NASW COURSE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (CAP)
 

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The following types of training have been approved for Continuing Education Hours through the NASW-Virginia Chapter’s Course Accreditation Program (CAP). If you are interested in any of these trainings, please contact the sponsoring organization using the provided contact information.

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Before preparing your application, please review the complete overview of the NASW-VA Course Accreditation Program. This will provide clarity on various aspects of the process, including application requirements, timelines, and the administrative responsibilities of the sponsoring organization to ensure a smooth and successful Continuing Education event.

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Scope and Goal of the NASW Virginia Course Accreditation Program (CAP)

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The NASW Virginia Chapter Course Accreditation Program (CAP) serves as a recognized accrediting body for continuing education in the field of behavioral and mental health, in accordance with the Virginia Board of Social Work Regulations 18VAC140-20-105. 

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The NASW Virginia Course Accreditation Program (CAP) endorses synchronous and asynchronous educational programs, including workshops, seminars, and conferences, that meet the core competencies required for active social workers' licensure renewal.

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Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Choosing Your Learning Path

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Synchronous Continuing Education - Category I Contact Hours (Organized Learning Activities)

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Synchronous Educational Programs: These programs for social workers include live classes, webinars, and workshops that facilitate real-time interaction between participants and instructors. This format aligns with the Board's decision to recognize "live-interactive webinars" as equivalent to "in-person" continuing education credits (CEs). 

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Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) are required to document a minimum of 20 hours of Category I continuing education, while Licensed Baccalaureate Social Workers (LBSWs) and Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSWs) must document a minimum of 10 hours. These hours must be completed in one of the following areas:

 

• Academic courses in behavioral health from regionally accredited universities or colleges (up to 15 hours per course).

• Continuing education programs offered by Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited universities or colleges.

• Workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses in behavioral health are provided by federal, state, or local social service agencies, public school systems, licensed health facilities, or hospitals.

 

 

Synchronous CE Endorsement Types - Live Workshops, Conferences, and Series 

 

An approved synchronous program encompasses live, in-person training or live-interactive webinars, categorized as follows:

 

Workshop: An approved program with a fixed title, content, and instructor. Participants are required to attend the entire workshop to receive the same number of credit hours.

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Conference: A multi-day event conducted over consecutive days that may include concurrent workshops. Attendees can earn varying continuing education (CE) credit hours from breakout sessions throughout the conference.

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Series: A collection of workshops focused on a general theme, featuring different topics and speakers for each session. Attendees can earn varying continuing education (CE) credit hours upon completing the entire series.

 

 

Asynchronous Category II Hours Continuing Education Endorsement for Distance Learning 

 

An approved asynchronous program is an online distance learning recorded video without concurrent sessions.

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Asynchronous Educational Programs: These programs allow participants to access course materials, lectures, and assignments at their own pace, without requiring real-time interaction. This approach complies with the Board's definition of asynchronous activities, which includes distance learning or online activities that earn continuing education credits through audio recordings, video presentations, or reading professional books and articles. 

 

​Asynchronous CE Endorsement - On-Demand

Recorded Videos

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Category II Hours are streamlined through our Accredited On-Demand Program. This grants access to approved asynchronous applications for one year from the event’s initial approval date.

 

LCSWs can earn up to 10 of their required 30 hours, and LBSWs/LMSWs can earn up to 5 of their required 15 hours, through Category II activities. These activities include independent or group study options, such as:

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• Listening to audio recordings

• Viewing video materials

• Reading professional books or articles

 

These activities are eligible for up to 5 CE hours.

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Asynchronous Guidelines

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• The proposed asynchronous program must be relevant to the above-approved topics of social work. 

• An approved asynchronous program will only be accepted one time for any specific program.

  • 1 Program = $150

• If you are submitting more than 1 program, you will need to return to the submission page and submit each additional program (we only allow 1 program per submission) 

• The accepted program that has been approved; is not interchangeable. If the live, endorsed event is recorded for later use, the endorsement does not count for the asynchronous version. An approval application would need to be submitted.

• Accessibility and Disability Accommodations: Guidelines and Requirements ADA Compliance 

  • To ensure that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from distance learning courses, all distance learning courses must be designed to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes making adjustments to ensure that all participants can fully engage with the material.

 

Peer Review Committee Evaluation Criteria - Requirements for CE Approval

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The NASW Virginia Peer Review Committee consists of Licensed Clinical Social Workers from the state of Virginia, each contributing specialized knowledge from diverse practice areas. The Committee will evaluate applications to ensure that the following topics fulfill the licensure renewal requirements for social workers in the state of Virginia.

 

Programs should address the following topics to meet the licensure renewal requirements.

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Approved Topics and Key Evaluation Criteria 

           _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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• Leadership/Management

• Aging

• Addictions/Substance Abuse

• Case Management

• Child Abuse/Family Violence

• Children, Youth, & Families

• Clinical/Behavioral Health

• Spirituality/Mind-Body Wellness

• Community Organization/Social Policy

• Ethics & Boundary Issues

• Health/HIV/AIDS/Palliative Care

• Private Practice

• School Social Work

• Human Rights/Peace/Advocacy

• Research & Evaluation

• LGBTQIA+ 

                                              _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The programs must clearly articulate their learning objectives, supported by detailed agendas, timelines, and content outlines. 

Ethics Hours:  To qualify as ethics hours, training must address at least one of the six ethical standards outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics. 

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The Code serves six purposes:

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1. Core Values: Identifies the foundational values of social work's mission.

2. Ethical Principles: Summarizes broad ethical principles and sets specific standards for guiding practice.

3. Conflict Resolution: Aids social workers in navigating conflicts and ethical uncertainties.

4. Public Accountability: Provides standards for public accountability of the social work profession.

5. Professional Socialization: Introduces new practitioners to the mission, values, and principles of social work while encouraging ongoing education and self-care.

6. Conduct Assessment: Establishes criteria for assessing unethical conduct within the profession, with NASW having formal procedures for adjudicating ethics complaints. Social workers must cooperate with the Code's implementation and abide by NASW disciplinary rulings.

 

Application Submission Deadlines and Retroactive Approval Policy

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Applications, along with all supporting documentation, must be submitted electronically through the online form at least 45 days before the program date(s) via the Chapter’s website. The review process will not begin until all required documents are received, and the appropriate processing fee has been paid. Late fees will apply for applications submitted after the 45-day deadline (refer to the Fee Chart). Applications submitted fewer than 5 business days before the start of the training will not be accepted or reviewed.

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Retroactive Approval: The Chapter generally does not accept applications for trainings that have already occurred. However, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. To be considered for retroactive approval, the training must have taken place within three (3) months of the application submission, and both the standard and retroactive fees must be paid (refer to the Fee Chart).

 

The committee will review applications within 10 business days.

 

Please refer to the Fee Chart for details on late fees and timelines.

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Program Planning and Requirements 

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One hour of instructional time is equivalent to one CE hour.

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Social Worker Participation -A social worker must be involved in the planning and evaluation of the program.

Instructor Credentials - Instructors or workshop leaders must possess appropriate credentials in their respective fields of practice.

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Qualifications for Instructors - Instructors are deemed qualified based on the following factors:

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• Competence in Subject Matter - Evidence may include:

  • Work experience

  • Formal education and training

  • History of publications and public speaking

  • Recognition by peers (e.g., certificates, licenses, titles, awards

 

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Post-Event Requirements

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Submission Deadlines and Retroactive Approval PolicyThe sponsoring organizer must fulfill the following responsibilities to ensure compliance with NASW Virginia:

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Submission of Evidence

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Organizers are required to submit evidence of participation by providing an attendance roster and an Evaluation Summary following the event.

 

Important Message for Conferences and Series

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For multi-day trainings where full attendance across all event dates is not required and the sessions are interdependent, your roster should use separate worksheets to organize event titles, event dates, participants' names, and the allocated earned CEs. Separate certificates must be purchased for each event date to ensure the Continuing Education (CE) credits issued accurately reflect the specific title and CE earned on that particular date. Otherwise, a single certificate will be issued under the approved main application title.

 

Submission Timeline

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Synchronous Events: Attendance rosters and evaluation summaries must be submitted within 30 days after the completion of the training to facilitate timely certificate generation.

 

Asynchronous Events: Attendance rosters and evaluation summaries should be submitted biweekly upon completion of the approved recorded on-demand video.​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Attendance Roster Sample

Evaluation Summary Sample

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