CCTSW Credential

Society for Transplant Social Workers

Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker

Purpose Statement

The purposes of the Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker credential are:

• to recognize individuals who have met professional standards and who possess clinical expertise based on specialized knowledge, skills, and experience in transplantation
• to help members of the Society for Transplant Social Workers distinguish themselves in today's competitive market
• to enhance professional and public recognition
• to reassure patients and their families of professional social work services specific to transplantation
• to increase awareness of transplant social work as a highly specialized, professional classification of clinical social work
• to provide a mechanism for the attainment of a professional distinction and expertise
• to promote professionalism within the transplant social work community

Core Functions

The core functions of a Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker are as follows:

• psychosocial assessment and psychosocial diagnosis – of living donors and transplant recipients pre- and post-transplant
• psychosocial interventions, treatment planning, implementation, and coordination
• psychotherapy and/or counseling on issues related to:
• adjustment to disability and chronic illness
• adjustment to machine dependency
• adjustment to life-threatening or terminal illness
• end of life care
• adherence to one's medical treatment plan
• preparation for the waiting period
• donors
• financial challenges
• rehabilitation, including physical, emotional, and social issues
• crisis intervention
• case planning, case management, resource management, care planning
• patient advocacy, resource brokering, and information and referral services
• continuity of care planning, including reassessment and evaluation
• admission diversion planning
• patient and family health education to maximize patient wellness and graft survival
• interdisciplinary collaboration and consultation
• documentation, report  writing, and recordkeeping
• discharge planning and coordination
• program development and resource development
• clinical research and publishing

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for credentialing as a Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker (CCTSW) by the Society for Transplant Social Workers an individual must:

• be a member in good standing of the Society for Transplant Social Workers
• hold a master's degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) or determined to be equivalent. The program must have been accredited by the CSWE or CASWE or equivalent at the time the degree was received.
• be licensed at the highest level of social work licensure available to healthcare practitioners in the state/province/territory or country in which he or she practices
• currently work as a clinical social worker in a transplant center or in a transplant-related field
• have served for a minimum of two years as a post-MSW social worker in a transplant center or in a transplant related field
• have experience with at least one transplant population, but is expected to be aware of multiple areas of transplantation populations and have basic understanding of the principles related to living donors and adult and pediatric recipients
• have earned at least 20 transplant-specific continuing education units (CEU’s).  Acceptable transplant-specific CEU’s include:

• All STSW conference CEU’s 
• Any CE article from Progress in Transplantation
• Any CEU’s directly related to clinical transplant social work practice (e.g. chronic illness & depression, anxiety, grief) 
• Any CEU’s directly related to transplant itself (e.g. immunology, tissue typing)

Renewal of CCTSW Credential

The Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker (CCTSW) credential must be renewed every three years.  To be eligible for the renewal, an individual must:

• have maintained continuous membership, in good standing, in the Society for Transplant Social Workers for the entire certification period
• continue to maintain licensure at the highest level of social work licensure available to healthcare practitioners in the state/province/territory or country in which he or she practices
• continue to work as a clinical social worker in a transplant center or in a transplant-related field
• complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education, 15 hours of which must be transplant-specific

To apply for the CCTSW Credential, please click on the link below:

• CCTSW Application

Appeal Process

If your application is denied and you wish to appeal this decision, please submit your written statement and supporting documentation to the STSW Credentialing Committee within 60 days. Your appeal will be reviewed by the Credentialing Committee and the president of the Society and you will be notified of the decision in writing. Mail your appeal to:

Laurie McDonald, LCSW, CCTSW
Clinical Care Management
UNC Hospitals
101 Manning Drive
Chapel Hill , NC 27514

Current Certified Clinical Transplant Social Workers

Stacy Adams
Janet Aminoff
Carolyn Gaitskell Bennett
Kathleen M. Briggs
Jennifer Kress Bruns
Kimberly Bruns
Sharon D. Burford
Margaret Cheng
David C. Cooper
Jamie Duhon
Nancy Edgington
Mary C. Fisher
Nancy Ford
Mary Freeman
Vera G. Gray
Gracie Moore Greene
Jeff Harder
Jane Harrison
Jan Hart
Nancy Hausmann
Judith Iden
Mary Kaiser
Christina Kan
Kay Kendall
Anne B. Lawler
Susan Davis Long
Vivian M. Longoria
Rebecca Marocco
Laurie McDonald
Phyllis McFarland
Sandy McMath
Angela Muir-Duckworth
Laura Paratore
Leslie B. Pionke
Chelsea Quinn
Donna S. Richey-Suttles
Terri J. Rihner
Lisa M. Schuhmacher
Tracey Shelby
Karen E. Troxel
V. Patricia Tatro
Paula Waller
Carol A. Winetroub