Overview
Clinical registration is a separate class of registration under the BCCSW Bylaws. Applicants must meet all requirements set out in Section 50 and Schedule G of BCCSW Bylaws.
Eligibility to Apply
To apply for registration as a clinical registrant, applicants must:
1.Hold a master’s or doctoral degree in social work from an educational institution accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) or National Indigenous Accreditation Board (NIAB) or a credential in social work equivalent to a master’s or doctoral degree in social work and approved by the College. (The BCCSW Bylaws section 50(1)(a))
2.Provide evidence of completion of coursework in:
- Human behavior and development at an undergraduate or graduate level
- Assessment and diagnosis at an advanced level
- Psychotherapy and clinical practice at the graduate level
3.Complete at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical social work practice, which must:
- Be completed after the qualifying degree
- Be completed over a period of not less than 2 years and not more than 4 years
- Consist of client-related clinical social work practice
- Complete at least 100 hours of supervision, which must:
2.Be provided by a one-on-one with a single supervisor approved by the Registrar
3.Include within the supervision:
- At least 50 hours focused on differential diagnosis and diagnostic practice using the DSM
- Demonstrate that supervision included the following areas:
- Psychosocial assessment
- Diagnostic practice
- Treatment, including the establishment of treatment goals and plans treatment planning
- Psychosocial therapy
- Ethical practice
- Cultural competency
- Social work standards of practice
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Client relationships and boundaries
- Practice management, including documentation and record keeping
Required Documents
Applicants must submit:
Proof of identity
- Applicants must provide two (2) pieces of identification, submitted as high-quality copies of both sides, notarized and verified in person by a lawyer or notary public against the original documents.
- Virtually notarized documents are not accepted.
- One piece of identification must be government-issued photo ID.
- For a list of acceptable ID, click here.
Criminal record check
- Consent to a Criminal Record Check. This appears as a section on the application form and is a requirement pursuant to the BC Criminal Records Review Act. Please note that your response to the sex question on the application form is required by the Criminal Records Review Program (CRRP) of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for them to conduct your criminal record check.
- Local Police Check (Canada): If you currently reside or have ever resided in Canada, you must obtain a Police Information Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Check, from your local police detachment. The check must be issued within 60 days prior to the date of application.
- FBI Check (United States): If you have resided in the United States, you must obtain an FBI Identity History Summary Check. The check must be issued within 60 days prior to the date of application.
- International Criminal Record Checks: You must obtain a criminal record check from any country where you resided or worked as an adult. The check must be issued within 60 days prior to the date of application.
- If you have been granted Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and have not resided outside of Canada since it was issued, the College may accept proof of a Permanent Resident Card or Canadian Citizenship in lieu of an international criminal record check.
- If you are a born Canadian citizen, you are still required to obtain international criminal record checks from any country where you have resided or worked as an adult.
- For all types of criminal record checks listed above, the College only accepts an original copy sent by mail or a digital copy that includes third-party verification access (e.g., online verification details that allow us to validate the police check).
Official transcript
- You must arrange for an official transcript to be sent directly to BCCSW by the degree-granting institution. The transcript must clearly confirm that the degree has been awarded.
Clinical supervision Reference form, including:
- Supervision plan and/or report
- Record of supervised clinical practice hours
- Record of supervision hours
- Evaluation of competence
Two references
- To meet the requirements under sections 9(1)(h) and 13(1)(b) of the Social Workers Act, clinical registration applicants must provide one character reference and one clinical supervision reference.
- Each reference must:
- Be a registered social worker, registered clinical social worker, psychiatrist or other physician, or a registered psychologist.
- Have direct knowledge of the applicant’s clinical social work practice.
- The clinical supervision reference must have supervised the applicant’s clinical social work practice.
Applicants for full, clinical and provisional registration must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English to the satisfaction of the Registration Committee. For more information, click here.
*Please note: The College may contact applicants to request additional information if necessary.
Professional Registration Verification
- Verification of Registration/Licensure completed by each regulatory body with which you have been registered, licensed or certified.
- Complete the top portion of the form and send it to the other regulatory body or bodies.
Selecting the Correct Application Pathway
- Applicants must review the clinical application pathways prior to applying and select the pathway that corresponds to their qualifications.
- Applicants are responsible for selecting the correct pathway when creating their application in the online portal.
- Selecting an incorrect pathway may result in delays or an incomplete application.
- For more information, refer to the clinical application guide published by the British Columbia College of Social Workers.
Instructions to Apply
Step 1: Please create an online application profile once you have gathered all requirements. Incomplete applications will expire after three (3) months, and closed applications must be resubmitted as a new application that meets the applicable requirements at the time of submission.
Step 2: Once you make a submission through the online portal, email requests are sent automatically to your references and/or supervisors, and your application will be reviewed within 10–15 business days once all references and other outstanding documentation are received (process times for this initial review for completeness of the application may vary based on complexity and volume of applications).
If any documents are assessed to be outstanding at the time of review, you may be given two (2) weeks to submit them. Extensions beyond this period will not be granted. If the outstanding documents are not provided or any concerns communicated in the review stage are not addressed within this two week extension period, a decision will be made based on the information already received, which may result in a refusal to register. Please note that an applicant may only reapply for registration after the expiration of one year from the date at which the College’s refusal to register is final. Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure all documents are complete and accurate prior to submission on the online portal.
Step 3: Once all of the required documents have been received, the College will review the application in its entirety. If it is determined that the application meets the registration requirements, the applicant will receive an email from the College notifying that they have been approved to take the licensure exam by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Please be advised that the ASWB charges a fee for writing the exam.
Step 4: After receiving the exam approval email from the College, the applicant can register for the exam through the ASWB. Please visit the ASWB’s website (www.aswb.org) and read the Candidate Handbook (PDF) under the Exam Candidates section.
Step 5: Once registration for the exam is complete, ASWB will send the applicant an Authorization to Test. When the applicant receives this authorization, they can schedule an appointment for the exam through the test centre designated by ASWB.
Step 6: Within 1-2 weeks after the exam has been taken, the College will receive an official score report from the ASWB. If the applicant has passed the exam, the College will send them an application approval email with an invoice for a registration fee. Payment of the registration fee will complete the registration process.
Professional Liability Insurance Requirement
In accordance with Bylaw 82, registrants must hold professional liability insurance in a form and amount satisfactory to the College.
Applicants who are approved for registration will be required to submit proof of professional liability insurance within 2 weeks, in accordance with the requirements set out in the bylaws.
Important Information
- Clinical registration is a separate class of registration with its own requirements.
- Applicants must meet all requirements set out in the bylaws at the time of application.
- The Registrar may request additional information where necessary.