Supervised Counseling Experience

PURPOSE: This rule defines the requirements for supervised counseling experience. (1) As applied to periods of supervision beginning on or after January 1, 1989, the phrase “acceptable supervised counseling experience,” as used in section 337.510(1), RSMo, shall mean training in counseling as defined in section 337.500(6) and (7), RSMo, registered with and approved by the committee and beginning after the graduate degree consisting of a course of study with a major in counseling has been conferred. All educational requirements as defined in sections (1) and (3) shall have been met before any supervised counseling experience commences. (A) For the purpose of provisional licensure or licensure as a professional counselor, supervision shall be obtained from a licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist. For the purpose of this regulation an inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, retired, probated, or suspended license shall not meet this requirement. The registered supervisor shall not be a relative of the applicant or have engaged in the activities described in 20 CSR 2095-3.010(12) (A)–(F) during the supervised counseling experience. (B) For the purpose of this rule, a relative of the applicant for supervision shall include but not be limited to a spouse, parent, child, sibling, of the whole or half-blood, adopted sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin, or one who is or has been related in the first degree by marriage. (2) The applicant shall obtain the appropriate form for filing the application for registration of supervision by writing to the Committee for Professional Counselors, PO Box 1335, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1335, calling (573) 751-0018, sending a fax to (573) 751-0735, or sending an email to profcounselors@pr.mo. gov. The TDD number is (800) 735-2996. The applicant shall submit to a background check and pay all applicable fees pursuant to 20 CSR 2095-1.040. (A) For the purpose of conducting a background check, the applicant shall provide proof of submission of fingerprints to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s approved vendor(s) for both a Missouri State Highway Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation background check. Proof shall consist of any documentation acceptable to the committee. Any fees due for the background check shall be paid by the applicant directly to the Missouri State Highway Patrol or its approved vendor(s). (B) All proposed supervision arrangements beginning on or after July 1, 1989, shall be approved by the committee. An application for supervision or change of supervision shall not be considered as officially filed with the committee unless it is typewritten or printed in black ink, signed, accompanied by all documents required by the committee and the applicant pays the required application fee. The effective or starting date of supervision shall be the date the application is received in the committee’s office and contingent upon the committee’s approval. Following the review of the application for supervision by the committee, the applicant shall be informed in writing of the committee’s decision. (C) The completed application for supervision or change of supervision including all supporting material required by the committee shall be received at least thirty (30) days before the meeting of the committee. Applications received less than thirty (30) days before the next regularly scheduled committee meeting may be reviewed at the committee’s discretion. (3) To begin supervised counseling experience, the applicant shall have a master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree in counseling or another mental health discipline as defined in 20 CSR 20952.010(2) and have received graduate credit for at least three (3) semester hours or five (5) quarter hours in counseling theory as defined in 20 CSR 2095-2.010(4)(A) and at least two (2) semester hours or four (4) quarter hours in supervised practicum as defined in 20 CSR 2095-2.010(3)(B)1. The committee may approve the applicant for supervision while the applicant completes core course deficiencies. All core course deficiencies shall be completed prior to being eligible for provisional licensure or licensure as a professional counselor. (4) An applicant approved for supervision or provisional licensure based upon a master’s degree pursuant to section 337.510.1(c), RSMo, shall obtain, in no more than sixty (60) calendar months: (A) A minimum of three thousand (3,000) total hours of supervised counseling experience. Hours may be obtained on a part-time or full-time basis and the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor may receive reimbursement from the employer or supervisor or provide therapeutic services on a voluntary basis; and (B) A minimum of twenty-four (24) calendar months of continuous supervised counseling experience. The counselorin-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall obtain an average of at least fifteen (15) hours of supervised counseling experience per week in order for the experience to be considered by the committee. If a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor is unable to obtain at least an average of fifteen (15) hours per week, he/she must advise the committee in writing regarding the reason that such hours cannot be obtained. The committee shall determine if such hours can be acceptable for licensure. (C) A minimum of twelve hundred (1,200) hours of the three thousand (3,000) hours of supervised counseling experience shall be direct client contact. 1. For the purpose of these regulations, direct client contact shall be defined as face-to-face interaction between the client/patient or group and the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor in the same room. (5) An applicant approved for supervised counseling experience based upon a specialist or doctoral degree in counseling or other mental health discipline as defined in 20 CSR 20952.010(2) or based upon thirty (30) hours of post master’s course work in counseling or other mental health discipline as defined in 20 CSR 2095-2.010(2) shall obtain, in no more than thirty-six (36) calendar months: (A) A minimum of fifteen hundred (1,500) hours of supervised counseling experience. Hours may be obtained on a part-time or full-time basis and the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor may receive reimbursement from the employer or supervisor or provide therapeutic services on a voluntary basis; and (B) A minimum of twelve (12) calendar months of supervised counseling experience. The counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor must obtain an average of at least fifteen (15) hours of supervised counseling experience per week in order for the experience to be considered by the committee. If a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor is unable to obtain at least fifteen (15) hours per week, s/he must advise the committee in writing regarding the reason that such hours cannot be obtained. The committee shall determine if such hours can be acceptable for licensure. (C) A minimum of six hundred (600) hours of supervised counseling experience shall be direct client contact. (6) The counselor-in-training, provisional licensed professional counselor, and registered supervisor shall either be employed at the same counseling setting or affiliated to the setting by contract. A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall not operate a private practice. An applicant may register multiple counseling settings and register more than one (1) supervisor in compliance with 20 CSR 2095-2.020 by submitting an application for registering or changing supervision and paying the applicable fee as defined in 20 CSR 2095-1.020. (A) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor may be employed at a licensee’s private practice. The counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall solicit therapeutic services according to the full order, control, oversight, and guidance of the registered supervisor. (B) Payment for counseling services provided by a counselorin-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall be made to the supervisor registered and approved by the committee or organization employing or affiliated with the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor. (7) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall receive at least one (1) hour of face-to-face supervision per week from the registered supervisor. All faceto-face supervision shall be included in the total number of AND INSURANCE supervised experience hours required in this rule. (A) A minimum of two (2) weeks of each month shall consist of one (1) hour of face-to-face per week supervision by the registered supervisor with the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor; and (B) A maximum of two (2) weeks each month may consist of one (1) hour per week of group face-to-face supervision facilitated by the registered supervisor and counselors-intraining or provisional licensed professional counselors. 1. No more than three (3) counselors-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselors may participate in a group supervision session. 2. When there are more than three (3) counselors-intraining, provisional licensed professional counselors, or other professionals present the hour shall count toward the three thousand (3,000) hours of supervision and shall not qualify for one (1) hour face-to-face individual or group supervision. (C) The use of electronic communication, to include a cellular telephone or Internet, is not acceptable for meeting the supervisory requirement of this rule unless the communication is contemporaneously or simultaneously visually and verbally interactive between the registered supervisor and counselorin-training or provisional licensed professional counselor. (8) The supervised counseling experience shall encompass those activities as defined within the scope of practice as defined in section 337.500(6) and (7), RSMo. (A) The counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall provide services subject to the registered supervisor’s order, control, oversight, guidance, and full professional responsibility. (B) The counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall continue to receive supervision until licensed as a professional counselor. (9) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall not engage in marketing or advertising without including the name and license number of the registered supervisor approved by the committee. (10) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall document all treatment records or reports by listing the name of the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor and the applicable credentials; the name of the registered supervisor and the license number of the registered supervisor. (A) A counselor-in-training may use the acronym CIT for counselor-in-training and a provisional licensed professional counselor may use PLPC. No other acronyms shall be acceptable for the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor. (B) An example format to be used in documenting treatment records and plans is as follows, Counselor Name, CIT, PLPC, under the supervision of Supervisor Name, license number 000000. (C) If the registered supervisor is unable to sign the treatment records or reports, it shall be acceptable to provide a brief, written memorandum or note to the file that is signed by the registered supervisor indicating the information regarding the client has been discussed with the counselor-in-training or the provisional licensed professional counselor. (11) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall comply with all laws and rules relating to the practice of counseling and shall apply for licensure within thirty (30) days of completing the supervised counseling experience. Any counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor who fails to apply within the thirty (30)-day time period is prohibited from practicing counseling. If additional time is required to submit an application, the applicant shall send a letter to the committee regarding the reason for additional time and the committee shall advise the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor whether additional time is approved. (A) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselors may submit an application for licensure up to thirty (30) days in advance of completing the required hours and months of supervision. Applications received more than sixty (60) days in advance of completion of the required hours and months of supervision shall be rejected by the committee as untimely. (12) A counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall request and return a change of supervision form within fifteen (15) working days of changing a counseling setting or registered supervisor previously approved by the committee. The change of supervision form shall be accompanied by the required fee as outlined in 20 CSR 20951.020(1)(C) and shall be considered effective upon receipt of the application in the committee office and contingent upon approval by the committee. If the application for a change in supervision is denied, the applicant shall be informed, in writing, of the reason(s) for the denial. (13) An applicant may submit supervised experience obtained out of state from a licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist for review by the committee. For the purpose of this regulation, an inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, retired, probated, or suspended license shall not meet this requirement. (14) An applicant may submit supervised experience obtained in a state that does not have a counselor licensing law or from a state whose licensing laws are not substantially the same as those of this state for review by the committee. AUTHORITY: section 337.510, RSMo Supp. 2008 and section 337.520, RSMo 2000.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 95-2.020. Original rule filed Oct. 16, 1986, effective Jan. 30, 1987. Amended: Filed May 2, 1989, effective July 27, 1989. Amended: Filed July 3, 1990, effective Dec. 31, 1990. Amended: Filed Feb. 4, 1992, effective June 25, 1992. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Dec. 1, 2004, effective June 30, 2005. Moved to 20 CSR 2095-2.020, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Nov. 21, 2008, effective May 30, 2009. *Original authority: 337.510, RSMo 1985, amended 1989, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 337.520, RSMo 1985, amended 1989, 1993, 1995. 20 CSR 2095-2.021 Supervisors and Supervisory Responsibilities PURPOSE: This rule provides guidelines to licensed practitioners concerning supervising a counselor-in-training or a provisional licensed professional counselor. (1) For the purpose of these rules, a registered supervisor for a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor in Missouri shall be currently licensed either as a professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. An inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, retired, probated, or suspended license shall not meet this requirement. (A) An applicant for licensure or supervision may submit postgraduate supervised experience from another state for consideration by the committee. The supervisor must have been licensed during the time of supervision in the state where supervised experience occurred as a professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. An inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, retired, probated, or suspended license shall not meet this requirement. Credit will not be given if postgraduate supervised experience fails to comply with 20 CSR 2095-2.020. (2) In order to provide supervision for a counselor-in-training or a provisional licensed professional counselor, a registered supervisor shall document the following: (A) Licensure as a professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. For the purpose of this regulation, an inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, retired, probated, or suspended license shall not meet this requirement; (B) A minimum of two (2) years experience as a licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist in providing counseling pursuant to section 337.500(6) and (7), RSMo; and (C) Training and experience in counseling and in supervisory activities involving counseling with a resume or vitae detailing course work, workshops, supervision training, and experience as a supervisor of professional counselors or other mental health disciplines. (3) The registered supervisor shall evaluate and provide feedback to the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor relating to 20 CSR 2095-2.020. (A) The supervisor shall be able to provide counseling services in the event the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor is unable, for any reason including lack of competence, to do so. If, for any reason, a counselor-intraining or provisional licensed professional counselor is unable to provide counseling services, including incompetence, the supervisor shall be able to provide counseling services or assist in maintaining such services for the client. (4) A registered supervisor may employ a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor at the registered supervisor’s private practice and shall receive payment for therapeutic services provided by the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor. (5) The registered supervisor shall review and cosign all reports of the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor including the registered supervisor’s license number with the signature. If the registered supervisor is unable to cosign the reports of the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor, it shall be acceptable to provide a brief written memorandum or note to the file, signed by the registered supervisor documenting that the registered supervisor has reviewed the information. (6) The registered supervisor shall certify that the counselorin-training or provisional licensed professional counselor has complied with the requirements of supervised counseling experience on a form provided by the committee. (7) A licensee providing supervision to a counselor-intraining or provisional licensed professional counselor shall not supervise more than three (3) counselors-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselors at one (1) time. Supervisors desiring to provide supervision for more than three (3) counselors-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselors at one (1) time shall provide a written request to the committee explaining the reason for providing supervision to more than three (3) counselors-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselors. (8) A supervisor shall avoid conditions and multiple relationships with a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor that impair the professional objectivity or increase the risk of exploitation. (A) The supervisor of a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor shall not engage in sexual intimacies with the counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor during the time of supervision for licensure. AUTHORITY: section 337.510, RSMo Supp. 2008 and section 337.520, RSMo 2000.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 95-2.021. Original rule filed Dec. 1, 2004, effective June 30, 2005. Moved to 20 CSR 2095-2.021, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Nov. 21, 2008, effective May 30, 2009. *Original authority: 337.510, RSMo 1985, amended 1989, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 337.520, RSMo 1985, amended 1989, 1993, 1995.