LAC 46:LX.3321. Responsibilities of the LMFT Board-Approved Supervisor and Registered Supervisor Candidate

A. General Responsibilities 1. It is the primary function of supervisors in their relationships with their supervisees to protect the welfare of the public in every circumstance. Supervisors work with the board and their supervisee to protect the right of every client to ethical, professional treatment. Henceforth, any portion of the Rule that applies to board-approved supervisors will also be considered to apply to supervisor candidates except where specifically noted. a. The supervisor shall maintain a current knowledge of and represent accurately to supervisees and to the public the process of qualification of PLMFTs for licensure. b. The supervisor shall manage all information pertaining to the clients of the supervisee with the same level of confidentiality mandated in this Rule for licensed marriage and family therapists as in their interaction with their own clients. c. The supervisor shall, to the best of his ability and knowledge, address in an accurate, timely fashion any reasonable question or concern directed to the supervisor by clients of the supervisee about the professional status of the supervisee or the quality of care being provided to the client by the supervisee. d. In the event that the client of an supervisee makes a complaint or provides information to the supervisor that the supervisee may have committed a breach of the minimum standards of client care provided in this Rule resulting in harm or potential harm to the client, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to provide corrective feedback to the supervisee, warn the client of potential risk, and report the actions of the supervisee to the board in accordance with advisory committee policy. 2. A supervisor may not have more than a combined total of 10 supervisees, including PLMFTs and supervisees in other disciplines and/or registered supervisor candidates. 3. The supervisor is responsible for assisting the supervisee in developing and maintaining the plan of supervision and monitoring the timely submission of appropriate documentation to the board on behalf of the supervisee. 4. The supervisor shall provide qualified supervision to the supervisee until the supervisor has received official notice from the board that the supervisee is licensed as a LMFT, been officially assigned by the board to another supervisor, or has otherwise lost or forfeited qualification as a PLMFT. Nonpayment of the supervisor’s fees by the supervisee is not grounds for the suspension by the supervisor of supervisory meetings with the supervisee as specified by the board-approved plan of supervision. 5. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to immediately report to the board and his/her designated supervisees in accordance with advisory committee policy any changes in his status (loss of employment, serious illness, legal problems, etc.) that may significantly affect his/her certification as an approved supervisor or supervisor candidate or his/her ability as an approved supervisor to fulfill his/her duties as described in this Rule or in the plan of supervision/plan of supervision-of-supervision. The supervisor shall within thirty days also report to the board any change in status that may affect the ability of the board to contact him or her (change of address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc.). 6. As he/she has knowledge, the supervisor shall ensure that the supervisee reports such changes in status to the board in accordance with advisory committee policy that would affect the ability of the supervisor or the board to contact the supervisee, such as changes in postal address, telephone number, or e-mail address. 7. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to supervise supervisees within his or her scope of practice. The supervisor shall not present himself as providing supervision in any particular therapeutic approach, technique, or theoretical orientation in which the supervisor has not been thoroughly trained and had adequate experience to provide competent supervision as determined by the advisory committee. 8. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to observe the practice of the supervisee through clinical case review, real-time observation of the supervisee’s sessions, or by reviewing session video- or audio-tapes such that the supervisor is sufficiently able to monitor the practice of the supervisee and guide the supervisee in maintaining the minimum standard of care for his clients defined in this Rule and the plan of supervision. a. The supervisor shall ensure that the regularity, duration, and quality of supervision sessions are adequate to provide continuity, support, and nurturance to the supervisee and to monitor the professional quality of the supervisee’s service provision to clients. b. The supervisor shall provide timely, accurate feedback to the supervisee, the supervisee’s other supervisors, and the advisory committee in accordance with advisory committee policy in regard to the professional developmental of the supervisee, his or her progress in completing the plan of supervision, or any other information that relates to the supervisee’s ability to provide adequate care to clients. c. When a supervisor receives information that suggests that the behavior of a supervisee may present a clear and significant threat to the welfare of a client, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to immediately provide corrective feedback to the supervisee. d. In the event of Subparagraph A.8.c of this Section and if the supervisor determines that the supervisee has failed to respond appropriately by acting to protect the welfare of the client, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to immediately report the behavior of the supervisee to the board according to advisory committee policy and immediately inform the client of the potential risk. The supervisor should use his clinical judgment in such matters, balancing his or her roles as mentor to the supervisee and protector of the public with protection of the public preeminent. 9. The supervisor shall keep true, accurate, and complete records in accordance with advisory committee policy of his or her interactions with supervisees and their clients and respond within 30 days to any request by the board to audit records pertaining to the supervision of supervisees. 10. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to recommend for licensure as a LMFT those and only those PLMFTs that to the best of his or her knowledge have completed the requirements for licensure contained in this statute, satisfactorily fulfilled the terms of the board-approved plan of supervision, and have otherwise demonstrated a satisfactory level of competence in delivering professional services to their clients during the course of their postgraduate clinical experience. 11. As is applicable, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to recommend for certification as board-approved supervisors those and only those supervisor candidates that have satisfactorily fulfilled the terms of the board-approved plan of supervision-of-supervision and have otherwise demonstrated a satisfactory level of competence in delivering professional services to their supervisees. B. Specific Responsibilities of the Supervisor to the PLMFT. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to: 1. review with the supervisee a copy of the supervisor’s board-approved statement of practice, provide a copy of this statement to the supervisee, and file a copy of this statement with the board in accordance with advisory committee policy; 2. provide guidance and training to the supervisee in the ethical and competent delivery of psychotherapeutic services in a manner that leads the supervisee toward qualification as a LMFT. This includes but is not limited to guidance and training in diagnosis and treatment of emotional, mental, behavioral, and addictive disorders, problem assessment, treatment plan development, application of therapeutic knowledge, joining skills, technique selection, intervention skills/outcome assessment, application of ethical and legal principles, case documentation and reporting, case management, and consultation protocol; 3. provide a respectful and confidential learning environment for the supervisee that promotes the supervisee’s professional development as a LMFT, encourages the supervisee’s successful completion of the plan of supervision, and provides a controlled space for supervision sessions where the supervisee may discuss confidential case material without the risk of violating client confidentiality; 4. oversee the formulation of the supervisee’s plan of supervision in accordance with advisory committee policy that provides reasonable access for the supervisee to the board-approved supervisor and the supervision process, meets the developmental needs of the supervisee, and affords the supervisor adequate contact with the supervisee to appropriately monitor the quality of the supervisee’s service delivery to clients; a. the supervisee or the supervisor may request to amend the plan of supervision during the course of post- graduate clinical experience. Changes to the plan of supervision should be the result of collaboration between the supervisee and the board-approved supervisor; b. it is the responsibility of the supervisor to oversee the supervisee’s submission of amendments to the plan of supervision to the advisory committee within thirty days for approval in accordance with advisory committee policy; 5. assist the supervisee in finding a suitable resolution in the event that the policies of the supervisee’s employer or contractor impede the supervisee in providing a level of care to clients that meets the standards provided by board policy or this Rule. The supervisor should make reasonable effort to assist the supervisee in resolving such conflicts in a manner that if possible allows the supervisee to maintain his or her employment, comply fully with responsibilities as described in this statute, and complete the plan of supervision successfully; 6. assist the supervisee in identifying personal and professional strengths and weaknesses that affect the supervisee’s development as a family therapist and provide regular, meaningful feedback in accordance with advisory committee policy that will help the supervisee reinforce his strengths while improving his weaknesses; 7. avoid any dual relationship that could result in exploitation of the supervisee, compromise the supervisor’s ability to prioritize the welfare of the supervisee’s clients, or hinder the supervisor in providing objective feedback to the board or the supervisee’s about his progress toward qualification as a LMFT; a. in the event that the supervisor also has administrative responsibility for the supervisee in an agency or business, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to prioritize the welfare of the supervisee’s clients and the developmental needs of the supervisee over the needs of the supervisor’s employing organization; b. the supervisor should not employ the supervisee in his or her business as an employee or as a private contractor. In the event that such employment is necessary to the supervisee’s ability to qualify as a PLMFT, special permission for such employment may be granted at the discretion of the advisory committee; c. if the PLMFT is employed by or contracts with the supervisor in his business or private practice to provide services for which his status as PLMFT qualifies him, the supervisor must not profit monetarily from the services of the supervisee beyond the supervisor’s reasonable and customary fee for supervision as reflected in the board-approved supervisor’s statement of practice and as defined in the supervisee’s board-approved plan of supervision; d. the supervisor shall not maintain any social relationship (friendship or romantic relationship) with the supervisee that could result in exploitation of the supervisee or could impair the objectivity of the supervisor in his or her roles as trainer of the supervisee and protector of the public; 8. submit all appropriate documentation designated for supervisors using the appropriate forms as determined by the advisory committee and in a manner that does not unnecessarily impede the supervisee’s ability in a timely manner to qualify as a LMFT; 9. refer the supervisee for counseling or psychotherapy at the request of the supervisee or as the supervisor may deem prudent in assisting the supervisee in maintaining mental and emotional health sufficient to provide services to clients that meet the standard of care as defined by this Rule. The supervisee’s supervisor(s) shall not under any circumstances provide counseling, psychotherapy, or psychological testing to the supervisee; 10. earnestly endeavor to resolve with the supervisee any personal, professional, or ethical conflicts that hinder the supervisor in effectively collaborating with the supervisee toward the provision of an appropriate standard of care to clients or successfully completing the terms of the plan of supervision. a. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to take appropriate initiative to resolve such conflicts in a manner that is respectful to the supervisee and preserves continuity of care for the supervisee’s clients. b. In the event that such conflict cannot be resolved in a timely manner, the supervisor shall request assistance from the board in accordance with advisory committee policy. D. Revocation, Suspension, or Limitation of the Board-Approved Supervisor Certificate of a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 1. The board upon recommendation of the advisory committee may withhold, deny, revoke, suspend or limit the board-approved supervisor certification of a LMFT on a finding that the board-approved supervisor has violated any of the rules, regulations, or ethical standards for board-approved supervisors as pertains to the supervision of PLMFTs contained in this Rule or prior final decisions and/or consent orders involving the board-approved supervisor or supervisor candidate. 2. The advisory committee shall provide due notice to the supervisor and his or her assigned PLMFTs and/or supervisor candidates of any change in the supervisor’s qualification in accordance with advisory committee policy. 3. The board-approved supervisor or supervisor candidate has 90 days to appeal to the advisory committee in writing in accordance with advisory committee policy any withholding, denial, revocation, suspension, or limiting of the licensee’s certification as board-approved supervisor or registration as a board-approved supervisor candidate.