New Mexico Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

New Mexico Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensure Process

If you want to work directly with clients in a therapeutic setting, you can work toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker. Then you can assess, diagnose, and treat clients, including providing group and individual therapy. Additionally, you’ll have the option to engage in general social work activities if you want a more well-rounded career.

Education Requirements

You’ll need advanced knowledge to work as an LCSW, so you must complete your master’s degree in social work before applying for your license. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national accrediting body for social work programs. Thus, you’ll need to choose from its directory of accredited programs to ensure the board accepts your degree.

New Mexico currently offers one CSWE accredited master’s program for those specializing in clinical and direct practice. New Mexico Highlands University offers the program and is available in-person and online.

Here you can find all schools offering social work degree programs in New Mexico.

Experience Requirements

You have 24-60 months to complete your 3,600 hours of supervised work experience. In order to meet the requirement, 90 of the hours must consist of face-to-face supervision.

After you reach 3,600 hours, your supervisor must fill out the Supervision Verification Form. Once completed, your supervisor will email it to socialworkboard@state.nm.us.

Examination Requirements

You will need to complete your supervision hours and submit your licensing application before sitting for the exam. Then the board will approve you to take the licensing test. The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is in charge of the exam, and you can register on its website. The clinical exam costs $260, and you’ll need to pay the fee when registering.

The state also requires that applicants score at least 70 percent on the jurisprudence exam. Since it’s an open-book test, you should pass it with ease, as long as you have the right materials on hand. The exam will be available while applying for your license online.

Applying for Licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker

New Mexico lets applicants complete the application online. You’ll begin by creating an account to access the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NMRLD) portal. Then you’ll need to scroll to the “Boards and Commissions Division” before clicking “Apply for a License”.

You’ll be directed to another page, where you’ll select “Board of Social Work Examiners”. Then click on the application for licensed clinical social workers. The application will take you through the process step-by-step, so you can fill out your information and upload the supporting documents. You’ll also need to pay a $125 licensing fee when submitting your application.