Life as a provider

CEUs for social workers

Here’s how to find the continuing education options that are right for you.

October 2, 2024 • Updated on December 16, 2025

5 min read

As a social worker, your education isn’t done when you get your degree and license. To maintain your license over time, you’ll also need to obtain continuing education units (CEUs). Along with allowing you to continue in your practice, CEs also help keep you current in the field — an important part of offering the best care possible to your clients.

“Continued education helps us expand our toolbox for how we provide care, which can prepare us to better support people,” says Julia Jarrold, a LCSW and Headway’s clinical lead of patient and provider experience.

As vital as continuing education is to your clinical career, it can be difficult (and honestly, expensive) to navigate the world of social work CEs. Read on to learn more about how much continuing education you need and how to find the CE option that’s right for you.

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There’s no one universal requirement for the amount and type of continuing education a social worker needs to complete. CE requirements for license renewal are ultimately determined by your state board. (See below for links to each state’s requirements.)

Keep in mind that your state board may have restrictions that limit the amount of continuing education hours you can apply through distance learning (i.e. independent home study or online courses). That said, CE isn’t just online courses. You can earn them in other formats, such as live webinars and sessions at conferences.

Considerations for choosing CEUs

There’s no shortage of opportunities to get continuing education units as a social worker. The Association of Social Work Boards recognizes over 250 accredited CE providers, including PESI, Medbridge, and Psychotherapy.net.

You may choose to pursue additional training in modality you already practice, such as dialectical behavioral therapy. Or, you may want to invest in a new treatment method, such as internal family systems.

You can also choose to pursue CE that equips you to work with a specific population, such as LGBTQIA+ or BIPOC individuals or youth and teenagers. Either way, Jarrold says CE can offer a fresh perspective that can help you better care for your clients.

You may also choose to brush up on non-clinical skills, such as mental health documentation. “Many of us don’t get training on compliant documentation in school like we do for interventions and theoretical orientations,” says Michael Heckendorn, LPC and Headway’s clinical lead of clinician education. “The PESI documentation course explains how to document from intake to treatment plan and progress notes, while also pulling in information on differential diagnosis and medical necessity.”

Before choosing a CE target, take time to reflect on the needs of the client population you serve and want to serve, along with your personal interests as a clinician. “The most valuable thing you can do is take CEs rooted in modalities and themes that allow you to support people in a way that’s interesting to you,” says Jarrold.

There’s no way around it: Continuing education can be expensive. And it may feel stressful to spend time on CEUs when you could be using that time to see more clients or grow your business. These free options make earning your CEU credits more accessible.

Headway

Headway offers free, accredited CEs for its providers. “The fact that we can get credits for free is a really big deal,” says Jarrold.

Headway has partnered with PESI and Violet to offer Headway providers exclusive access to a diverse library of free CE courses — curated to support you. New and existing Headway providers can earn up to 90 CE hours through PESI’s range of specialized courses — each designed to support and expand your practice. Through Violet, you can access 50+ hours of accredited courses to fulfill CE requirements and ensure culturally responsive care when working with BIPOC, LGBQ, and TGNC communities.

In addition, providers can take Headway courses now accredited through Violet directly within Headway Academy. Keep an eye out for accredited courses that display a small "CEUs" button.

National Association of Social Workers

It’s not free to join this professional organization — annual dues cost $236 for most license types — but it may be a worthwhile investment. Once you’re a member, you’ll gain free or discounted access to a library of CEUs, along with networking and professional development opportunities, free journal and database subscriptions, and more.

NOCD Academy

NOCD Academy offers a variety of free continuing education resources, offered as both home-study courses and live webinars. Most trainings are focused on the treatment of OCD, anxiety, or eating disorders, making NOCD Academy a great option for clinicians looking to brush up on those diagnoses.

Clearly Clinical

Did you know you could fulfill CEU requirements simply by listening to podcasts? With Clearly Clinical, you can. While offerings are somewhat limited, these free podcasts are a convenient and wallet-friendly way to continue your learning.

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CEU requirements by state

If you’re seeking out CE to maintain your license, it’s important to consult your specific state guidelines as well as requirements for your license type. See the below list of U.S. states and their individual requirements here:

Note: These state-by-state links have been updated as of October 2, 2024.

No matter where you practice, navigating the world of CE can be difficult, especially on top of your workload. Try to reframe your pursuit of CE just as you might encourage someone in a session: While there may be challenging aspects, taking time to improve your practice will ultimately allow you to better serve your clients.

You advocate for others, Headway advocates for your practice

While you focus on continuing education and client care, Headway supports your in-network practice with tools that simplify insurance, billing, and admin — at no cost to you.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.