• Licensed clinical social workers help their clients with issues that adversely affect them such as alcohol abuse and poverty, and serve as a source of information for resources to address these issues, such as organizations that provide financial aid, treatment and counseling. In Wisconsin, a licensed clinical social worker must meet certain continuing education requirements every two years to maintain her license. Those who just received their license do not need to meet this requirement for their first renewal. The Board of Marriage and Family Therapists, Professional Counseling and Social Work oversees licensing and outlines appropriate avenues for obtaining necessary hours.
  
  

Required Hours

• All licensed clinical social workers in Wisconsin must complete at least 30 continuing education hours where each hour consists of at least 50 minutes of instruction. At least four hours must cover social work ethics and professional boundaries. Licensees cannot transfer excessive hours in one renewal period to another---all 30 must occur within the stated renewal period.
  
  

Acceptable CE Activities

• The board offers licensed clinical social workers several options to earn the required CE hours. They include, but are not limited to, social work associations on both a local and national level, in-house training for social work agencies, activities and classes offered through schools that offer social work programs, continuing education activities approved by the American Psychological Association, Category One programs of the American Medical Association or American Osteopathic Association, authoring a social work book and presenting at a conference. Licensees can find the full list of acceptable activities on the board website.
  
  

Waivers and Postponements

• The board permits licensees to request full waivers, partial waivers (less than 30 hours) and postponements in regards to meeting CE requirements for renewal. The board does not have a set criteria and reviews requests on a case-by-case basis. Possible qualifying reasons included prolonged illness or disability or extreme hardship.
  
  

Maintaining Records

• The board requires that social workers maintain records of continuing education activities for four years after completing them. They do not have to send documentation proving completion for that particular renewal period but need only attest that they have. Licensees who renew their licenses late, however, must submit documentation along with the renewal application.