Why is licensure important?  In short, it helps assure the public and the children and families that you serve that you have the minimum skills and knowledge necessary to provide school social work services.  Through the licensure process your salary will be established and you will be able to maintain your employment.

How can you get licensed?  For information and a licensure kit see the DPI Web site at or contact the Licensure Section, DPI, and 301 N. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27601-2825. Look under “Student Services” then “Job Descriptions & Licensure Requirements.”  DPI licensure information and forms, job opening listings, and salary information are available on line.  You can also reach their Professional Licensure Assistance Line, a computerized response system, by calling 919-807-3310 in Raleigh.

If you did not complete the school social work licensing requirements and apply for licensure while attending an MSW or BSW program, DPI will require you to affiliate with an IHE, “institution of higher education”.  For persons seeking social work licensure, IHE’s are DPI approved “Teacher Preparation Programs” (yep, that’s what they are called) that are also accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the MSW or BSW level.  Unfortunately, a list of currently DPI approved programs is not available from the Department’s Web site.  There is a CSWE listing on the site, but it is out of date. A current list of CSWE accredited programs can be found on their Web site at http://www.cswe.org.     

If you hold a MSW, then you should contact Dr. Gary Shaffer at UNC-CH; or Mary Lisa Pories, at East Carolina University. Persons holding BSWs can contact Mary Lisa Pories or Linda Williams at North Carolina State University. Ms. Williams has been particularly helpful to BSWs whose own programs are not approved by DPI.

Enrolled students at the MSW Joint Program at NC A&T & UNC-G and BSWs at UNC-G should contact Dr. Susan Dennison. Methodist College and NC A&T also have DPI approved BSW programs, but they only work with their own currently enrolled students in regard to licensure issues. 

If you were permanently licensed as a school social worker in another state, contact DPI directly and follow their guidance or contact Dr. Shaffer.  Your path to licensure may differ from the above.