School Social Worker Permit

• Requires the individual to hold an earned Master of Social Work degree (MSW) or higher, or equivalent, from a college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or U.S. Department of Education (USDE)
• Requires the individual to hold a valid Limited License Master of Social Work (LLMSW) or valid Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) issued by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
• The individual must be accepted for enrollment in an approved school social worker preparation program.
• Must be under the supervision of a fully licensed school social worker.

1. Establish that a properly credentialed school social worker is not available.
2. Complete all tasks related to confirming the requirements have been met for the permit (e.g. background check per school safety law).
3. Obtain appropriate access to the Michigan Online Educator Certification System as a school user.
4. Log in to the system and select “Permits” from the menu of options.
5. Select “School Social Worker Permit
6. Using all supporting documentation, respond to and verify each question asked within the MOECS online permit application.
7. Once submitted, depending on the requirements, the application will indicate one of the following statuses:

• Pending Evaluation
• Hold
• Pending Payment ($45)
• Approved
• Denied

It is important to note that in some cases the permit application requires submission of documents to the Michigan Department of Education. In other cases, the permit application does not require submission of documents. When documentation to support the application is not requested, it must be maintained at the school or school district for future audit.

Documentation may include one or more of the following:

• College or university transcripts providing evidence a MSW degree (or its equivalent) is held.
• A valid LLMSW or valid LMSW issued by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
• Enrollment in an approved school social worker preparation program.

The permit is not valid until it reaches the approved status. This includes the payment process. A non-certified, inappropriately endorsed individual cannot be placed in the assignment without jeopardizing State Aid funding until the permit is issued and valid.

A school social work permit is valid from the date of issuance through August 31st of the academic year in which it is issued.  Permits are not valid retroactively.

It is vital that administration, AND the candidate being considered for employment, understand the requirements for renewal of the permit they are utilizing. Some renewal requirements must be completed while the candidate is working in the assignment.

The School Social Worker Permit can be renewed one time if the following conditions are met:

• Demonstrated progress toward completion of an approved school social worker program -or- holds a valid or expired Preliminary School Social Worker Certificate.
• Holds a valid LLMSW or LMSW issued by LARA.
• While under the supervision of an individual holding a valid Professional School Social Worker Certificate or a valid full approval, the individual provides social work services to those students with a valid Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) requiring those services.