Free CE for Social Workers / Massachusetts

Massachusetts Social Worker CE Requirements

Massachusetts requires CE tiered by license level every 2 years: 30 hours for LICSWs, 20 for LCSWs, 15 for LSWs, and 10 for LSWAs.

✓ Verified against the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers on August 14, 2026

At a glance

CE hours required
30 (LICSW) · 20 (LCSW) · 15 (LSW) · 10 (LSWA) contact hours
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Licensing board
Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers

Mandatory topics in Massachusetts

TopicHoursHow often
Anti-racism (with a focus on oppression)2every renewal
Anti-discrimination1every renewal

The fine print

All hours may be completed through distance learning. Social workers who practice exclusively as employees of Massachusetts state, county, or municipal government are exempt from the CE requirement. Massachusetts also requires a Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training — confirm its current frequency with the Board. A continuing education hour is at least 50 minutes of instruction.

Does nationally accredited CE count in Massachusetts?

Yes — Massachusetts accepts continuing education from nationally accredited providers, so courses from an accredited provider like the ones on Pulse count toward your renewal.

One caveat: Massachusetts requires at least 75% of your hours to come from Board-recognized entities (258 CMR 31.04(2)); up to 25% may come from programs approved by the APA, NBCC, ANCC, or ACCME. ASWB ACE-approved provider courses are accepted under Board practice.

Official source

Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers
https://www.mass.gov/regulations/258-CMR-3100-continuing-education-requirements

Requirements change. Confirm all figures on the board site above before relying on them.

Meet part of this requirement free

Pulse offers free CE for LMSWs and LCSWs. Local healthcare organizations cover the cost — you pay nothing, and the hours apply toward your Massachusetts requirement (subject to the board rules above).

Pediatric Palliative Care: Interdisciplinary Team Roles and Collaboration
1 CE hr · Palliative Care
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Across The Lifespan: Therapeutic Approaches and Meaningful Intervention
1 CE hr · General
Think FAST: The Essentials of Stroke Care and Rehabilitation
1 CE hr · Rehabilitation
A Day in the Life of an Alzheimer's Patient: Enhancing Care Through Activity Modification
1 CE hr · Mental Health
Achieving Optimal Health: Reducing Illness by Improving the Patient’s Stress Response
1 CE hr · General
Advance Care Planning and Ethical End-of-Life Issues
1 CE hr · Ethics
Aging in Place: There's No Place Like Home
1 CE hr · General
Alzheimer's Disease: The Latest Research on Prevention, Detection and Treatment
1 CE hr · Mental Health
Behind the Wheel with the Elderly: To Drive or Not to Drive?
1 CE hr · General
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Social Worker CE requirements in other states

Arizona · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Kansas · Louisiana · Michigan · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Texas · Virginia · Washington

This page is informational and not legal or licensing advice. Confirm all continuing-education requirements with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers before relying on them.