Nebraska Social Work License Requirements

The tables below are consolidated information for social work licenses in Nebraska.  Social Work Supervisor.com has summarized this information to make it simple for social workers to understand.

All information presented can be found at the Nebraska State Board of Social Work Examiners.  We review and update our social work license information for  Nebraska on a periodic basis.

Nebraska “Social Work” vs “Mental Health Services”

Nebraska is one of the most confusing states for licensure because they differentiate “social work services” from “mental health services.”

What this mean for you is:

1. If you wish to provide social work clinical services AND perform assessments/diagnose you need be licensed as a License Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP)
2. If you wish to provide clinical services but not be able to perform assessments or diagnose you need to be licensed as a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP)
3. If you wish to provide supportive counseling or social work case management at the masters level you need to be certified as a Certified Masters Social Worker (CMSW)
4. If you wish to provide supportive counseling or social work case management at the bachelors level you need to be certified as a Certified Social Worker.

Note on the Nebraska LCSW

At the start of our explanation of Nebraska licensure we want to explain that if you wish to use the title Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) you must become BOTH a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP) OR a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) AND a Certified Masters Social Worker (CMSW). There is no LCSW license in Nebraska, only the title LCSW. This can be done most easily by doubling up supervision hours with a supervisor who is both an LMHP/LIMHP and a CMSW.  This is summarized in the table below.

Nebraska LIMHP

In Nebraska the two clinical licenses are the Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP) and the Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP).  The main difference is that an LMHP can provide clinical treatment while an LIMHP can provide treatment AND assessment/diagnosis. There are two ways to become either an LIMHP or an LMHP depending on whether your social work school was accredited. This information is listed in the two tables below.

Nebraska LMHP

In Nebraska there are two ways to attain the LMHP depending on whether you graduated from an accredited school of social work. This information is listed below.

Nebraska PLMHP

In Nebraska the beginning clinical license is the Provisional Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (PLMHP) and it is required to begin the process of attaining the LMHP and the LIMHP.  The information on how to become a PLHMP is summarized in the table below.

Nebraska PCMSW and CMSW

The beginning social work certification in Nebraska is the Provisional Certified Masters Social Worker (PCMSW). The PCMSW is required in order to gain supervision toward becoming a Certified Masters Social Worker (CMSW). This information is summarized in the table below. Please remember that in Nebraska a CMSW cannot provide clinical treatment unless they also have the LMHP or the LIMHP.

Nebraska CSW

In Nebraska the base bachelors and masters level license is the Certified Social Worker (CSW). The information is summarized in the table below.

Nebraska Social Work License Applications and Questions

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