
Indiana accepts Elevate CE's credits for social workers.
The Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Board includes on their list of automatic approved sponsors the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Elevate CE is approved by both ASWB and NBCC. Learn more and view the list of automatic approved sponsors here: https://www.in.gov/pla/professions/behavioral-health-and-human-services/behavioral-health-and-human-services-licensing-information/#Automatic_CE_Provider_List
Elevate Continuing Education, #1816, formerly Maryland CEU Institute is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.
Elevate Continuing Education has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No.7347. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Elevate Continuing Education is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Indiana Social Work Continuing Education Requirements
2026 License Renewal Information
Renewal Deadline: March 31 (even numbered years)
Renewal Frequency: Every two years
How many CEs do Indiana social workers need for renewal?
Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW): 20 Total CE Hours every year/40 Total CE Hours Every 2 Years
Licensed Social Worker (LSW): 20 Total CE Hours every year/40 Total CE Hours Every 2 Years
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): 20 Total CE Hours every year/40 Total CE Hours Every 2 Years
Note: Indiana Social Workers must renew their license every two years. However, Social Workers may NOT complete ALL 40 CE hours in one year - 20 hours are required every year.
Note: half of the required CE hours must be in Category 1 courses (see below for more information)
SPECIAL TOPIC REQUIREMENTS (required for all licensure levels)
2 Ethics CE Hours in Total at Renewal - 1 Hour in Ethics per year (must have 2 hours at time of renewal)
LCSWs who supervise must complete at least 2 hours of CE in supervision.
Can I take my CEs from Elevate CE?
YES! Indiana social workers can earn all of their required CE credits through Elevate Continuing Education each year. All of Elevate CE’s courses count for Category I CEs for Indiana Social Workers (see below for more information). You can complete your hours through any combination of live or pre-recorded CE webinars offered by Elevate CE, making it a flexible and convenient option to meet your requirements.
Elevate CE is an approved provider through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). The Indiana Board of Social Work accepts courses approved through ASWB. Please see the regulation here.
View our Live Webinars or Recorded Webinars to get started learning and earning the CEs your need for renewal today!
What are Category I vs. Category II CE hours and how many are required of each for Indiana Social Workers?
Category I: Minimum of 50% of CE hours must be Category I (all hours may be earned through Category I)
Category II: A maximum of 50% of CE hours can be earned through Category II
Category I is defined as continuing education that is formal programming, which includes the following: Formally organized courses, Workshops, Seminars, Symposia, Institutes, Home study programs, including: computer; audio; and video.
Category II is defined as continuing education that is self-directed, which includes the following: Journal reading, earns one (1) CEU for each hour, Office inservices, earns one (1) CEU for each hour attended, Case conferences that are specifically designed for training or teaching, earns one (1) CEU for each hour attended, and more activities (see information in regulations below for full list of Category II self-directed learning.
NOTE: Elevate CE’s Recorded Webinars are considered Category I activities for Indiana Social Workers.
All of Elevate CE’s courses count for Category I CEs for Indiana Social Workers (see below for more information). You can complete your hours through any combination of live or pre-recorded CE webinars offered by Elevate CE, making it a flexible and convenient option to meet your requirements.
View our Live Webinars or Recorded Webinars to get started learning and earning the CEs your need for renewal today!
What type of CE credits does Elevate CE offer Indiana Social Workers?
All of Elevate Continuing Education's courses, whether live or recorded, are considered Category I for Indiana Social Workers and can be used in any combination to fulfill all the requirements for license renewal.
Indiana Social Work CE Requirement Statutes
This information below has been obtained directly from the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Service Licensing Board Website and is current as of November 2024. Please visit here ( Indiana Administrative Code, Title 839, Article 1, Rule 6, Section 3) for full information and details.
839 IAC 1-6-1 Continuing education
Sec. 1. (a) As used in IC 25-23.6, "continuing education" means education provided by board-approved providers that is obtained by a licensee in order to maintain, improve, or expand the licensee's skills and knowledge. As used in this rule, "CEU" means one (1) continuing education hour.
(b) Continuing education shall be comprised of two (2) categories, Category I and Category II. The licensee:
(1) shall obtain a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the required amount of CEUs for renewal from Category I; and
(2) may obtain a maximum of fifty percent (50%) of the required amount of CEUs for renewal from Category II.
(c) Category I is defined as continuing education that is formal programming, which includes the following:
(1) Formally organized courses.
(2) Workshops.
(3) Seminars.
(4) Symposia.
(5) Institutes.
(6) Home study programs, including:
(A) computer;
(B) audio; and
(C) video;
instructional programs accredited by board-approved organizations.
(7) Courses that are relevant to the license holder's professional skills, which are part of the curriculum of an accredited university, college, or educational institution, shall earn:
(A) fifteen (15) CEUs for each academic semester hour completed; or
(B) ten (10) CEUs for each academic quarter hour completed.
(8) Faculty teaching a course for the first time at an accredited university, college, or educational institution shall earn one and one-half (11/2) CEUs for every credit hour taught. Continuing education credit will be granted only the first time faculty teaches the course within the same semester.
(d) CEUs obtained from Category I sponsors shall earn the amount of continuing education hours granted by the program sponsor. If the sponsor does not grant continuing education hours, then one (1) CEU will be granted for each clock hour of attendance.
(e) Category II is defined as continuing education that is self-directed, which includes the following:
(1) Journal reading, earns one (1) CEU for each hour.
(2) Office inservices, earns one (1) CEU for each hour attended.
(3) Case conferences that are specifically designed for training or teaching, earns one (1) CEU for each hour attended.
(4) Services as an instructor, presenter, or supervisor in a relevant professional seminar, workshop, or training conference earns one (1) CEU for each hour of service, but only for the initial instruction, presentation, or supervision given.
(5) Research and publication of research results in a recognized professional journal or book form, earns ten (10) CEUs, but may only be claimed for the initial publication of the information.
(6) Providing consultation, critique, or peer review of therapy and skills for an individual:
(A) pursuing a:
(i) bachelor's degree;
(ii) master's degree; or
(iii) doctoral degree; or
(B) working:
(i) to meet the experience requirement for licensure; or
(ii) for another licensee;
earns one (1) CEU for each hour spent with the individual for this purpose.
(7) Services on boards and commissions and holding office in professional organizations, specifically related to the licensee's profession, earns one (1) CEU for each hour of service.
(8) Faculty teaching a course at an accredited university, college, or educational institution, earns one (1) CEU for every credit hour taught. Continuing education credit will be granted only the first time faculty teaches the course within the same semester.
(Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board; 839 IAC 1-6-1; filed Dec 29, 1998, 10:57 a.m.: 22 IR 1512; readopted filed Dec 2, 2001, 12:30 p.m.: 25 IR 1313; filed Jun 1, 2006, 9:45 a.m.: 29 IR 3373; filed Aug 1, 2012, 11:01 a.m.: 20120829-IR- 839110676FRA; readopted filed Nov 29, 2018, 10:34 a.m.: 20181226-IR-839180402RFA; readopted filed Jun 24, 2024, 3:49 p.m.: 20240724-IR-839230815RFA)
839 IAC 1-6-2 Approval of continuing education programs
Authority: IC 25-23.6-2-8
Affected: IC 25-23.6
Sec. 2. (a) The following criteria shall be used for the approval of providers of continuing education programs for LSWs, LCSWs, LMFTs, LMFTAs, LMHCs, LMHCAs, LACs, and LCACs:
(1) The continuing education program shall have a statement of objectives, which the program should achieve for its participants relating to and enhancing the licensee's practice.
(2) The sponsor of a continuing education program shall provide the following:
(A) Adequate administration, including a responsible person to coordinate and administer the program.
(B) Maintenance of proper records.
(3) Sponsors of a continuing education program shall provide adequate funding for the educational program undertaken.
(4) The curriculum of a continuing education program shall be thoughtfully planned and designed to explore in considerable depth:
(A) one (1) subject; or
(B) a closely related group of subjects related to the licensee's practice.
(5) The continuing education program shall:
(A) have qualified faculty members with demonstrated competence in the subject areas; and
(B) be held in adequate facilities that allow for an effective program.
(6) Continuing education programs may employ a variety of educational methods and teaching aids that enhance the learning opportunities.
(7) Appropriate methods of evaluation shall be devised and used to measure the continuing education program's effectiveness.
(8) The sponsor of the continuing education program shall provide to the participants a meaningful record of attendance stating the continuing education hours involved.
(b) Organizations applying for board approval to be a sponsor of continuing education programming must submit an application to the board for approval at least ninety (90) days before the presentation of any program. The board shall act upon the application within ninety (90) days of receipt. The approval, if granted, is effective until April 1 of every even-numbered year.
(c) An approval to provide continuing education units for:
(1) LSWs;
(2) LCSWs;
(3) LMFTs;
(4) LMFTAs;
(5) LMHCs;
(6) LMHCAs;
(7) LACs; and
(8) LCACs;
will expire on April 1 of the even-numbered years.
(d) The sponsor of the program is responsible for monitoring attendance in such a manner that verification of attendance throughout the entire program can be reliably assured.
(e) The sponsor shall maintain attendance records for a minimum of four (4) years from the date of the program. These records must include the following:
(1) The date of the program.
(2) The program title.
(3) The presenter's name.
(4) The names of all participants.
(5) The number of continuing education hours granted each participant.
(f) Continuing education programs that are sponsored, accredited, or approved by the following organizations shall be deemed approved, and no prior approval by the board shall be required:
(1) Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.
(2) Academy of Family Mediators.
(3) Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(4) American Association for Continuity of Care.
(5) American Association for Diabetes.
(6) American Association for Social Work with Groups/Spinal Cord Injury.
(7) American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
(8) American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.
(9) American Cancer Society.
(10) American Counseling Association.
(11) American Health Care Institute (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(12) American Hospital Association (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(13) American Medical Association (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(14) American Mental Health Counselors Association.
(15) American Psychiatric Association.
(16) American Psychological Association.
(17) American Red Cross (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(18) Arthritis Association.
(19) Association of Oncology Social Work.
(20) Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Work.
(21) Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers.
(22) Association of Social Work Boards.
(23) Chicago Center for Family Health.
(24) Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.
(25) Employee Assistance Professional Association.
(26) Employee Assistance Society of North America.
(27) Federation of Societies for Clinical Social Work.
(28) Federation of Society of Sex Educators and Therapists.
(29) First Steps.
(30) Healthy Families.
(31) Hoosier Oncology Group.
(32) Hospice Foundation of America.
(33) Indiana Association of Home and Hospice Care.
(34) Indiana Commission on Continuing Legal Education (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(35) Indiana Council of Nephrology Social Workers.
(36) Indiana Council on Adolescent Pregnancy.
(37) Indiana Counselors Association for Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
(38) Indiana Healthcare Ethics Network.
(39) Indiana Hospice Association.
(40) Indiana Hospital and Health Association (programs or seminars related to mental health).
(41) Indiana Organ Procurement Organization.
(42) Indiana Perinatal Association.
(43) International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.
(44) Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
(45) Mediation Matters.
(46) Mental Health Association.
(47) Midwest Regional Network for Intervention with Sex Offenders.
(48) National Association for Family-Based Services.
(49) National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.
(50) National Association of Liver Transplant Social Workers.
(51) National Association of Perinatal Social Work.
(52) National Association of Social Workers.
(53) National Board for Certified Counselors.
(54) National Board of Addiction Examiners.
(55) National Brain Tumor Foundation.
(56) National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.
(57) National Council of Community Mental Health Centers.
(58) National Council of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity.
(59) National Hospice Association.
(60) National Kidney Foundation.
(61) National Organization for Victim Assistance.
(62) National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice.
(63) National Spina Bifida Association.
(64) Society of Heart and Lung Transplant Social Workers.
(65) Solutions Training Institute.
(66) The Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago.
(67) The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.
(68) The Center for Family Studies, Chicago, Illinois.
(69) The Cincinnati Psychoanalytic Institute.
(70) The Family Institute of Chicago.
(71) The Family Institute/Center for Family Studies.
(72) The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.
(73) The Indianapolis Gestalt Institute.
(74) The Institute for Clinical Social Work, Chicago, Illinois.
(75) The Institute for Psychoanalysis, Chicago, Illinois.
(76) The International Institute of Object Relations Therapy.
(77) The Jungian Institute of Chicago.
(78) The National Association of Family Mediators.
(79) The National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect.
(80) The National Children's Advocacy Center.
(81) The Society of Social Work Leadership in Health Care.
(82) A national, regional, state, district, or local organization that operates as an affiliated entity under the approval of any organization listed in subdivisions (1) through (81).
(83) Any institute or program focused on self-psychology.
(84) Any institute or program approved by the social worker, marriage and family therapist, mental health counselor, and addiction counselor board of another state.
(85) A university, college, or other teaching institution accredited by the United States Department of Education or the Council on Postsecondary Education.
(86) A federal, state, or local government agency that coordinates and presents continuing education courses and programs in conjunction with this rule.
(Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board; 839 IAC 1-6-2; filed Dec 29, 1998, 10:57 a.m.: 22 IR 1512; readopted filed Dec 2, 2001, 12:30 p.m.: 25 IR 1314; filed Jun 1, 2006, 9:45 a.m.: 29 IR 3373; filed Jun 29, 2011, 9:12 a.m.: 20110727-IR- 839090811FRA; filed Aug 1, 2012, 11:01 a.m.: 20120829-IR-839110676FRA; readopted filed Nov 29, 2018, 10:34 a.m.: 20181226-IR-839180402RFA; readopted filed Jun 24, 2024, 3:49 p.m.: 20240724-IR-839230815RFA)
839 IAC 1-6-3 Continuing education requirements
Authority: IC 25-23.6-2-8
Affected: IC 25-23.6
Sec. 3. (a) A renewal period is defined as the two (2) year period beginning with April 1 of even-numbered years. A licensure year is defined as April 1 through March 31 of the following year.
(b) A licensee who renews a license as a social worker, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist associate, mental health counselor, mental health counselor associate, addiction counselor, or clinical addiction counselor shall complete not less than twenty (20) CEUs per year, in compliance with section 1(b) of this rule, for a total of forty (40) CEUs for the two (2) year renewal period.
(c) A minimum of one (1) CEU of the required ten (10) Category I CEUs per year shall have a content area focusing on ethics and professional conduct, including boundary issues, from a Category I provider.
(d) If a licensee holds more than one (1):
(1) social worker;
(2) clinical social worker;
(3) marriage and family therapist;
(4) marriage and family therapist associate;
(5) mental health counselor;
(6) mental health counselor associate;
(7) addiction counselor; or
(8) clinical addiction counselor;
license issued under IC 25-23.6, then CEUs obtained to meet the CEUs required for renewal of one (1) license may be applied towards the CEUs required for renewal of each license held.
(e) CEUs shall:
(1) be obtained within the biennial renewal period in which the licensee is applying; and
(2) not be carried over from one (1) biennial renewal period to another.
(f) A holder of a license issued under IC 25-23.6 must retain a record of the continuing education required by section 2(a) of this rule for four (4) years following the end of the biennial renewal period in which it was obtained.
(g) Continuing education used to satisfy the continuing education requirements of another state, in which the licensee also holds a license to practice as a mental health professional, may be applied towards the CEUs required for renewal of a license issued under IC 25- 23.6.
(h) A holder of a license issued under IC 25-23.6 who has been licensed for less than two (2) full years before the first renewal date for that license shall meet the following continuing education requirements for the licensee's first renewal period:
(1) A licensee who has been licensed for at least twelve (12) months, but less than twenty-four (24) months, shall complete at least one-half (1/2) of the CEUs required for renewal of that license. At least fifty percent (50%) of these CEUs shall be obtained from Category I, and not more than fifty percent (50%) shall be obtained from Category II.
(2) A licensee who has been licensed for less than twelve (12) months shall be exempt from the CEUs required for renewal of that initial license.
(Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board; 839 IAC 1-6-3; filed Dec 29, 1998, 10:57 a.m.: 22 IR 1514; readopted filed Dec 2, 2001, 12:30 p.m.: 25 IR 1316; filed Jun 1, 2006, 9:45 a.m.: 29 IR 3375; filed Jun 29, 2011, 9:12 a.m.: 20110727-IR- 839090811FRA; filed Aug 1, 2012, 11:01 a.m.: 20120829-IR-839110676FRA; readopted filed Nov 29, 2018, 10:34 a.m.: 20181226-IR-839180402RFA; readopted filed Jun 24, 2024, 3:49 p.m.: 20240724-IR-839230815RFA)
839 IAC 1-6-4 Continuing education audit
Authority: IC 25-23.6-2-8
Affected: IC 25-23.6
Sec. 4. The board may require additional evidence demonstrating the license holder's compliance with the continuing education requirements of this rule. This additional evidence shall be required in the context of a random audit. It is the responsibility of the license holder to verify that the CEUs obtained to meet the continuing education required for the renewal of their license have been approved by the board. It is the responsibility of the license holder to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance.