Here’s what the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors asks of licensees at renewal, and the courses I built around each requirement.
Renewal requirements
Who this covers
- Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Social Workers (LSW), and Licensed Bachelor Social Workers (LBSW)
30 clock hours every 2 years
- At least 3 clock hours in ethics.
- 1 clock hour in suicide assessment, treatment, and management (Act 74 of 2016).
- 2 clock hours in child abuse recognition and reporting (Act 31 of 2014), from an approved Act 31 provider.
- The rest in topics related to your practice (49 Pa. Code §§ 47.32, 48.32, 49.32).
Rules for every license
- Online courses count. Since November 19, 2019, the Board has allowed all 30 clock hours to be completed online.
- Home study label: the regulations ask that home study courses say so on the certificate. Every Pennsylvania certificate from my courses says “Home Study.”
- Child abuse hours: the 2 Act 31 hours come from a provider approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services or Department of State. My courses don’t include them.
- No carryover: extra hours don’t move to the next renewal period.
- Keep your certificates for 4 years. The Board audits at random.
- Topics that don’t count: office management and practice-building courses. LBSW courses relate to bachelor-level social work practice.
- NBCC courses count. The Board’s regulations list NBCC-approved providers as preapproved for social workers, MFTs, and professional counselors (49 Pa. Code §§ 47.36, 48.36, 49.36). I’m an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider.
Courses for each requirement
Ethics (3 clock hours)
Pennsylvania Professional Ethics for Counselors, MFTs, and Social Workers. Built on the Board’s codes of ethics in Chapters 47, 48, and 49, the Mental Health Procedures Act, minors’ consent, and duty to warn. Self-paced, 3 clock hours, $17.
See the courseSuicide, Act 74 (1 clock hour)
Suicide Risk Assessment, Treatment, and Management for Pennsylvania Clinicians. Self-paced, 1 clock hour, $4.
See the courseCo-Occurring Disorders (6 clock hours)
Diagnosis and treatment of co-occurring disorders, with Pennsylvania drug and alcohol confidentiality law and working alongside DDAP-licensed programs. Self-paced, 6 clock hours, $14.
See the courseCouple and Family Therapy (5 clock hours)
Systemic assessment, evidence-based couple and family models, and a full module on Pennsylvania MFT law and Chapter 48. Self-paced, 5 clock hours, $24.
See the courseTrauma (4 clock hours)
Assessment and Diagnosis of Trauma. Screening tools, DSM-5-TR trauma diagnoses, and treatment planning. Self-paced, 4 clock hours, $10.
See the courseCrisis Intervention (4 clock hours)
Foundations of Crisis Intervention, with Pennsylvania crisis resources: 988, county crisis lines, and 302 and 303 commitments. Self-paced, 4 clock hours, $10.
See the courseAI in Behavioral Health (3 clock hours)
How Pennsylvania’s ethics and confidentiality rules apply to AI tools, plus the bills now pending in Harrisburg. Self-paced, 3 clock hours, $17.
See the courseGambling Addiction (2 clock hours)
Gambling Addiction Treatment: A Brief Review, with 1-800-GAMBLER and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board self-exclusion programs. Self-paced, 2 clock hours, $5.
See the courseBundles
Pennsylvania 20-Hour Renewal Bundle for LPCs and Social Workers
Ethics (3), Act 74 Suicide (1), Co-Occurring Disorders (6), Trauma (4), Crisis Intervention (4), and Gambling Addiction (2). 20 clock hours, $49.
See the bundlePennsylvania 20-Hour Renewal Bundle for Marriage and Family Therapists
Ethics (3), Act 74 Suicide (1), Couple and Family Therapy (5), Trauma (4), Crisis Intervention (4), and AI in Behavioral Health (3). 20 clock hours, $59.
See the bundlePennsylvania Core Requirements Bundle
Ethics (3) and Act 74 Suicide (1), the two Pennsylvania required topics I offer. 4 clock hours, $19.
See the bundleCommon questions
How many CE hours do Pennsylvania counselors, MFTs, and social workers need?
30 clock hours every 2-year renewal period, including at least 3 hours of ethics, 1 hour on suicide assessment, treatment, and management, and 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting from an approved Act 31 provider.
Can I take all 30 hours online?
Yes. The Board’s November 2019 notice allows all 30 clock hours to be completed online.
Do NBCC-approved courses count in Pennsylvania?
Yes. The Board’s regulations list NBCC-approved providers as preapproved for social workers, MFTs, and professional counselors.
Can I get my Act 31 child abuse hours here?
No. Those 2 hours come from a provider approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services or Department of State.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
My Pennsylvania courses are designed around the continuing education requirements of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors but are not approved or endorsed by the Board.
Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7987. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.