Most Popular Continuing Education Courses and CEUs for Social Workers
With so many continuing education courses available, finding the right ones can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. One helpful starting point is seeing what other Social Workers are choosing.
This list is based on 2026 Agents of Change Continuing Education enrollment data, highlighting courses that Social Workers, Counselors, and Mental Health Professionals have chosen most often. Below, you’ll find the courses, why they’re popular, and tips for choosing CE that fits your needs.
Did you know? Agents of Change Continuing Education offers Unlimited Access to 200+ ASWB and NBCC-approved online CE courses and 25+ Live Events per year for one annual fee to meet your state’s requirements for Continuing Education credits and level up your career.
We’ve helped more than 100,000 Social Workers, Counselors, and Mental Health Professionals with exam prep and Continuing Education. Learn more here about Agents of Change and claim your 7.5 free CEUs.
Quick answer: popular Social Work CE topics
- Ethics, including work with kids and teens, technology, AI, and supervision
- Risk and safety, including suicide risk assessment and risk management
- Perinatal mental health, like postpartum depression and OCD
- Clinician well-being, including compassion fatigue and nervous system regulation
- Culturally responsive practice
- Tip: choose courses that meet your state’s required topics, like ethics, and fit your practice.
Jump to: Most Popular Courses · Why They’re Popular · Choosing Your Courses · FAQs
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1) Most Popular Courses for Social Work Continuing Education
| Course | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Ethical Considerations with Kids and Teens | Ethical issues that come up when working with children and adolescents, such as consent, confidentiality, and involving parents. |
| Mental Health Professionals’ Use of Artificial Intelligence: Ethical and Risk Management Challenges | The ethical and risk management questions Mental Health Professionals face when using AI tools in practice. |
| Conducting Risk and Safety Assessments | Skills for assessing risk and safety with clients. |
| Ethics and Boundaries with Technology | The do’s and don’ts of using technology in practice, from confidentiality to client boundaries. |
| Postpartum Depression and Postpartum OCD | Recognizing and treating postpartum depression and postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder. |
| Ethics of AI, Tech, Telehealth, and Social Media | Ethical considerations across AI, technology, telehealth, and social media in practice. |
| Suicidal Ideation and Self-Injurious Behaviors: Assessment and Treatment | Assessing and treating clients experiencing suicidal ideation and self-injurious behaviors. |
| Ethics in Supervision | Ethical responsibilities and challenges in clinical supervision. |
| From Dysregulation to Connection: Nervous System Tools for Mental Health Clinicians | Nervous system-informed tools clinicians can use to support regulation and connection. |
| Unpacking Perfectionism | Understanding perfectionism and how to address it in clinical work. |
Popular New Courses in 2026
These newer courses, all added in 2026, have quickly become favorites:
| Course | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Handling Multicultural Issues in the Therapy Room | Navigating cultural differences and multicultural dynamics in therapy. |
| Ethical Career Expansion for Social Workers & Therapists Beyond Traditional Roles | Ethical considerations for expanding your career beyond traditional clinical roles. |
| The Soul-Fed Clinician: Trauma-Informed Compassion Fatigue Detox | A trauma-informed approach to recognizing and recovering from compassion fatigue. |
| The Unfinished Business of Childhood: Healing the Helping Professional’s Hidden Wounds | How helping professionals’ own childhood experiences can affect their work, and paths to healing. |
| Risk Management in Mental Health | Reducing risk and protecting clients and clinicians in mental health practice. |
| Suicidality and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Assessment and Treatment Through the Lens of Attachment Theory | Assessing and treating suicidality and OCD using an attachment-informed lens. |
Popular courses change over time, and new courses are added regularly. Browse the full course library for current offerings.
2) Why These Courses Are Popular
| Reason | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Relevance | They address current challenges, like AI and technology, suicide risk, perinatal mental health, and compassion fatigue. |
| Ethics requirements | Many states require ethics hours for renewal, and many of these courses cover ethics, including technology, AI, supervision, and work with minors. |
| Practical application | They focus on knowledge Social Workers can apply directly with clients, colleagues, and organizations. |
| Peer endorsement | When many colleagues choose a course, it often signals that the content is useful. |
3) Choosing the Right Courses for You
- Start with your requirements: check total hours, required topics like ethics, and any limits on self-paced courses.
- Confirm approval: make sure your board accepts the provider. Agents of Change Continuing Education is an ASWB ACE and NBCC-approved provider.
- Match your practice: choose topics that fit your setting, population, and career goals.
- Mix formats: combine self-paced courses with live events if your state requires live hours.
- Start free: try 7.5 free CEUs from Agents of Change.
4) FAQs: Popular Social Work CE Courses
Why do so many popular courses focus on ethics?
Ethics is central to Social Work practice, and many states require ethics hours for license renewal. Ethics courses also help Social Workers navigate new challenges, like technology, AI, and complex boundary situations.
Why are AI courses so popular?
AI tools are quickly entering practice, from documentation to client communication. Courses on AI ethics and risk management help clinicians understand the benefits and risks, and how to protect client confidentiality.
How do I know if a course will count toward my license?
Check that your board accepts the provider’s approval, such as ASWB ACE or NBCC, and whether the course meets any required topics or format rules. The free CE tracker above can help you see what your state requires.
5) Conclusion
The most popular CE courses reflect what clinicians need right now: ethical guidance for AI and technology, stronger risk and safety assessment skills, perinatal mental health knowledge, and support for their own well-being. Choose courses that meet your requirements and help you grow in the areas that matter most to your work.
Learn more about Agents of Change Continuing Education. We’ve helped more than 100,000 Social Workers, Counselors, and Mental Health Professionals with exam prep and Continuing Education and want to help you next!
► Learn more about Agents of Change Continuing Education here: https://agentsofchangeprep.com/continuing-education/
About the Lead Instructor, Dr. Meagan Mitchell: Meagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing Continuing Education for Social Workers, Counselors, and Mental Health Professionals for more than 10 years. From all of this experience helping others, she created Agents of Change Continuing Education to help Social Workers, Counselors, and Mental Health Professionals stay up-to-date on the latest trends, research, and techniques.
Disclaimer: This content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Written by Agents of Change
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