Massachusetts LCSW to LICSW hours requirements
Clinical social work experience after you are licensed as an LCSW, toward the Massachusetts LICSW. Massachusetts states no minimum for direct client contact.
The short answer
Headline figures: Total clinical social work services 3,500 hours.
Supervision: A minimum of 100 hours of individual face-to-face clinical supervision during the post-graduate experience.
Time limit: The 3,500 hours run over a period of not less than two years from the date you were licensed as an LCSW. No maximum is stated.
Post-degree experience · Title while gaining experience: Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) · Authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers
Requirements
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total clinical social work services | 3,500 hours Over not less than two years from your LCSW license date |
| Individual supervision | 100 hours Face-to-face clinical supervision |
| Weekly supervision | At least 1 hour a week Or an equivalent pro rata amount for part-time work |
| Supervision rate | At least 1 hour per 35 hours worked And not less than 1 hour per month |
Supervision
- A minimum of 100 hours of individual face-to-face clinical supervision during the post-graduate experience.
- At least one hour per week of face-to-face individual clinical supervision, or an equivalent pro rata amount for part-time employees, from a social worker who is licensed or eligible for licensure as an LICSW.
- At least one hour of supervision per 35 hours worked, and not less than one hour per month.
- A board policy, not the regulation, accepts supervision by videoconference but not by telephone.
Time limits
- The 3,500 hours run over a period of not less than two years from the date you were licensed as an LCSW. No maximum is stated.
What Accrue checks
- Counts your logged experience toward 3,500 hours.
- Counts individual supervision toward 100 hours. Supervision logged as triadic also counts toward it.
- Warns when a 7-day period with logged hours has less than one hour of supervision of any kind. A warning never removes credit.
What Accrue does not check
- The one-per-35 supervision ratio is not checked.
- The pro rata rule for part-time work is not applied; the weekly warning assumes full-time work.
Common questions
- How many hours do you need for the LICSW in Massachusetts?
- The cited rule sets total clinical social work services 3,500 hours. Source: 258 CMR 9.00; 258 CMR 12.00; 258 CMR 8.00; Board of Registration of Social Workers, board policies and guidelines (policy dated May 25, 2021), checked September 17, 2026. Supervision and time limits also apply; see the sections above.
- What supervision does Massachusetts require for the LICSW?
- A minimum of 100 hours of individual face-to-face clinical supervision during the post-graduate experience. At least one hour per week of face-to-face individual clinical supervision, or an equivalent pro rata amount for part-time employees, from a social worker who is licensed or eligible for licensure as an LICSW. At least one hour of supervision per 35 hours worked, and not less than one hour per month.
- Is there a time limit for LICSW hours in Massachusetts?
- The 3,500 hours run over a period of not less than two years from the date you were licensed as an LCSW. No maximum is stated.
- Does meeting these figures make me eligible?
- No. The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers reviews your application and your supervisors' verifications and decides. Accrue keeps the record and shows how the cited rule applies to it.
Sources
Sources checked
- 258 CMR 9.00
- 258 CMR 12.00
- 258 CMR 8.00
- Board of Registration of Social Workers, board policies and guidelines (policy dated May 25, 2021)
Accrue is a record-keeping aid and is not affiliated with any licensing board, accreditor or school. Rules change; confirm the requirements that apply to you with the authority that sets them before you rely on a figure.