Regulations governing the clinical supervision of counselors and therapist in training for Washington State licensure.
 

Washington State Regulations
for the Supervision of
Therapists and Counselors

Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Registered Counselors

WAC 246-809-334
Approved supervisor standards and responsibilities.

(1) The approved supervisor must hold a license without restrictions that has been in good standing for at least two years.

(2) The approved supervisor shall not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the licensure candidate, licensure candidate's peer, or someone who has acted as the licensure candidate's therapist within the past two years.

(3) The approved supervisor, prior to the commencement of any supervision, shall provide the licensure candidate a declaration, on a form provided by the department, that the supervisor has met the requirements of WAC 246-809-334 and qualifies as an approved supervisor.

(4) The approved supervisor shall have completed the following:

(a) A minimum of fifteen clock hours of training in clinical supervision obtained through:

(i) A supervision course; or

(ii) Continuing education credits on supervision; or

(iii) Supervision of supervision; and

(b) Twenty-five hours of experience in supervision of clinical practice; and

(c) Has had two years of clinical experience post-licensure (LASWs only) or five years of clinical experience post-certification or licensure (for LICSWs only).

(5) The approved supervisor shall attest to having thorough knowledge of the licensure candidate's practice activities including:

(a) Specific practice setting;

(b) Recordkeeping;

(c) Financial management;

(d) Ethics of clinical practice; and

(e) The licensure candidate's backup plan for coverage in times when he/she is not available to their clients.

(6) Licensure candidates whose supervised postgraduate experience began prior to the effective date of these rules are exempt from the requirements of subsection (4) of this section.  [Interpretation--allows for supervisors to continue supervising individuals under their supervision prior to the requirement being implemented on 09/30/2006 to continue supervising those individuals, but prior to taking on new licensure candidate's would have to meet the requirements (above).  Social work supervisors are required to meet the requirements of RCW 18.225.090 which requires that supervisors of LASW's must been licensed or certified for at least two years, and in order to provides supervision for a LICSWs it must be an LICSW who has been licensed or certified for at least five years and who has had at least one year of experience in supervising the clinical social work practice of others.]

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.225.040 and [18.225.]090. 06-18-043, § 246-809-334, filed 8/30/06, effective 9/30/06.]

Clinical supervision is complete oversight responsibility for a counselor's  cases (the clients' course of treatment) in an on-going supervision of professional practice, done on a weekly or bi-weekly basis until the hours required for licensure are completed.  This can be done in an agency where the agency treatment supervisor oversees the employed counselor's work, OR the pre-license self-employed counselor in private practice can locate and hire a qualified person to supervise their casework.  Both parties to a supervision agreement (the supervisor and the supervisee) should have professional liability insurance. 

Counselors: The supervisor maintains records of your supervisory meetings and your direct client hours and then documents your hours for you by signing required state forms.  The counselor supervisor reads, discusses, and signs off on your client charts and is responsible for supervising the quality of your counseling work.  See our Puget Sound Directory of Counselor - Therapist Supervision for a listing of trained licensed counselors who are available to do paid supervision in the Puget Sound region.  The process of counselor supervision and counselors reporting supervision hours is done using specific Washington State forms.

  PLEASE NOTE:    The Governor signed Senate House Bill 2474, modifying supervised experience requirements for social worker licenses, on March 25, 2008. This bill modifies RCW 18.225.090 and applies retroactively to July 22, 2003.

See also: Chapter 246-809 WAC  Licensure for mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers
    

   
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(1.) Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC),
(2.) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW),
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(4.) Registered Counselors (RC).

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