also how your hours are structured, what counts as “clinical,” and how supervision must be delivered and documented.

Below is a step‑by‑step outline focused on the exact types of hours and supervision Kentucky requires.

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1. Licensure ladder in Kentucky

Kentucky has three levels of social work licensure: Licensed Social Worker (LSW – BSW level), Certified Social Worker (CSW – MSW level), and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW – independent clinical level). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

To become an LCSW through the in‑state route, you must:

1. Earn an MSW or DSW from a CSWE‑accredited program (an “educational institution approved by the board”). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
2. Obtain CSW licensure and practice clinical social work only under supervision of an LCSW. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
3. Accumulate the required post‑master’s supervised clinical practice and supervision hours.
4. Pass the ASWB Clinical exam and apply for LCSW licensure.

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2. Education and exam prerequisites

Degree requirement

The regulation states: “An applicant for a certified social worker license or a licensed clinical social worker license shall have a Master of Social Work degree or Doctorate of Social Work degree from an educational institution approved by the board.” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

“Educational institution approved by the board” means a graduate school of social work accredited by CSWE. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

ASWB exam

Kentucky uses the ASWB exams. For LCSW, you must pass the ASWB Clinical category (Kentucky does not accept the Advanced Generalist exam). (bsw.ky.gov)

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3. Post‑master’s supervised clinical practice (in‑state CSW route)

Minimum duration and structure

For an in‑state applicant, 201 KAR 23:025 requires:

“Two (2) years of post‑master’s degree supervised clinical social work experience, including 150 hours documented on the Supervised Experience Documentation Form…” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

The Board’s FAQ and licensure page restate this as “two (2) years plus 150 hours of supervision by an approved licensed clinical social worker.” (bsw.ky.gov)

Full‑time vs part‑time

The Board further defines the time requirement in terms of weekly work hours:

• Full‑time: minimum 30 hours per week.
• Part‑time: minimum 20 hours per week.

A CSW “must be licensed for two years full time (30 hours), or three years part‑time practice before applying to take the LCSW exam.” (bsw.ky.gov)

So, in practice:

• 2 years full‑time (≥30 hrs/week), or
• 3 years part‑time (≥20 hrs/week),

of supervised clinical social work are required before you can sit for the LCSW exam.

If you work less than 20 hours per week, you still need a supervision contract, but “you cannot count the hours under supervision” toward LCSW requirements. (bsw.ky.gov)

Employment status (W‑2 vs 1099)

The Board is explicit that CSW clinical hours must be earned as an employee, not as an independent contractor:

• You “have to be an employee with Social Security and taxes withdrawn from your paycheck.”
• “Any supervision hours will not count if you are a 1099 contract employee.” (bsw.ky.gov)

What must the clinical experience include?

201 KAR 23:070 defines what counts as qualifying experience:

1. Direct client‑professional work requirement

   “Experience under supervision shall consist of:
   (1) At least sixty (60) percent of the required experience in a direct client‑professional relationship.” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

   The Board clarifies this as: depending on whether you’re full‑time or part‑time, “at least 60% of your work per week must be directly working with your clients.” (bsw.ky.gov)

   This means the Board is not setting a fixed number of “direct client hours” (like 1,500), but instead a percentage: at least 60% of all supervised clinical practice must be direct, face‑to‑face (or telehealth) client work.

2. Type of responsibilities

   Experience under supervision must include:

   • “Direct responsibility for providing clinical social work services to a specific individual or group of clients;” and
   • “Broad exposure and opportunity for skill development with a variety of mental disorders, diagnoses, acuity levels, and population groups.” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

3. Definition of “practice of clinical social work”

   The regulation defines this as social work that focuses on “the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a mental disorder as related to the total health of the individual,” requiring skills in individual, family, and group psychotherapy and other recognized treatment modalities. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

These provisions determine what kind of work your hours must reflect; they do not assign a single numeric client‑contact minimum apart from the two‑year/three‑year time structure.

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4. Required supervision hours and format

Separate from your work hours, Kentucky requires a defined number of supervision hours with specific structure.

Total number of supervision hours

201 KAR 23:070 states:

• “Supervision shall total a minimum of 150 hours, which shall include individual supervision of at least two (2) hours during every two (2) weeks of supervised clinical social work practice, over the two (2) year minimum time period…” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

The Board’s FAQ echoes this: “Supervision must total a minimum of 150 hours, which shall include individual supervision of not less than two (2) hours during every two (2) weeks of clinical social work practice.” (bsw.ky.gov)

So the numeric supervision requirement is:

• 150 total supervision hours minimum, spread across at least two years of supervised clinical practice.
• At least 2 hours of supervision every 2 weeks while you are doing clinical work.

Individual vs group supervision

Within those 150 hours:

• “A supervisee shall obtain a minimum of 100 hours of the required supervision by individual supervision.”
• “A supervisee may obtain up to fifty (50) hours of group supervision.”
• Group supervision must be in groups of no more than six (6) supervisees and cannot mix in supervisees from other behavioral health professions who are counting hours for their own licensure. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

So the structure is:

• 100–150 hours = individual LCSW‑CSW supervision
• 0–50 hours = group supervision (optional, tight limits)

In‑person vs virtual supervision

The regulation allows “virtual supervision” (electronic supervision) as long as it is real‑time, interactive audio‑video:

• Virtual supervision may be used if “the supervisor and supervisee can see each other, face‑to‑face, via electronic means.” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• It must comply with Kentucky telehealth laws and protect confidentiality and records as required by KRS 335.158 and related regulations. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

Who can be your supervisor?

The Board requires supervision by a qualified LCSW:

• The supervisor must be a Kentucky‑licensed clinical social worker who “provides supervision to a certified social worker pursuant to KRS 335.080(3) and 335.100(3)” and meets certain good‑standing requirements (no unresolved discipline, etc.). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• To be board‑approved as an LCSW supervisor, the LCSW must:
  • Have been licensed as an LCSW for at least two (2) years;
  • Complete a 6‑hour LCSW supervision training course approved by the Board; and
  • Complete a 3‑hour refresher course every renewal period and request supervisor approval from the Board. (bsw.ky.gov)

The Board keeps a list of approved LCSW supervisors and limits each supervisor to a certain number of supervisees (including any temporary permit holders). (bsw.ky.gov)

Supervision contract and documentation

Before counting hours, you must have:

• A Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract on file and approved by the Board (for CSW practicing clinical social work). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• Supervisors are required to document and later submit the “hours of individual or group supervision completed during the period of supervised clinical practice experience or upon termination of the Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract.” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• When you later apply for LCSW, these hours are summarized on the Supervised Experience Documentation Form, which must be completed by your supervisor of record (and any additional supervisors). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

Hours that do not count

Hours of clinical work under a temporary permit do not count toward the required supervised experience for LCSW:

• “A person practicing under a temporary permit as a certified social worker shall not accumulate hours toward the supervision requirements of KRS 335.100(1)(b).” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• The Board reiterates on its licensure page that any hours obtained under a temporary clinical permit “WILL NOT count toward your CSW in supervision toward your LCSW.” (bsw.ky.gov)

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5. Client notification while under supervision

While you are a CSW practicing clinical social work under supervision, you must notify each client in writing that you are practicing under supervision:

• If an employee “is practicing clinical social work under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, the employee shall notify in writing each client at the start of treatment during the period of the supervision,” including the supervisor’s name, address, phone, email, and license number, plus a statement that the employee is licensed by the board. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• The Board has determined that posting the Notice to Client on the office wall satisfies this written notification requirement. (bsw.ky.gov)

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6. Applying for LCSW and exam timing

When you can apply for the LCSW exam

The Board’s FAQ summarizes the timing for in‑state CSWs:

• You must be a CSW for two years full‑time (30 hours/week) or three years part‑time (20 hours/week), with supervision, before applying to take the LCSW (ASWB Clinical) exam. (bsw.ky.gov)
• You must have completed, or be in the process of completing, the minimum 150 supervision hours described above. (bsw.ky.gov)

After you take and pass the exam

Even after passing the Clinical exam, you must remain under supervision until your LCSW license is actually issued:

• “You must remain under supervision from the time you are approved to take the exam until your new license is issued by the Kentucky Board of Social Work.” (bsw.ky.gov)
• Your supervisor must submit a “Continued Supervision after approval of the exam” form until the Board issues the LCSW. (bsw.ky.gov)

To finalize the license, you submit:

• The LCSW Initial Application (online through the Board’s system),
• Proof of passing the ASWB Clinical exam (official score report),
• Documentation of supervised experience (Supervised Experience Documentation Forms), and
• The LCSW license fee (currently listed as $200). (bsw.ky.gov)

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7. Out‑of‑state LCSW applicants (endorsement route)

If you are already licensed at the master’s or clinical level in another state, Kentucky does not have reciprocity, but it will evaluate your supervised experience:

• You must show at least two (2) years of full‑time post‑master’s experience (≥30 hours/week) or three (3) years part‑time (≥20 hours/week) at the master’s level. (bsw.ky.gov)
• You must provide a Supervised Experience Documentation Form from each supervisor in the other state(s), documenting at least 150 hours of clinical supervision that met that jurisdiction’s legal requirements. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
• The Board also requires official ASWB score transfers and license verifications from all states where you hold a license. (bsw.ky.gov)

If you have five or more years of independent clinical practice, the Board may also consider job descriptions, letters of recommendation, and evidence that you are an approved insurance/Medicaid provider to document your clinical work history. (bsw.ky.gov)

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8. How Kentucky’s requirements break down in practice

Putting the state’s language into a practical checklist for an in‑state CSW:

1. Education

   • MSW or DSW from a CSWE‑accredited program.

2. Licensure as CSW

   • Pass ASWB Masters exam and obtain Kentucky CSW.

3. Clinical employment setting

   • W‑2 employee, at an agency or setting that allows clinical social work.
   • Minimum 30 hrs/week (for 2‑year track) or 20 hrs/week (for 3‑year track). No credit if <20 hrs/week.

4. Nature of clinical work

   • Clinical practice as defined by 201 KAR 23:070 (evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders).
   • At least 60% of weekly work time in direct client‑professional contact.

5. Supervision requirements

   • Supervision by a board‑approved LCSW supervisor (LCSW ≥2 years, completed supervision training).
   • Approved supervision contract on file with the Board before counting hours.
   • 150 total supervision hours minimum, over at least two years:
     • At least 100 hours individual supervision.
     • Up to 50 hours group supervision (≤6 CSW supervisees, no mixed professions).
     • At least 2 hours of supervision every 2 weeks while practicing clinical social work.
     • In person or real‑time interactive video, in compliance with telehealth and confidentiality laws.

6. Documentation and client notice

   • Supervision hours and clinical experience documented on Board forms by supervisor(s).
   • Written Notice to Client that you are practicing under LCSW supervision.

7. Exam and licensure

   • After 2 years full‑time or 3 years part‑time supervised clinical practice (meeting all conditions above) plus 150 supervision hours, apply to sit for the ASWB Clinical exam.
   • After passing, remain under supervision until the Board issues your LCSW, then submit all final documentation and fee.

Kentucky’s system is therefore built around time‑based clinical practice requirements plus a clearly quantified supervision requirement (150 hours), with a strong emphasis on direct client contact, proper employment status, and tightly regulated supervision rather than a single global “X total clinical hours” number.