Acceptable Supervisors and Supervisor Responsibilities

PURPOSE: This rule defines an acceptable supervisor and supervisor responsibilities. AND INSURANCE (1) Acceptable Supervisors— (A) An acceptable supervisor for a social worker license shall— 1. Have a bachelor’s or master’s degree, as appropriate as set forth below, from a college or university program of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or a doctorate degree in social work; 2. Be licensed in Missouri as a bachelor, master, clinical, or advanced macro social worker, as appropriate as set forth below, or similarly licensed in another state whose licensure laws, as determined by the committee, are equivalent to Missouri; 3. Have completed a sixteen- (16-) hour continuing edu cation course in supervision approved in accordance with the rules of continuing education. A. Approved course work and sixteen- (16-) hour super vision training courses must contain components relative to— (I) Supervisory Relationship and Process; (II) Supervision of Supervisee’s Practices; (III) Professional Relationships; (IV) Work Content; (V) Evaluation and Lifelong Learning; and (VI) Professional Responsibility; and 4. Have five (5) years of post licensure experience; (B) A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) may supervise LCSW, licensed advanced macro social worker (LAMSW), or licensed baccalaureate social worker (LBSW) independent practice registrants and may supervise a licensed master social worker (LMSW) who is under registered supervision pursuant to section (7) of this rule; (C) A LAMSW may supervise LAMSW or LBSW independent practice registrants; and (D) A Missouri LBSW independent practice or a LBSW from another state whose licensure laws, as determined by the committee, are equivalent to Missouri may supervise an LBSW registrant. (2) The acceptable supervisor cannot be a relative of the supervisee. (A) A relative is defined as spouse, parent, child, sibling of the whole or half-blood, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, or uncle of the supervisee or one who is or has been related by marriage or has any other dual relationship. (3) A licensed supervisor whose license has been subject to probation, suspension, or revocation shall not supervise without prior approval of the committee. A licensed supervisor who is currently under probation, suspension, or revocation shall not supervise. (4) A social worker holding an equivalent license in another state may supervise in that state but may not do so in Missouri because supervision is the practice of social work according to sections 337.600–337.689, RSMo. (5) A licensed supervisor shall have no more than six (6) persons obtaining post-degree supervised experience for licensure under their supervision at any one time. Any supervisor wishing to petition the committee for additional supervisees may do so by submitting a written request to the committee explaining the reason for providing supervision to more than six (6) individuals. (6) The practice of social work by the supervisee shall be performed under the supervisor’s control, oversight, guidance, and full professional responsibility. This shall include all applicable areas of practice including but not limited to— (A) General orientation of the setting’s policies and procedures; (B) Providing best practice strategies for professional social work practice; (C) Preliminary screening of all potential clients of the su pervisee to determine if the supervisee is capable of successful assessment, intervention, and referral; (D) Thorough knowledge of the supervisee’s entire workload; (E) Thorough knowledge of each assignment or case, includ ing assessment, diagnosis, and intervention; (F) Ongoing evaluation and modification of the supervisee’s workload as necessary; (G) Allowable Supervision. 1. A minimum of two (2) hours every two (2) weeks of individual face-to-face supervision by the supervisor. 2. However, individual face-to-face supervision may be consolidated for up to four (4) weeks for a total of four (4) hours of individual face-to-face supervision per four- (4-) week period. These hours shall be included in the total number of supervised hours required as set forth in the rules promulgated by the committee. 3. Fifty percent (50%) of supervision per month may be group supervision. For the purpose of this rule, group supervision may consist of at least two (2), and no more than six (6), supervisees. 4. The use of electronic communications is acceptable for meeting supervision requirements of this rule only if the ethical standards for confidentiality are maintained and the communication is verbally and visually interactive between the supervisor and the supervisee; (H) Acceptable safeguards shall be built into the contract if the supervisor and supervisee have a relationship that could affect the employment or benefits of the supervisor, and the relationship could, in any way, bias or compromise the supervisor’s evaluation of the supervisee; (I) When the proposed supervisor is not a staff member of the supervisee’s agency, the supervisor shall have a written agreement from the agency administration as to the purpose and content of the desired supervision and the supervisor’s specific role, responsibilities, and limitations. The supervisor is also responsible for learning agency functions and policies so that any supervisory suggestions are constructive and realistic within agency purposes and resources. If a proposed supervisor is both the supervisor for employment purposes and for registered supervision then the contract shall— 1. Specifically state such; and 2. Address the details of the dual relationship; (J) When there is a change in the setting or supervisor, the supervisor is responsible for notifying the committee and submitting a change of status form to the committee. Such change of status form must be received by the committee within fourteen (14) days of the change; (K) If supervision is terminated by either party, the supervisor is responsible for notifying the committee and submitting a termination form to the committee. Such termination form must be received by the committee within fourteen (14) days of termination; and (L) The supervisor shall provide annual reports of progress to the committee. These will be due on the anniversary date of the initial approval for the twelfth, twenty-fourth, and thirtysixth months of supervision. The annual report will provide an overview of the licensee’s practice knowledge of the licensure statutes and rules, licensure scope of practice, understanding and adherence to approved standards of professional and ethical conduct, areas of continued growth and development, and accountability of supervision hours thus far in the process. (7) Within fourteen (14) days of the termination of the supervised experience, the supervisor shall complete and maintain the committee’s Attestation of Supervision Form, summarizing the supervisee’s performance and level of compliance with the requirements for supervised social work experience for a period of forty-eight (48) months. (A) If the supervisor does not recommend the supervisee for licensure or recommends licensure with reservation, the Attestation of Supervision Form shall be supplemented with a detailed statement explaining why recommendation for licensure without reservation cannot be made. Exhibits may be attached to the statement of explanation. (B) A copy of the statement of explanation, and any exhibits, shall be delivered to the supervisee. (C) The supervisee may respond to the statement of explanation within fourteen (14) days, in writing or by making a request for an appearance before the committee. (D) The supervisor and the supervisee shall promptly respond to any inquiry made by the committee or at its direction regarding the Attestation of Supervision Form or the statement of explanation. (8) A licensed master social worker under registered super vision may be employed in the supervisor’s private practice setting or in the private practice of another. In those instances, the supervisor may bill clients for services rendered by the li censed master social worker but under no circumstances shall the licensed master social worker bill the clients directly for services rendered. The only exception to this section shall be when reimbursement for services is provided under Title XIX (Medicaid) through the Missouri Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division. A licensed master social worker under registered supervision may accept a Medicaid reimbursement number and services may be billed through that number, pro vided such reimbursement is administered through the pro fessional setting employing the licensed master social worker, and not directly paid to the licensed master social worker. The professional setting shall not include private practice in which the licensed master social worker operates, manages, or has an ownership interest in the private practice. AUTHORITY: sections 337.600, 337.612, 337.627, and 337.665, RSMo Supp. 2025.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 263-2.031. Original rule filed Sept. 18, 1990, effective Feb. 14, 1991. Amended: Filed Dec. 2, 1991, effective May 14, 1992. Emergency amendment filed March 25, 1992, effective April 4, 1992, expired Aug. 1, 1992. Amended: Filed March 25, 1992, effective Sept. 6, 1992. Amended: Filed March 1, 1994, effective Aug. 28, 1994. Amended: Filed Jan. 11, 1995, effective June 30, 1995. Rescinded: Filed Dec. 30, 1998, effective July 30, 1999. Readopted: Filed Jan. 20, 1999, effective July 30, 1999. Amended: Filed Oct. 30, 2002, effective June 30, 2003. Amended: Filed July 15, 2005, effective Jan. 30, 2006. Moved to 20 CSR 2263-2.031, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Aug. 27, 2009, effective April 30, 2010. Emergency amendment filed Aug. 18, 2010, effective Aug. 28, 2010, expired Feb. 24, 2011. Amended: Filed Aug. 18, 2010, effective Feb. 28, 2011. Amended: Filed March 14, 2019, effective Sept. 30, 2019. Amended: Filed March 25, 2021, effective Sept. 30, 2021. Amended: Filed May 31, 2022, effective Nov. 30, 2022. Amended: Filed June 24, 2025, effective Jan. 30, 2026. *Original authority: 337.600, RSMo 1989, amended 1995, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2025; 337.612, RSMo 1989, amended 1997, 2001, 2007, 2018; 337.627, RSMo 1989, amended 1993, 1995, 1997, 2007, 2018, 2025; and 337.665, RSMo 2001, amended 2004, 2007, 2018, 2020, 2023.