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Application Packet for
Approval of Social Work Units*

Revised August 2005

Background:
Standards of Providers of
Continuing Professional Education

NASW views continuing education for post graduates as an essential activity for ensuring quality social work services for clients. Belief in the client’s right to have knowledgeable and skillful assistance provides the basis for the social worker’s participation in continuing education. For the provider, these standards set professional expectations to help plan continuing education events and to help ensure that post-graduate continuing education offerings are responsive to the learning needs of social workers.

A commitment to post-graduate continuing education is grounded in an ethical principle articulated in the NASW Code of Ethics: “Social workers practice within their area of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise.” Continuing education further provides the social worker with the opportunity to acquire new and necessary information; demonstrate a conscious self-directed and continuous effort toward personal and professional development: strengthen qualifications for professional licensure and certification; meet changing career demands; and explore new careers in social work.

The MS Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists, our state social work licensing board, acknowledges the term “social work units” (SWUs) as the standard for post-graduate continuing education hours for social workers in our state. (For clarification, contact hours, clock hours, and CEUs are terms used by other states and disciplines; whereas, SWU is exclusive to Mississippi approved continuing education.) As a result, we provide further information on how these units are calculated below:

One (1.0) SWU is equivalent to 500 minutes of organized learning experience approved for social workers’ continuing professional education. No offering less than 60 minutes of total instructional time will be considered for SWU credit.

The most accurate way to calculate SWUs is by taking the total number of minutes of educational time and dividing this number by 500. This will provide an accurate number, including decimal place, for SWUs.

Academic courses from an accredited college or university that relates to a social worker’s specific area of expertise may be submitted for review using the application in this packet. But academic courses used for credit from Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited Schools of Social Work do not need to submit an application for review, and the credit hours are converted as follows:

* NASW, MS Chapter is affiliated with NASW nationally and as such utilizes the NASW Standards for Continuing Professional Education and the Code of Ethics in providing the information in this packet. Additionally, the laws governing the licensing of social workers in Mississippi and the Rules & Regulations Regarding the Licensure of Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists of the MS Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists are also used to provide information enclosed.

SWU APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

TO ALL APPLICANTS: SUBMIT ONE ORIGINAL AND FOUR (4) COPIES TO: MS CHAPTER, NASW, P.O. BOX 5599, PEARL, MS 39288-5599. PLEASE NOTE: The minimal deadline for receipt in our office is the 10^th of the month prior to the month in which the event will be held; i.e., June 10th for a program scheduled after July 1st. This allows just enough time for processing by office staff and review by volunteer committee members. Also note, when the 10th of the month falls on a Friday, weekend, or holiday, applications must arrive on the last work day prior to the 10th. Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Because the office is open during part-time hours, we cannot accept applications at our street address.

All workshops, conferences and other group activities must be submitted for prior approval by the sponsoring organization. One application for each continuing education offering must be submitted; multiple workshops on one form will not be accepted unless they are part of a conference. The correct fee, in check or money order form, must accompany each application.

Individuals may apply only for personal self-directed learning projects, academic courses, or out-of-state programs.

All applications must be complete and legible, or they will be returned. Applications submitted without copies will be charged a copying fee of $30.00.

The processing fees below are non-refundable. Checks or money orders made out to NASW, Mississippi Chapter-CE are accepted:

No fee charged for attendance.....................$10.00

Fee charged for attendance..........................$75.00

Applications received without 4 copies..........$30.00

No reference to social work units or approval by NASW, MS may be printed on a brochure or program until the sponsors have been notified of the CE Committee action. However, the statement “Social Work Units have been applied for with NASW, MS Chapter” may be printed.

1. A social worker must participate in the planning or presentation of the offering submitted for review.

2. Proposed offerings must demonstrate how they will improve the social work skills of licensees.

3. Instruction time must be a minimum of 60 minutes.

4. Forms and attachments must be contain detail regarding time allowed for breaks, meals, welcome and evaluations,

including specific time a speaker will talk during a meal. ONLY instruction time will be counted for credit.

[Note: Time for breaks must be specific; if not, the CE Committee will deduct time for breaks at its discretion.

Also, presentations made during meals will be allowed 45 minutes maximum toward SWU credit.]

5. Distance Learning is defined as the acquisition of knowledge and skills using interactive technology, including the

Internet, through the assistance of a qualified instructor. Applicants should provide a copy of the program including

pre and post tests for review by the committee. No more than 2.0 SWUs may be earned through Distance Learning

in any one licensing renewal period. Programs that are video or audio taped are subject to the one-year approval

limit and must be treated as a distance learning option.

6. Any request for verification of participation is the responsibility of the provider of the offering. NASW, MS

Chapter can only provide verification of participation for our own offerings, and a fee of $15 must be submitted with written request in order to provide the document from our office.

1. In-service training which deals with agency procedures, policies, or manuals.

2. Projects, training, or presentations developed as part of one’s paid work.

3. Workshops or mini-conferences that are on social work related issues but are geared to the general

public, such as time management, rather than the social work profession.

4. Any retroactive offering, in state or out of state. All offerings must be pre-approved.

A provider submitting an application will receive notification of approval or rejection by fax or mail after committee review. If additional information is required, the applicant will receive notice of reason for delay of review and the application will be held for 30 days, after which time the applicant must resubmit the entire application for review.

Once a program has been approved, the approval is valid for one year from the date of approval. However, if there are any changes to workshop content or presenter, sponsors are required to outline these changes by letter to the NASW, MS CE Committee as soon as it is known for re-evaluation prior to the beginning of the program. A copy of the letter must also be sent to the MS Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists.

1. An applicant may request reconsideration of a decision made by the CE Committee provided the request is made in writing within thirty (30) days of the initial review. The committee shall reconsider the application at the next regular meeting, taking into consideration any additional information provided by the applicant. The applicant shall be notified promptly of the Committee’s decision.

2. If the applicant wishes to appeal the second decision of the CE Committee, written notification must be sent to NASW, MS Chapter within thirty (30) days of receipt of the applicant’s letter of appeal. The application and any supplemental information shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee the NASW, MS Chapter Board of Directors within thirty (30) days of receipt of the applicant’s letter of appeal. The review will not be a hearing, but will be based on written material provided by the applicant and CE Committee. The decision of the Executive Committee will be final.

As outlined in Section IX-G of MBOE’s Rules & Regulations, it is the responsibility of the organization providing the continuing education event to provide the attendee with a certificate of attendance which verifies completion of the offering. This certificate of attendance must state (1) the name of the attendee, (2) name of the offering as approved by NASW, MS, (3) the date as approved by NASW, MS, (4) sponsor or organizer as approved by NASW, MS, (5) location of the offering, (6) signature of the organizer/sponsor, or designee, and (7) specific number of SWUs awarded. Providers must keep attendance records and evaluation forms on file for a minimum period of three years from the date of the program.

Non-compliance with any provision of these rules will constitute grounds for suspension or revocation of the approved course, and provider, or other action as deemed appropriate by the Licensing Board and recommended by NASW, MS Chapter. Complaints received regarding a provider or an offering will be investigated, and letters outlining the specifics of the complaints sent to the responsible party, either the presenter or organizer of the event. The recipient will be required to submit plans for corrective action.

Click here to download the SWU Application in PDF format.