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The two core courses for social workers
Social workers meet ethical tension every day, often in settings where the client did not choose the service: child welfare, hospitals, schools, prisons, shelters and community mental health. A client's right to self-determination may conflict with their safety. Agency policy may conflict with what the client needs. A small community may make a dual relationship impossible to avoid. A court may demand records you consider confidential. We built two courses because good reasoning and meeting a board's standard are related but different skills.
Ethics for social workers: values, reasoning and dilemmas
The ethics course is built on the six core values of the NASW Code of Ethics (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence), applied to cases such as:
- Respecting self-determination when a client makes a risky choice, and knowing when safety must come first.
- Dual and multiple relationships in rural, tribal, faith and small professional communities.
- Confidentiality with minors, families, groups and multidisciplinary teams, and when the law requires disclosure.
- Conflicts between agency policy, funding rules and a client's interests.
- Advocacy and social justice obligations alongside work with individual clients.
- Gifts, home visits, bartering and contact after services end.
Each module ends with a case: name the values in tension, check the code and your state law, consider the client's perspective and culture, decide, and set out how you would document your reasoning.
Professional standards for social workers: conduct, scope and accountability
The professionalism course covers what a board will look at: practicing within the level of license you hold (for example, clinical work requires a clinical license in most states); informed consent and its documentation; case notes and records in agency and private practice; providing and receiving supervision, including supervision toward clinical licensure; technology and telehealth across state lines; mandated reporting; billing and declarations; cooperating with a board investigation; and how discipline is reported, including to the National Practitioner Data Bank.
| Ethics course | Professionalism course | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Values, reasoning, dilemmas | Conduct, license level, records, supervision |
| Example | A client refuses a safety plan you think they need | An LMSW provides psychotherapy without required clinical supervision |
| Outcome | A decision grounded in values you can explain | Practice that meets your board's rules, with records to show it |
The NASW Code, your board rules and how the courses map to them
Your license is governed by your state's social work practice act and board rules. The NASW Code of Ethics binds NASW members, and many boards draw on it or reflect its standards in their own rules. Some boards write conduct standards directly into regulation, so read your own rules alongside the code. The code is organized around ethical responsibilities to different groups, and each maps to our courses:
| Responsibilities in the code | Main course | Supporting course |
|---|---|---|
| To clients: self-determination, consent, competence, conflicts of interest, privacy, boundaries | Ethics for social workers | Professional boundaries; HIPAA privacy |
| To colleagues: respect, consultation, referral, impaired or incompetent colleagues | Professional standards for social workers | Raising concerns; teamwork |
| In practice settings: supervision, education, records, billing, employer commitments | Professional standards for social workers | Clinical supervision; documentation; financial integrity |
| As professionals: competence, honesty, impairment, misrepresentation | Both core courses | Professional integrity and honesty |
| To the profession and to society: integrity of the profession, social and political action | Ethics for social workers | Health equity and respectful care |
We explain the code in our own words and link to the official text. Where a state rule or a law such as HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 or a mandated reporting statute sets a stricter requirement, the courses tell you to follow it and record your reasoning.
Social work CE, renewal and where our courses fit
Social work is one of the professions where boards most often name ethics in their renewal rules. Confirmed examples from official board pages (October 2026):
| Board | Total | Ethics and related content |
|---|---|---|
| California Board of Behavioral Sciences (LCSW and others) | 36 hours every 2-year period after the first renewal | 6 hours of law and ethics every renewal; one-time 3 hours telehealth and 6 hours suicide risk assessment and intervention |
| Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | 30 hours per biennium (first renewal exempt) | 3 hours ethics and boundaries, alternating biennially with 3 hours telehealth; 3 hours laws and rules every third biennium; 2 hours medical errors |
| New York (NYSED), LMSW and LCSW | 36 hours per 3-year registration period | Approved providers only; no more than 12 self-study hours |
| Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council | Set in the social work rule | Human trafficking course every renewal; at least 50% of hours from qualifying providers; CE Broker tracking from January 1, 2026 |
Our courses are not ASWB ACE-approved or board-approved, so they will not count toward the hours you report in most states. They are useful as deeper preparation before an approved law and ethics course, as structured learning after a difficult case, for supervisors planning ethics discussions with supervisees, and as dated evidence of self-directed learning. See the ethics hours for license renewal guide for more boards.
Supporting courses: consent, capacity and communication
Consent in social work involves explaining services, limits of confidentiality, mandated reporting and any court or agency involvement, often to people who are distressed or who did not ask for help. Capacity questions arise with older adults, people with cognitive impairment and minors. These courses cover consent conversations, capacity and surrogate decisions, respectful communication across cultures and languages, and equity.
Supporting courses: records, privacy and technology
Social workers keep records in many systems: agency case files, electronic health records, school records and private practice notes. Each brings different privacy rules, and substance use disorder records may fall under 42 CFR Part 2. The documentation course covers objective, timely notes that would stand up in court; the privacy course covers HIPAA and disclosure requests; the social media course covers searching for clients online, texting and electronic communication.
Supporting courses: boundaries and dual relationships
Boundaries are one of the most common themes in complaints against behavioral health licensees, and Florida names ethics and boundaries together in its renewal requirement. The boundaries course covers the difference between crossings and violations, gifts, self-disclosure, home visits, contact after services end, and relationships with clients' family members. It also covers boundaries in supervision, where power imbalances are real.
Supporting courses: honesty, billing and disclosure
Integrity issues for social workers include accurate case notes, billing for sessions actually delivered, honest representation of credentials and license level, truthful answers on renewal and employment forms, and openness when something goes wrong. These courses cover each, along with how to raise concerns about agency practices safely.
Supporting courses: safeguarding, risk and scope
Safety in social work centers on mandated reporting of child and elder abuse, suicide and violence risk, handoffs between agencies and practicing within your license level. These courses cover mandated reporting duties, structured risk management, safe transitions and handoffs, and working within the scope your license allows.
Supporting courses: complaints and remediation
If a board has written to you, get advice from an attorney or your professional liability insurer before responding. Then use these courses to understand the process and show insight and change. For courses grouped by concern, see remediation courses for social workers; for the complaint process, see our therapist licensing board complaint guide.
Who these courses suit
- LCSWs in private practice handling consent, records and billing on their own.
- Child welfare, school and hospital social workers balancing agency duties, family needs and confidentiality.
- LMSWs working toward clinical licensure who need to understand license levels and supervision.
- Clinical supervisors responsible for supervisees' practice and ethics development.
- Social workers in rural and tribal communities where dual relationships are hard to avoid.
- Social workers providing telehealth to clients in other states.
How online study works
Each course carries at least 2 hours of study in short sections with knowledge checks, so you can fit it around caseloads and home visits. Access is instant and progress saves across devices. The final assessment has 20 case-based questions; you pass at 80% (16 of 20) and can review and retake it. You then complete a structured reflective account and download a certificate with the course title, study time and date.
Write your reflection about what you learned and will change, without client identifiers. US law does not generally protect personal reflective notes, and social work records can be subpoenaed.
Fitness To Practice is independent. They do not award CE credit unless your board accepts them, do not satisfy a board order unless the board approves them, and do not guarantee any outcome.
Questions
Is the social work ethics course based on the NASW Code of Ethics?
Yes. It uses the NASW Code's core values, ethical principles and standards as its framework, explained in our own words and applied to US practice settings. NASW did not produce or endorse it. Where your state rules or federal law set a different or stricter requirement, the course tells you to follow the law.
Can I count it toward California's 6-hour law and ethics requirement?
No. California's Board of Behavioral Sciences requires 6 hours of law and ethics every renewal from acceptable providers, and we are not one. Our course can deepen your thinking before you take approved hours, but you should complete the required hours with a provider the board accepts. Check the BBS website for its current rules.
Will it meet Florida's ethics and boundaries hours for LCSWs?
Not as approved hours. Florida asks for 3 hours of ethics and boundaries in alternate cycles, with telehealth in the others, and courses must meet the board's provider rules. Our ethics and boundaries courses are good preparation and reflection material, but take the reportable hours from an approved provider.
Does the professionalism course explain the difference between LMSW and LCSW practice?
It explains the general principle that clinical practice usually requires a clinical license or supervised practice toward one, and that states define license levels differently. It shows you how to check your own practice act, what supervision must look like and how to document it. Practicing beyond your license level is a common basis for discipline.
How does the ethics course handle self-determination versus client safety?
It treats this as a core dilemma. You work through how to respect a client's choices, when risk to the client or others justifies limiting them, what the law requires in your state, and how to involve the client in decisions where possible. It also covers documenting the reasoning behind each decision.
Are mandated reporting duties covered?
The core courses explain where mandated reporting fits within confidentiality and consent, and the supporting safeguarding course covers child and elder abuse reporting in more depth. Every state sets its own reporting law, so the courses show you how to find and apply yours, and how to explain reporting duties to clients at the start.
Do the courses address subpoenas and court requests for records?
Yes. The ethics and privacy courses explain the difference between a subpoena and a court order, why you should not simply hand over records, and how to protect client confidentiality while responding lawfully. Get legal advice for any specific request, especially for substance use disorder records under 42 CFR Part 2.
Is the course useful for clinical supervisors?
Yes. Supervisors can use both core courses to structure ethics discussions with supervisees, and the supporting supervision course covers supervision contracts, evaluation, record keeping and boundaries within supervision. Supervisees' conduct can reflect on the supervisor's license, so clear documentation matters.
What should I do if a client files a complaint against me with the board?
Contact your professional liability insurer or an attorney before responding to the board or the client. Do not alter records. Your adviser can tell you whether voluntary learning will help your response and how to present it. Our complaint and remediation courses explain the process but are not legal advice.
Do the courses cover telehealth with clients in other states?
Yes. The professionalism course explains that the rules of the state where the client is located generally apply, how to check licensure before you begin, and how to handle emergencies with a remote client. California also requires a one-time telehealth course for its licensees from an acceptable provider.
Can BSW and MSW students take these courses?
Yes. Students and new graduates often use them to prepare for field placements, licensing exams and early practice. They do not replace your program's ethics curriculum or your field instructor's guidance, and the certificate does not count toward licensure requirements.
How long does each social work course take?
Each carries at least 2 hours, plus time for the 20-question assessment and the reflective account. You can study in short sessions between visits or in one sitting, and your progress saves automatically. Many social workers start with the ethics course.
Does the ethics course discuss conflicts between agency policy and client needs?
Yes. It covers what to do when funding rules, eligibility criteria or employer policies seem to work against a client: clarifying the policy, seeking supervision or consultation, advocating within the agency, documenting your concerns, and recognizing when an issue needs to be raised formally or reported.
Official sources
Checked October 2026. Rules and processes change, so confirm the current position with the official source. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- NASW Code of Ethics
- NASW: Continuing Education on Ethics
- California Board of Behavioral Sciences: Continuing Education
- Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, MFT and Mental Health Counseling: LCSW Renewal
- NYSED Office of the Professions: LCSW Continuing Education
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council: Continuing Education
- ASWB: Association of Social Work Boards
- HHS: 42 CFR Part 2 Final Rule Fact Sheet
- NPDB Guidebook: State Licensure Actions
How these courses are built
Official sources only
Every legal and regulatory point comes from primary sources: state practice acts and board rules, federal law and national professional codes of ethics. Anything we cannot confirm is left out.
Original, edition by edition
Lessons, scenarios and assessment questions are written by us for each edition separately, then checked for accuracy, teaching quality and fair assessment before publication.
Reviewed when rules change
When a code, standard or law changes, the affected courses are reviewed and updated. Reported errors in legal or regulatory facts are corrected first.