Supervised Marital and Family Work Experience

PURPOSE: This rule defines the requirements for obtaining super vised experience in marital and family therapy for licensure as a marital and family therapist. (1) The phrase supervised clinical experience as used in section 337.715.1(2), RSMo, means post-degree training in the practice of marital and family therapy as defined in section 337.700(7), RSMo, beginning after the satisfactory completion of the educational requirements set forth in 20 CSR 2233-2.010 and obtained under the supervision of an acceptable supervisor as defined in 20 CSR 2233-2.021. (2) The effective date of a registration of supervision or a change of supervision shall be determined by the state committee with consideration given to when the application is complete with all required documentation. The state committee will inform the applicant of the effective date of supervision or change of supervision in writing. (A) The following must be on file with the state committee for an application for supervision or change of supervision ap plication to be considered complete and officially filed: 1. A registration of supervision or change of supervision application form, provided by the state committee, that is leg ible and printed in black or blue ink; 2. Application for supervision or change of supervision application fee; 3. Official graduate transcript(s) sent to the state commit tee by the educational institution(s); 4. When applicable, a written agreement, affiliating the licensure supervisor to the setting where the supervised mar ital and family therapist or provisionally licensed marital and family therapist will obtain licensure supervision; and 5. Background check with 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 criminal background check. 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). (3) A provisional licensed marital and family therapist (PLMFT) or supervised-marital and family therapist (S-MFT) shall notify the state committee within fifteen (15) days of changing super visors or settings by filing a change of supervision form and paying the fee as defined in 20 CSR 2233-1.040(1)(J). (4) A provisional license issued to an applicant with a master’s degree in compliance with 20 CSR 2233-2.010 is valid for at least three (3) years from the date of issuance and until the expira tion date of the license or upon termination of supervision, whichever occurs first or unless the license is disciplined by the state committee. Upon written request from the applicant and prior to the expiration date of the provisional license, the state committee may extend a provisional license for good cause at the discretion of the state committee. (5) Applicants for supervised experience in marital and family therapy shall complete all education requirements as defined in 20 CSR 2233-2.010(5). (A) For the purpose of this rule, if an applicant for supervision is deficient in any of the core areas pursuant to 20 CSR 22332.010(3)(A)–(G) supervision may be approved by the state com mittee and the applicant may begin prior to the completion of all required course work. (6) A supervisor shall not be a relative of the applicant. For the purpose of this rule a relative is defined as a parent, spouse, child, sibling of the whole or half blood, grandparent, grand child, aunt, uncle, or cousin of the applicant, or one who is or has been related by marriage. (7) A supervisor shall be licensed as a marital and family therapist, professional counselor, psychologist, clinical social worker, or psychiatrist in Missouri for supervised experience in this state to be considered for licensure. For the purpose of this rule an inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, disciplined, or retired license shall not meet this requirement. (8) The characteristics of acceptable supervision shall include in no less than twenty-four (24) calendar months and no more than sixty (60) calendar months— (A) A minimum fifteen hundred (1,500) hours of supervised experience in marital and family therapy direct client contact. The PLMFT or S-MFT must obtain at least fifteen (15) hours of supervised experience within a calendar month in order for the experience to be considered by the state committee and must be in compliance with 20 CSR 2233-2.020. 1. For the purpose of these rules, direct client contact is face-to-face interaction between the client and PLMFT or S-MFT, whether in person or via telehealth. Telehealth is defined as visually and verbally interactive and synchronized on a HIPAA compliant platform; (B) A maximum of two (2) hours every two (2) weeks or one (1) hour every week of face-to-face and/or telehealth supervision with their registered supervisor, of which no more than twenty-five percent (25%) can be group supervision. For the purpose of this regulation, group supervision must consist of at least three (3) and no more than six (6) supervisees and to occur with their registered supervisor. An hour of supervision is no less than fifty (50) continuous minutes and two (2) hours is no less than one hundred (100) continuous minutes. 1. The PLMFT or S-MFT must complete a minimum of one hundred four (104) hours of supervision, at least seventy-five percent (75%) of which must be individual supervision; and (C) The services provided by a PLMFT or S-MFT shall be per formed under the registered supervisor’s full order, control, oversight, and guidance. The PLMFT or S-MFT shall remain under the supervision until licensed as a marital and family therapist. 1. A PLMFT or S-MFT shall not engage in independent, private practice or offer therapy that is not affiliated with the supervisor approved by the state committee for licensure su pervision. 2. A PLMFT or S-MFT shall not engage in marketing or advertising services without including the name and license number of the registered supervisor. 3. A PLMFT or S-MFT shall not bill clients for therapeutic services. Billing and payment for marital and family therapy provided by the PLMFT or S-MFT shall be facilitated by the supervisor approved by the state committee for licensure su pervision. 4. While receiving licensure supervision and providing marital and family therapy as defined in section 337.700(7), RSMo, or representing themselves as a PLMFT, a provisional licensed marital and family therapist shall use one (1) of the following terms: PLMFT or provisional licensed marital and family therapist. 5. A person shall use one (1) of the following terms while under supervision for licensure and not provisionally licensed: S-MFT or supervised marital and family therapist. 6. The registered supervisor shall read and cosign all written reports, to include their license number, including treatment plans and progress notes prepared by the PLMFT or S-MFT. If the setting prohibits the cosign/signing of reports, it is the responsibility of the PLMFT or S-MFT to document that written reports, to include treatment plans and progress notes, AND INSURANCE have been reviewed by the registered supervisor. (9) The supervisor and PLMFT or S-MFT shall be employed by or affiliated by contract with the same licensure supervision setting and the licensure supervision setting shall not include private practice in which the PLMFT or S-MFT operates, man ages, or has an ownership interest in the private practice. (10) During the period of supervised experience in marital and family therapy, the PLMFT or S-MFT shall inform the client that the PLMFT or S-MFT is under supervision for licensure, along with the name and address and license number of the regis tered supervisor. (11) Any PLMFT or S-MFT who has not applied for licensure within that period of time is prohibited from providing services pursuant to section 337.700(7), RSMo unless the PLMFT or S-MFT continues licensure supervision approved by the committee. (12) For individuals applying for supervised experience in mar ital and family therapy on the basis of a doctoral or specialist’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a mental health discipline as defined in 20 CSR 2233-2.010(1)(A) or (B) or based upon thirty (30) graduate hours of post-master’s course work in marital and family therapy or a mental health discipline as defined in 20 CSR 2233-2.010(1)(A) or (B), additional supervised experience in marital and family therapy shall include the fol lowing to be completed in no less than twelve (12) months and no more than twenty-four (24) calendar months: (A) At least seven hundred fifty (750) hours of supervised experience in marital and family therapy direct client contact in which the applicant for supervision shall engage in the practice of marital and family therapy as defined in section 337.700(7), RSMo; and (B) The PLMFT or S-MFT must obtain at least fifteen (15) hours of supervised experience within a calendar month in order for the experience to be considered by the state committee and must be in compliance with 20 CSR 2233-2.020(10), (11), and (12); and (C) A provisional license issued to an applicant with thirty (30) semester hours of post-degree graduate course work, spe cialist, or doctoral degree in compliance with 20 CSR 2233-2.010 is valid for at least two (2) years from the date of issuance and is valid until the expiration date or termination of supervision, whichever occurs first, or unless the license is disciplined by the state committee. Upon written request from the applicant and prior to the expiration date of the provisional license, the state committee may extend a provisional license for good cause at the discretion of the state committee. (D) If a supervisor is deceased or cannot be located by the applicant, the applicant shall provide documentation verify ing supervised hours and time providing marital and family therapy. Approval of the supervised experience shall be at the discretion of the state committee. AUTHORITY: section 337.700, RSMo 2016, and sections 337.715 and 337.727, RSMo Supp. 2025.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 233-2.020. Original rule filed Dec. 31, 1997, effective July 30, 1998. Amended: Filed May 22, 2001, effective Nov. 30, 2001. Moved to 20 CSR 2233-2.020, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Nov. 15, 2007, effective May 30, 2008. Amended: Filed Nov. 15, 2011, effec tive May 30, 2012. Amended: Filed Sept. 5, 2019, effective March 30, 2020. Amended: Filed Jan. 7, 2026, effective July 30, 2026. *Original authority: 337.700, RSMo 1995, amended 2007, 2008, 2010; 337.715, RSMo 1995, amended 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2020; and 337.727, RSMo 1995, amended 2009, 2010, 2018.