Fall 2025 Issue

Social Work Education: The Importance of CE
By Emily Donovan, LISW, BCBA
Social Work Today
Vol. 25 No. 4 P. 6

Continuing education isn’t just compliance—it’s continued competency.

Things are not how they used to be. Changing laws and regulations, medical breakthroughs, new treatment modalities, and client needs are constantly evolving, and social workers’ skills need to evolve with them. Amid a busy schedule of caseloads and paperwork, fulfilling continuing education (CE) requirements can feel like an extra chore. But while it may seem like a hoop to jump through to renew our license, CE is essential to equipping social workers with the skills needed to deliver ethical, effective, and competent care. Instead of viewing it as an externally imposed mandate, social workers could reframe it as a powerful tool for serving—and empowering—their clients with the highest quality of care possible.

Our understanding of mental health and best practices for promoting it is constantly changing and, in the process, reshaping social work. Social workers have an obligation to their clients and their profession to stay up-to-date on changes because even seemingly niche breakthroughs can radically transform vital care. For instance, ketamine started out as something paramedics would give to suicidal patients. But after repeated observation of its long-term effects on depression, it has become a prescribed treatment for depression resistant to other medications. This is just one example of the many emerging trends in mental health care. CE also helps social workers stay informed about new developments and evolving practices, such as telehealth and AI. But as with any treatment or practice, benefits come with risks. CE sessions provide critical exposure to new developments, helping social workers understand these risks and learn how to communicate them clearly to clients and competently apply new practices.

Bolstering Education
CE training is also essential to protecting social workers from legal risks. Inadequately informed or burned-out social workers are naturally more susceptible to unintentionally putting themselves at legal risk. Although it can be easy to overlook tasks, such as revising documents, that may seem like an afterthought compared with client needs, these routine tasks are absolutely necessary for mitigating risk. Outdated or underdeveloped informed consent documents are a common issue that can be easily addressed to save social workers and clients from significant headaches down the road.

A broader knowledge base benefits both clients and practitioners. By helping social workers learn about and assess new techniques, CE instructors are equipping them with the tools that can help resolve an issue more quickly than other outdated techniques. Knowing about possible treatments allows social workers to more effectively treat their clients, empowering them to accomplish more with less trial and error. CE isn’t just about keeping your license—it’s about wielding it more effectively. This relieves pressure from both clients and practitioners, improving the relationship while lessening the workload.

CE is more essential than ever as rapid changes in federal and state laws, regulations, and diagnostic standards directly impact social workers’ practice and the services they provide to clients. Amid the demands of direct service, documentation, treatment planning, insurance billing, and service coordination, it can be challenging to stay current on legislative updates or revisions to tools such as the DSM. CE offers an efficient way to keep informed, enabling social workers to learn directly from experts who have already conducted in-depth analyses. CE courses help bridge the gap between evolving policies and day-to-day practice, ensuring social workers remain effective, compliant, and informed.

The need for constant training amidst these changes is especially pressing in the face of a nationwide mental health crisis and persistent shortage of behavioral health providers. There simply are not enough social workers to care for everyone. Even as we work to address this shortage in the long term, social workers must take intentional steps to maximize their impact by engaging in ongoing training that equips them with the skills they need to help their clients more effectively and efficiently. Finding time to attend CE sessions can be difficult, but they are now much more accessible through free virtual and prerecorded sessions that remove the need for advanced scheduling or travel. For instance, Preferra Learn offers free webinar CEs on risk management to help social workers stay up to date on the latest advancements in the field.

Connections and Mental Health
Additionally, CEs focused on self-care and burnout prevention can help social workers protect their own mental health. The ongoing social worker shortage is unsurprisingly creating even heavier workloads for already tired social workers, who are reluctant to turn away those who need them. Learning to build consistent self-care habits is crucial to sustaining a long and effective career. CEs that offer clear guidance and practical tips for prioritizing mental health can be the difference between burnout and a lasting, meaningful career.

Fulfilling CE credits is an important part of adhering to social work’s ethical principles. Of the nine core competencies of social work, the fourth competency states that social workers must engage in “practice-informed research and research-informed practice.” This reflects section 4.01 of our Code of Ethics, which says that social workers must “critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to social work.” As social workers, we abide by those principles not simply because it is expected of us but because we have committed ourselves to serving our clients and communities. Social workers have chosen to devote their careers to caring for those who need them most, and part of how we do that is by continually bettering ourselves so that we can provide them with the care they deserve.

It’s important to put the “social” back in social work by making time to collaborate and consult with trusted colleagues. CE offers more than just skill-building—it creates space for meaningful conversations with fellow social workers who share a common purpose. In a field where much of our time is spent with clients and administrative tasks, CEs provide a rare opportunity to step back, reflect, and reconnect. Engaging with peers in this way can validate or challenge our thinking, sharpen our practice, and renew our commitment to the profession. CE fosters lifelong learning and helps us stay grounded in a community that supports growth, insight, and shared impact.

Of course, the responsibility isn’t entirely on social workers. Employers and systems play a crucial role in facilitating social workers’ access to CE. To make CE truly impactful, organizations must provide time, resources, and access to high-quality, evidence-based training that directly relates to the work social workers are doing. When CE is perceived as irrelevant or disconnected, it risks becoming a frustrating checkbox rather than a meaningful opportunity for growth. Systems can help by removing barriers by intentionally offering relevant training that supports both individual development and better outcomes for clients.

Everyone, regardless of their field, can always polish their practice. But for social workers, embracing lifelong learning and regularly refreshing skill sets can be lifechanging for clients. Rapid changes in our society and nation can create feelings of instability. Social workers are their clients’ guides through these challenging times, helping them grow stronger in the face of adversity. CE enables social workers to gain a deeper understanding of their profession and, consequently, better assist their clients in navigating challenging times.

CE isn’t just a professional requirement—it’s a vital part of ethical, effective, and sustainable social work practice. In a landscape shaped by evolving policies, emerging treatments, and shifting community needs, CE helps social workers stay current, competent, and connected. It offers protection against burnout, fosters lifelong learning, and keeps our work grounded in evidence-based approaches. More importantly, CE reflects our commitment to our Code of Ethics, which calls on us to continually grow in service of others. Every social worker has agreed to this code—a pledge to pursue the well-being of our clients and communities with integrity and dedication. Rather than viewing CE as a time burden, we must recognize it as a powerful tool that strengthens our practice and reinforces our collective mission to create lasting, positive change.

— Emily Donovan, LISW, BCBA, has more than 20 years of school social work experience and is a board-certified behavior analyst. She currently serves as the licensed social work consultant and presenter for Preferra’s Risk Management Education Program.