Wyoming CSW Requirements & Hours Tracker

In Wyoming, the Certified Social Worker (CSW) credential is the entry‑level license for bachelor’s‑trained social workers and is issued by the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board. It allows you to practice social work only under supervision and does not require a set number of post‑degree supervised hours for initial certification. In contrast, supervised hour requirements apply later if you pursue the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license.

Below is a step‑by‑step guide, with the Board’s own terminology and how hours are defined.

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1. Understand what a CSW is allowed to do

Wyoming law defines a certified social worker (CSW) as a person certified under the Mental Health Professions Practice Act to perform:

“social work treatment, prevention, intervention, case management, referral and follow up with individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses or mental disorders”

…but only “under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor licensed in the state of Wyoming.” (codes.findlaw.com)

Key points:

• CSWs may not practice independently; they must work under a qualified clinical supervisor (a board‑approved licensed clinician).
• CSW is distinct from Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), which requires a graduate degree and substantial supervised clinical hours.

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2. Baseline eligibility for CSW certification

Under Wyoming Statute § 33‑38‑106(b), the Board “shall grant certification as a certified social worker” if you meet all of the following: (law.justia.com)

1. Age requirement

   • You must have “reached the age of majority” (generally 18).

2. Criminal background

   • You must have no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions that relate adversely to the practice of clinical social work or to the ability to practice clinical social work, although the Board may grant exceptions if “consistent with the public interest.” (law.justia.com)

3. Education

   • You must have a baccalaureate degree in social work from an accredited program and institution of higher education.
   • The degree must be “professional in content” and meet the academic and training standards established by the Board, which uses national professional social work association standards when setting those requirements. (law.justia.com)
   • In practice, this means a CSWE‑accredited BSW program. (msweducation.org)

4. Application form and fee

   • You must file the Board’s “Certified Social Worker by Examination” application form and pay the required fee. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

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3. Examination requirement (ASWB Bachelor’s exam)

The Board’s own examination page specifies:

• Exam level – “Certified Social Worker: Per Chapter 6, Section 4 of the Rules you must complete the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examination at the Bachelor’s Level or other examination approved by the Board.” (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
• Attempts – Applicants are allowed three (3) attempts; the Board may permit one additional attempt if you submit and obtain approval of a remediation plan. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

You cannot sit for the exam in Wyoming without a valid CSW application on file; once the Board approves your application for testing, they send instructions, and ASWB forwards your score directly to the Board. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

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4. “Hour” requirements for CSW: what Wyoming actually requires

This is the part many people expect to resemble LCSW standards (for example, “1,500 hours direct, 1,500 supervised”). For Certified Social Worker in Wyoming, the statutory requirements are different:

4.1. No numeric supervised‑hours requirement for initial CSW certification

Wyoming’s licensure statute lays out age, background, education, and examination requirements for CSW, but it does not require any specific number of post‑degree supervised practice hours to obtain the CSW credential. (law.justia.com)

Instead, the statute requires:

• That CSW practice is always under supervision:
  • Certification “shall allow practice as a certified social worker only under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor and subject to any other restrictions which may be specified by the board.” (law.justia.com)
• That you become certified within a certain time frame:
  • “Unless extended, the applicant has six (6) months from the date of employment to become certified. The board may, for good cause shown, grant an extension of this grace period.” (law.justia.com)

In other words:

• There is no requirement like “X hours of direct experience + Y hours of supervised experience” to get the CSW.
• The Board expects you to:
  • Hold an accredited BSW,
  • Pass the ASWB Bachelor’s exam, and
  • Become certified within 6 months of starting social work employment, at which point you must practice under supervision.

Several recent summaries of Board requirements reinforce that the field requirement for CSW is “none” beyond your BSW practicum, though they note that you generally must provide professional references (often three) who have observed your social work skills for at least six months. (msweducation.org)
(The precise reference requirement is spelled out in the Board’s CSW packet, which is periodically updated, so it should be checked in the current form.)

4.2. Practicum hours in your BSW program

Any supervised field hours you complete in your BSW program (for example, the CSWE standard of approximately 400+ hours) are governed by the university and accreditation, not by separate Wyoming numeric rules for CSW. The Board’s statute simply requires the BSW program meet “academic and training content standards,” not an extra stand‑alone hour count for certification. (law.justia.com)

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5. How hours are defined when you later pursue LCSW

Although CSW itself has no numeric hour requirement, Wyoming defines hours very precisely for those who move on to become Licensed Clinical Social Workers. This is often what people are thinking of when they ask about “1,500 hours of direct” versus “1,500 hours supervised,” so it is useful context.

Statute and Board rules together require:

1. Total supervised hours

   • You must complete three thousand (3,000) hours of supervised clinical training/work experience in clinical social work under the direct supervision of a Designated Qualified Clinical Supervisor (DQCS). (law.justia.com)
   • These 3,000 hours must be completed in not less than eighteen (18) months and not more than thirty‑six (36) months, unless the Board grants an extension. (regulations.justia.com)

2. When the hours must occur

   • “All three thousand (3,000) hours of supervised clinical training/work experience required shall be completed after the award of the graduate degree.” (regulations.justia.com)

3. Direct vs. indirect hours

   • Of the 3,000 hours, at least one thousand two hundred (1,200) hours shall be direct client contact hours providing clinical social work as defined in Wyoming Statute 33‑38‑102(a)(v). (regulations.justia.com)
   • The remaining 1,800 hours are indirect hours: work that “supports the direct client contact hours, e.g. charting, preparation, meetings, trainings, or other duties of clinical social work.” (regulations.justia.com)

4. Supervision hours

   • In addition to the 3,000 total hours, you must have a minimum of one hundred (100) post‑graduate hours of clinical supervision with a DQCS, as described in the Board’s supervision chapter. (regulations.justia.com)

5. Link to the clinical exam

   • For the ASWB Clinical exam, the Board explicitly requires that candidates “demonstrate the required clinical experience by having completed the hours required for licensure in Chapter 9, Section 4 in no less than eighteen (18) months.” Supervisors must submit a Verification and Evaluation of Supervised Experience (VESE) form directly to the Board. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

Summarized numerically for LCSW:

• 3,000 total supervised clinical hours post‑MSW
  • 1,200 hours = direct client contact
  • 1,800 hours = indirect but clinical‑work‑related hours (documentation, prep, meetings, trainings, etc.)
• 100 hours of clinical supervision with a qualified supervisor

These hour requirements do not apply to becoming a CSW; they apply only when progressing to independent clinical licensure (LCSW).

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6. Step‑by‑step: how to obtain a CSW in Wyoming

Step 1 – Complete an appropriate BSW

• Earn a Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE‑accredited program (or another program the Board accepts as equivalent), meeting the Board’s academic and training standards. (law.justia.com)

Step 2 – Secure employment (optional but time‑sensitive)

• Once you start working in a role that requires CSW certification, Wyoming law gives you six (6) months from the date of employment to become certified, unless the Board grants an extension. (law.justia.com)

Step 3 – Prepare and submit the “Certified Social Worker by Examination” application

From the Board’s Application & Forms page: (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

• Download and print the “Certified Social Worker by Examination” packet.
• Complete the form exactly as instructed; the Board currently uses paper applications mailed with the fee.
• Arrange for:
  • Official transcripts sent directly from your school.
  • Any references or verification of your social work abilities called for in the packet (recent summaries describe three references who have observed your practice for at least six months, but you should follow the current form exactly). (msweducation.org)

Step 4 – Complete fingerprints and background check

• Follow the Board’s Fingerprint Instructions (two FD‑258 cards, submitted with your application). (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
• Background check processing typically takes 3–5 weeks after submission. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

Step 5 – Wait for Board review

• The Board indicates application processing time is approximately 2–3 weeks after all materials are received, not including the separate 3–5 weeks for the background check report. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

Step 6 – Receive authorization and sit for the ASWB Bachelor’s exam

• Once your application is approved for testing, the Board sends information on how to register for the ASWB Bachelor’s exam.
• You register with ASWB, sit for the exam, and ASWB sends scores directly to the Board. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
• If you fail, you may retest up to three total attempts, with a potential fourth attempt if the Board approves your remediation plan. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

Step 7 – Certification and supervised practice as a CSW

• After you pass the exam and all requirements are cleared, the Board issues your CSW certificate.
• As a CSW you:
  • Must work under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor, as defined by the Board. (law.justia.com)
  • May perform social work treatment, prevention, intervention, case management, referral, and follow‑up within that supervisory framework.

There is no statutory requirement that you log or submit a particular number of CSW‑level hours for initial certification, beyond the practicum built into your BSW and the general obligation to work under supervision.

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7. Renewal and continuing‑education hours (CSW)

Once certified, you must maintain your credential:

• Renewal cycle – Licenses and certificates expire on the holder’s date of birth every two (2) years. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
• Continuing education total – The Board requires 45 hours of approved continuing education every two years for social workers (CSW and LCSW). (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)
• Content requirements – Board rules (and Board‑based summaries) specify that those 45 hours must:
  • Be directly related to your discipline and “have significant intellectual or practical content,” and
  • Include at least 3 hours in professional ethics and 3 hours in suicide assessment or intervention. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

The Board also requires fingerprints with renewal every four years, as part of the background‑check cycle. (mentalhealth.wyo.gov)

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Bottom line regarding hours for a Wyoming CSW

• Initial CSW certification

  • No required number of post‑degree practice or supervision hours is specified by statute or Board rule.
  • The critical requirements are: BSW degree, clean (or Board‑approved) background, passing the ASWB Bachelor’s exam, and working under supervision after certification.

• Progression to LCSW

  • Requires 3,000 supervised clinical hours after your MSW, including 1,200 direct client contact hours and 100 hours of clinical supervision, completed over 18–36 months, with detailed verification to the Board. (regulations.justia.com)

If you are planning your career path, CSW is your supervised, bachelor‑level entry point; the intensive hour requirements arrive when you move toward independent clinical practice as an LCSW.