DRAFT OF CLINICAL SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS (10/04)

NEW SECTION

            WAC 246-809-310  Definitions.  The following terms apply to the licensure of independent clinical and advanced social workers.

            (1) "Approved educational program" is an accredited graduate school of social work and means an educational program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

            (2) "Equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner" is a licensed mental health counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed psychiatric nurse.

            (3) "Supervision of supervision" means supervision by an approved supervisor for the purpose of training and qualifying a licensee to act as an approved supervisor for purposes of chapter 18.225 RCW and WAC 246-809-334.

 

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 01-17-113, filed 8/22/01, effective 9/22/01)

            WAC 246-809-320  Education requirements and supervised postgraduate experience.  The following are education and experience requirements for the applicant’s practice area:

            (1) Licensed advanced social worker.

            (a) Graduation from a master’s or doctoral social work educational program accredited by the council on social work education and approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards; and

            (b) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement. The experience requirement consists of a minimum of three thousand two hundred hours with ninety hours of supervision by a licensed independent clinical social worker or a licensed advanced social worker who has been licensed or certified for at least two years. Of those hours, fifty hours must include direct supervision by a licensed advanced social worker or licensed independent clinical social worker; the other forty hours may be with an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner.  Forty hours must be in one-to-one supervision and fifty hours may be in one-to-one supervision or group supervision.  Distance supervision is limited to forty supervision hours.  Eight hundred hours must be in direct client contact.

            (2) Licensed independent clinical social worker.

            (a) Graduation from a master's or doctorate level social work educational program accredited by the council on social work education and approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards; and

            (b) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement.  The experience requirement consists of a minimum of four thousand hours of experience, of which one thousand hours must be direct client contact, over a three-year period supervised by a licensed independent clinical social worker 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, with supervision of at least one hundred thirty hours by a licensed mental health practitioner.  Of the total supervision, seventy hours must be with an independent clinical social worker meeting the qualifications under this subsection (2)(b); the other sixty hours may be with an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner.  Sixty hours must be in one-to-one supervision and seventy hours may be in one-to-one supervision or group supervision.  Distance supervision is limited to sixty supervision hours.

 

NEW SECTION

            WAC 246-809-334  Approved supervisor.  (1) "Approved supervisor" (also referred to as "supervisor,") is defined as:  An equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner.

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

            (3) The supervisor must not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the supervisee, supervisee's peer, or someone who has acted as the supervisee's therapist within the past two years.

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

            (5) The supervisor must 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.

            The supervisor must attest to having thorough knowledge of the supervisee's practice activities including:

            (i) Recordkeeping;

            (ii) Financial management;

            (iii) Ethics of clinical practice; and

            (iv) A backup plan for coverage.

            (6) Applicants whose supervised postgraduate experience began prior to January 1, 2005, are exempt from the requirements of subsection (5) of this section.