Complete application including payment of all applicable fees
- Log into your registrant profile to complete and submit your application.
- You must submit the application form and complete payment of the $100 application fee. Annual renewal fees are required and can be found on the fee schedule.
Documentation Requirements
- Proof of coursework completion and associated course outlines, syllabi, or course descriptions
- Two letters of reference – one of which must be from the applicant’s clinical social work supervisor and the other from a regulated mental health professional with direct knowledge of the applicant’s current clinical practice
Clinical Practice Requirements:
In addition to the above requirements, applicants must also have completed the following:
- 3000 hours of post-MSW direct clinical practice hours of which 1600 hours must involve direct client contact
- 100 hours of post-MSW clinical supervision with at least 50 hours provided by a registered clinical social worker (RCSW) or an equivalent clinical social worker in another jurisdiction with a minimum of three years of post-MSW clinical experience
- 45 hours of each of the following categories of coursework:
- Human Development and Behaviour from a Biopsychosocial and Sociocultural Perspective
- DSM Diagnosis
- Clinical Assessment
- Treatment Planning, Psychotherapy and Evidence-Informed Clinical Practice
Social Work Licensure Exam
Following approval of their application, applicants will be authorized to register for the Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) clinical social work licensure exam. Following successful completion of the exam, applicants will be approved to receive the clinical practice enhancement. Click here to learn more about the ASWB and the social work licensure exam process.
Coursework Requirements
Clinical practice enhancement applicants must complete a minimum of 45 hours in each of the three (3) required categories prior to submitting their application:
- Human Development and Behaviour from a Biopsychosocial and Sociocultural Perspective
- DSM Diagnosis, Clinical Assessment, and Treatment Planning
- Psychotherapy and Evidence-Informed Clinical Practice
Coursework must be at a post-secondary level (or equivalent) and include an evaluative component. The required hours within each category may be completed through:
- A single course or training program, or
- multiple courses or training programs combined to meet the minimum 45-hour requirement per course category.
As part of the application process, applicants must upload:
- Proof of successful completion for all coursework and training hours claimed (e.g., official transcripts, certificates of completion, or other equivalent documentation), and
- Supporting course information for each course or training (e.g., course outlines, course descriptions, syllabi, or equivalent program details)
Both proof of completion and supporting course documentation are required to assess eligibility and verify that coursework meets the clinical practice enhancement requirements.
When submitting course outlines or syllabi, applicants are encouraged to provide only the pages relevant to course content, learning objectives, and instructional hours. Institutional policies, academic regulations, and other non-course-related materials do not need to be included unless directly relevant to the review process.
Examples of Eligible Coursework
Human Development and Behaviour from a Biopsychosocial and Sociocultural Perspective
Applicable coursework or training should include content related to human development across the lifespan, biopsychosocial functioning, and the influence of social, cultural, and environmental factors on well-being and mental health.
Examples may include:
- Human growth and development across the lifespan
- Child, adolescent, adult, or aging development
- Developmental psychology
- Human behaviour in the social environment (HBSE)
- Trauma and attachment across developmental stages
- Neurobiology and mental health
- Cultural, social, and systemic influences on human behaviour
- Psychosocial development and functioning
Coursework focused solely on counselling skills, psychotherapy techniques, or general wellness without substantial human development content may not meet this requirement.
DSM Diagnosis, Clinical Assessment, and Treatment Planning
Applicable coursework or training must include substantial content related to the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V-TR), including diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, clinical assessment, case conceptualization, treatment and planning.
Examples may include:
- DSM-based diagnosis and assessment
- Psychopathology and mental disorders
- Clinical assessment and diagnostic formulation
- Differential diagnosis
- Mental status examination
- Risk assessment and suicide assessment
- Case conceptualization and treatment planning
- Clinical interviewing for diagnosis
- Assessment of mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality, trauma-related, or neurodevelopmental disorders
Courses or trainings that discuss mental health in general terms, but do not include significant DSM-related diagnostic content, may not meet this requirement.
Psychotherapy and Evidence-Informed Clinical Practice
Applicable coursework or training should focus on psychotherapy modalities, therapeutic interventions, and evidence-informed clinical approaches used in mental health practice.
Examples may include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Trauma-informed therapeutic approaches
- Family or couple’s therapy
- Play therapy
- Crisis intervention
- Clinical interviewing and intervention skills
- Evidence-informed psychotherapy approaches
Coursework should demonstrate a clinical focus and include content related to therapeutic application, intervention strategies, and clinical practice competencies.