Remote LCSW & LMFT Jobs in South Carolina

How To Become a LCSW or LMFT in South Carolina

How to Become an LCSW in South Carolina

South Carolina issues licenses for Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW), which is the equivalent of an LCSW in other states. To begin your journey toward licensure, you first need to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited four-year college or university. You must then pursue the following:

• Education and additional coursework: If you have a master’s or doctoral degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), you have satisfied the basic educational requirements for either license in South Carolina. However, if you are seeking a LISW license, you must complete at least 45 academic hours of both psychopathology and psycho-diagnostics.

• Experience: Those seeking LMSW designation must gain professional experience as part of their graduate education. For LISW licensure for clinical practice, you must complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical social work experience. This must occur within two to four years of earning LMSW certification. Your experience must include at least 100 hours of direct contact between the candidate and their supervisor.

• Exams: Candidates for either license must pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam for the respective licensure.

• Fees: South Carolina requires a $45 fee for licensure application. The ASWB exam fee for LISW licensure costs $230. A $260 fee is required for the ASWB exam for LMSW licensure.

How to Become an LMFT in South Carolina

If you want to become an LMFT, you need to first pursue a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate License, which requires a bachelor’s degree. Once you earn the MFTA license, you can pursue the following:

• Education and additional coursework: LMFT candidates must earn a master's or doctoral degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). Graduates from another accredited program with a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours with similar educational standards may also be accepted. These educational requirements are a requirement of the associate license.

• Experience: You must complete at least 500 hours of face-to-face client contact gained for the associate license. After fulfilling the associate license experience requirements, LMFT candidates must then complete 1,500 hours of supervised experience in no less than two years. Those hours must include 1,380 hours of client contact and 120 hours of supervised work. Also, half of the hours must occur in a group setting, with the other half in an individual setting.

• Exams: As a licensure candidate, you must pass the National Marital and Family Therapy Examination developed by the Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and administered by Professional Testing Corporation (PTC).

• Fees: South Carolina requires a $175 fee for LMFT licensure and a $365 fee for the AMFTRB exam.

Requirements for Remote Mental Health Workers (LCSWs & LMFTs) in South Carolina

Once you earn your license as an LISW, LMSW, or LMFT in South Carolina, you may choose to work in a remote position. In doing so, you can live in Charleston, Hilton Head, Greenville, or anywhere else in the state and take on clients throughout South Carolina. Plus, you will find an array of full-time and part-time virtual work opportunities available in SC.

Here’s what you should know before applying for a role as a remote mental health therapist:

• Work-from-home therapist: If you provide teletherapy, you must provide the same care as those working in an office or facility. The key difference is you will use websites, your phone, mobile applications, and other technology to treat clients. Remember that as a licensed South Carolina therapist, you can only provide virtual mental health therapy to people who live in the same state.

• Skills of successful remote therapists: All therapists must have excellent verbal communication skills. In a remote role, you must also possess the necessary technological skills to seamlessly communicate, test, and assess clients virtually.

• Necessary documentation: Employers and state officials occasionally ask for therapists’ resumes and other professional documentation. It’s wise to always keep such paperwork up to date so it’s readily available.

• Additional training: Although a remote social work position allows you to work off site, telemedicine companies may require you to occasionally work in-house for training. This includes education on how to use relevant technology and platforms, as well as best practices for proper webside manner.
  

Companies hiring remote LCSWs and LMFTs in South Carolina often post open positions on job posting sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn, so this is a great place to start looking for virtual therapy work opportunities.