ABCSW BCD Specialty Certifications

The American Board of Clinical Social Work (ABCSW), founded in 1987, is a national education, advocacy and credentialing organization created by and for the profession of Clinical Social Work. ABCSW has designed standardized BCD Specialty Certifications. These specialty certifications enable clinical social workers to be publicly recognized for specific areas of expertise in their delivery of clinical social work services.

ABCSW's Current Specialty Certifications

• Clinical Social Work with Uniformed Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Specialty Certification
• Clinical Social Work in Schools Specialty Certification
• Clinical Social Work in Healthcare Specialty Certification
• Clinical Geriatric Social Work Specialty Certification
• Clinical Assessment and Evaluation Specialty Certification
• Clinical Supervision Specialty Certification
• Clinical Child and Adolescent Social Work Specialty Certification
• Clinical Couple and Family Social Work Specialty Certification
• Psychoanalysis Specialty Certification
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy Specialty Certification
• Group Psychotherapy Specialty Certification
• Substance Use Disorders Specialty Certification
• Forensic and Correctional Social Work Specialty Certification

 
Qualifications and General Criteria for All Specialty Certifications 

1. For the applicant to hold the BCD. - If you do not currently hold the BCD and would like to, please click here.
2. A $275.00 application fee.
3. A narrative statement where the applicant “details” their education, training, practice, and two colleagues that can evaluate their practice.
4. To have two colleagues submit a positive attestation/evaluation of the applicant’s practice as it relates to the specialty certification. At least one evaluator must be a clinical social worker licensed at the highest level in their state. The other evaluators must be licensed, at the highest clinical level in their state and in good standing, as one of the following:
   
   1. clinical social worker;
   2. psychiatrist;
   3. psychiatric nurse practitioner
   4. psychiatric physician associate/assistant
   5. psychologist;
   6. clinical mental health counselor; or
   7. marriage and family therapist.

Definition of “Practice”  The ABCSW defines practice as:

1. defined by your current state licensure statutes and/or board rules; or
2. having held an occupational position (e.g., in a psychiatric or medical hospital, agency settings of various kinds, independent private clinical practice, forensic and correctional setting in the community or in institutions, the military, the VA, U.S. Public Health, etc.) that requires a clinical social work license at the highest clinical level in your state, or 
3. a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in a graduate (master’s or doctoral) clinical social work program.

 
Maintenance of BCD Specialty Certifications BCD clinicians recertify annually on the basis of currency of direct practice, 20 hours of continuing clinical education, maintenance of state licensure (where applicable) in good standing and adherence to ABCSW’s Code of Ethics. Recertifications for all Specialty Certifications include:

1. Maintain BCD certification in good standing.
2. Have at least 150 hours of practice experience in practice specialty (i.e., clinical social work practice, supervision, consultation, education, or research relevant to the practice specialty).
3. Have at least 20 hours of continuing education relating to the practice specialty.
4. Pay the renewal fee for the BCD.
5. Pay the renewal fee for the specialty certification.