Supervision Requirements and Responsibilities
This domain tests the supervisor's authority, the associate's limited practice status, required documentation, and the consequences of defective supervision. Exam questions often ask whether particular hours or supervision contacts count.
Structure and qualifications
Supervision protects clients and develops the supervisee. The supervisor must hold the supervisor designation, LCMHCS, and meet the Board's post-licensure experience and training requirements. The supervisee holds LCMHCA and may not practice independently. A written supervision contract and plan state goals, methods, frequency, evaluation, emergency coverage, and fees.
Supervision activities
Supervision includes case review, direct observation or recorded sessions where allowed, discussion of ethics and boundaries, documentation review, and evaluation. The rules set ratios of supervision to client-contact hours and distinguish individual from group supervision. The supervisor is responsible for the supervisee's clients' welfare and must intervene when practice is unsafe. The supervisor verifies hours honestly.
Disclosure and boundaries
Clients must be told the counselor is an associate, who the supervisor is, and how to contact the supervisor. The supervisor should not supervise relatives, romantic partners, or employees in a way that creates conflicts. The supervisor may not bill for the supervisee's clients as if personally providing the service unless properly authorized.
Worked example
An LCMHCA completes 3,000 hours, but most supervision was group supervision with 12 supervisees and no individual supervision hours. The Board may reject the hours because the rule requires a specified individual supervision component and ratio. The associate must complete additional qualifying supervision before licensure.
Traps
Assuming any licensed counselor can supervise. Counting telephone availability as supervision. Supervising outside one's competence. Failing to document supervision sessions contemporaneously. Allowing an associate to describe herself as independently licensed.