What the official sources support
Applicability and exclusions are shown with each finding. “Qualified” or “conflicting” findings are not simplified into an operational answer.
Authority, credentials, and scope
Regulator, governing authority, credential names, regulated titles, scope boundaries, exemptions, and prohibited activities.
Three license levels
Published research · ConfirmedThe Board issues LBSW, LSW, and LCSW licenses and applies different qualifications and practice authority to each level.
- Applies to
- Use for LBSW, LSW, LCSW research in PA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Application and practice status
Application, education, examination, background check, fees, temporary authority, endorsement, and supervised versus independent practice.
Clinical credential
Published research · ConfirmedThe LCSW is the license associated with clinical social-work practice, including the qualifying supervised clinical-experience pathway.
- Applies to
- Use for LBSW, LSW, LCSW research in PA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Supervision and workforce evidence
Supervisor qualifications, written agreements, settings, hours, reporting, license verification, and hiring or credentialing evidence.
Supervisor standards
Published research · ConfirmedSupervised clinical experience must satisfy the Board’s supervisor-qualification, documentation, and experience rules rather than an employer title alone.
- Applies to
- Use for LBSW, LSW, LCSW research in PA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Cross-border and practice structure
Telehealth location rules, registration, compact privileges, ownership, entity naming, fee sharing, and multidisciplinary practice.
No current compact authority identified
Open implementation issue · QualifiedPennsylvania compact proposals and Board discussion do not constitute an enacted and operational Social Work Licensure Compact pathway.
- Applies to
- Use for LBSW, LSW, LCSW research in PA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Client-facing operations and records
Disclosure, consent, telehealth, emergencies, advertising, confidentiality, access, retention, minors, subpoenas, closure, fees, billing, and termination.
Three license levels
Published research · ConfirmedThe Board issues LBSW, LSW, and LCSW licenses and applies different qualifications and practice authority to each level.
- Applies to
- Use for LBSW, LSW, LCSW research in PA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Maintenance, complaints, and monitoring
Renewal, continuing education, audits, inactive status, reinstatement, complaints, discipline, effective dates, exclusions, and unresolved interpretations.
Clinical credential
Published research · ConfirmedThe LCSW is the license associated with clinical social-work practice, including the qualifying supervised clinical-experience pathway.
- Applies to
- Use for LBSW, LSW, LCSW research in PA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11