District of Columbia · Through 2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)

D.C. Code § 3-1208.04: Licensed independent clinical social worker.

(a)
The Board of Social Work shall license as an independent clinical social worker a person who, in addition to meeting the requirements of subchapter V of this chapter, has a master’s degree or a doctorate from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, has satisfactorily completed the examination process at the independent clinical level, and has at least 3,000 hours of post-master’s or postdoctoral experience participating in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals, families, and groups with psychosocial problems, under the supervision of a licensed independent clinical social worker over a period of not less than 2 years or more than 4 years; under special circumstances approved by the Board, supervision by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist may be substituted for up to 1500 hours of this requirement.

(b)
A licensed independent clinical social worker (“L.I.C.S.W.”) may perform any function described as the practice of social work in this chapter, in an autonomous, self-regulated fashion, in an agency setting or independently, and may supervise other persons in the performance of these functions. A licensed independent clinical social worker shall not engage in the practice of medicine and shall refer patience or clients with apparent medical problems to an appropriate and qualified medical practitioner.

Where this section sits in the code

Title 3. District of Columbia Boards and Commissions.
Chapter 12. Health Occupations Boards.
Subchapter VIII. Categories and Qualification of Social Workers.

(a)

The Board of Social Work shall license as an independent clinical social worker a person who, in addition to meeting the requirements of subchapter V of this chapter, has a master’s degree or a doctorate from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, has satisfactorily completed the examination process at the independent clinical level, and has at least 3,000 hours of post-master’s or postdoctoral experience participating in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals, families, and groups with psychosocial problems, under the supervision of a licensed independent clinical social worker over a period of not less than 2 years or more than 4 years; under special circumstances approved by the Board, supervision by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist may be substituted for up to 1500 hours of this requirement.

(b)

A licensed independent clinical social worker (“L.I.C.S.W.”) may perform any function described as the practice of social work in this chapter, in an autonomous, self-regulated fashion, in an agency setting or independently, and may supervise other persons in the performance of these functions. A licensed independent clinical social worker shall not engage in the practice of medicine and shall refer patience or clients with apparent medical problems to an appropriate and qualified medical practitioner.

Collected 2026-08-29T05:44:07Z. Source file · JSON

Browse this collection