Licensed Professional Counselor Supervision

Step-by-Step Application Process for Post-Graduate Supervision

• Plan ahead, as the process for becoming licensed in the state in which you intend to practice oftentimes takes several months.  Many states designate a counselor under supervision as a Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC), but this may vary according to state. Before practicing, you must first apply through the state licensing board in the state where you intend to practice (those websites with applications are listed below). There is an application fee that is usually around $100-$150.You must hold a "provisional" or "lower level" license for the (minimum) two years while you are under supervision. Upon successful completion you will then be eligible to apply for an independently licensed counselor (which allows you to practice on your own, usually designated as "LPC"). 
  

• To be eligible for post-graduate supervision you must have conferred your masters or doctoral degree in mental health counseling (or other eligible field) and have requested your school to send official transcripts to the licensing board (usu. costs $15-$20 - you do not need to pay extra for expedited shipping).

• You must have completed the appropriate college courses required to become an LPC or PLPC and have documented this in your application (if you graduated from a CACREP accredited college than your class work will likely meet all of those requirements. If not you may have to take additional classes or provide the board with documentation that demonstrates how a particular class meets their requirement). Individuals with non-clinical focused masters degrees will likely not qualify.
  

• You must have completed a college practicum and internship with the required number of clinical hours. In South Dakota your Practicum must include a minimum of 100 hours, including at least 40 hours of direct client service and an Internship with a minimum of 600 hours, including at least 240 hours of direct client service. Non-direct hours include any activities related to counseling. Direct hours include only face-to-face clinical time with a patient or client.

• You must have also completed all requirements listed on the application with the state licensing board in which you plan to practice (see link below for website and application). This  may include professional reference letters (including one from your internship supervisor), and a jurisprudence ethics exam (you can take on-line through their website), as well as an in-person background check that includes finger-printing (around $40).
  

• After you find a supervisor you will have to complete a Supervision Plan (or Supervision application) and submit that plan to the licensing board for approval to be supervised. If you have ever been convicted of a felony or higher, you may need to provide additional information to the licensing board review committee.

• Once you have completed the "provisional" licensure application process you will be eligible to take the NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors) NCE exam (National Counselor Exam - which costs around $150) and you will have to schedule to take that exam at a local testing center (offered monthly) and in some states you will need to pass that exam before you can begin practicing under supervision. Some students may have already taken the NCE during their final year of their graduate program.

• After you have completed all of the steps above it often takes 1-3 months for the state licensing board to approve everything and issue you a license to practice under supervision.  Once you are licensed to begin practicing under supervision you will then be eligible to count your hours towards your license to practice on your own.  Any hours completed prior to being provisionally licensed will often not qualify towards licensure. Keep in mind that it is unethical to engage in any non-supervised hours (between your internship and post-graduate practice).

Requirements During Supervision

• In order to complete the supervision process and move on to practicing independently, most states require that you accrue at least 2000 hours of clinical time, with approximately 800 hours of face-to-face counseling and 100 hours of supervision. You are often required to complete a minimum of two years experience before you will be eligible to practice on your own, even if you meet the hour requirements sooner. Since these hours may change or vary according to state, be sure to check your state's application to verify the number of specific hours needed. 

• In order to practice within most private practices you will be required to have your own professional practice liability insurance (which is approx. $200/year).  The most common insurer is HPSO - Healthcare Providers Service Organization.  You can apply and complete payment online at hpso.com (usually with approval on the same day). 

• During the two years you are under supervision you will be required to have regular weekly face-to-face supervision with your supervisor (at least 1 hour per week in the weeks in which you are practicing). If you are not practicing for that week (vacation or holiday) you are not required to meet. However that week will not count towards your 2000 hours of clinical time. Some states simply require the number of hours to equal the appropriate number of hours required (meaning they do not require weekly meetings). However, this is NOT considered a best-practice. An ethical practitioner will strive to meet with their supervisor each week in which they are practicing counseling.

• Most private practice supervisors charge supervisees between $75-$150/hr for supervision. In other clinical settings you might be able to become employed by an institution like a mental health clinic or hospital where they may provide free supervision as part of your work agreement.  

• Keep in mind that your supervisor must hold the appropriate license in order to qualify as an approved supervisor for your own licensure (this is usually an independent mental health clinician, such as an LPC). To qualify for supervision, most states require that the supervisor has operated independently for at least two years and has also received some training in supervision. In many states your supervisor may also need to be physically located or affiliated with the same location in which you practice. Make sure you pay attention to these requirements, as some clinics or hospitals may offer you supervision from someone who may not qualify as an appropriate supervisor for the license you are seeking. This could include a LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) or LCP (licensed clinical psychotherapist or psychologist).

A Typical Clinical Supervisor's Duties

Supervision shall include but is not limited to the following:

(1) Monitoring the supervisee's activities to verify s/he is providing services that meet generally accepted standards of practice;

(2) Verifying that it is the practice of any supervisee to provide the mandatory disclosure of imminent risks;

(3) If appropriate, verifying that clients are informed as to any changes in the supervisory relationship;

(4) Giving an adequate termination of supervision notice to the supervisee;

(5) Keeping records that document supervision that meet the generally accepted standards of practice;

(6) Assisting the supervisee in becoming aware of and adhering to all legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities;

(7) Assuring that no inappropriate relationships exist between the supervisor and supervisee, and supervisor and client;

(8) Assuring the supervisee meets any licensing, certification or registration requirements prior to engaging in any psychotherapy;

(9) Assisting to assure that the supervisee is in compliance with the Mental Health Practice Act;

(10) Verifying and assuring the supervisee is in compliance with any existing restricted licensure, certification or registration status or probation.

Pros/Cons of Private Practice vs. Institution

• The advantage of working in a clinic or hospital is that clients will be provided for you (in some cases in low volume, others in high volume) and you will have the resources of the hospital or clinic at your disposal (such as additional practitioners in which to seek consultation). The disadvantage is that you will have set hours and oftentimes lower pay. Keep in mind that it is often harder to find opportunities in clinics and hospitals as they fill up quickly and may involve a longer hiring process. Oftentimes hospital settings have more diverse clients, but sometimes your role within the organization may put you in situations where you are doing the same task over and over with very similar types of clients. For example, in a hospital intake setting you may primarily be assessing patients for risk of self harm and criteria that may qualify them for admission, and nothing else. 

• The advantage to private practice is that you have the potential to make more money, have more flexible hours, have more opportunities in terms of diversity in scope of practice, and you will be building an established client base by the time you qualify to practice independently. You may also be able to start seeing clients more rapidly than in a larger organization. You may also receive referrals from other clinicians or your supervisor, but one disadvantage is that you will often need to market yourself (with the assistance of your supervisor) and learn how to bring in your own clients when operating in a private practice setting.

State Licensing Board Requirements for Licensed Professional Counselors

Supervision Opportunities with Dr. Peterson's Counseling Practice

• Dr. Peterson may offer some opportunities for combined marketing, office space, and supervision. The way your compensation works in private practice is that all client payments go through your supervisor and then you receive a pay check from your supervisor without taxes deducted. This means you will have to pay your own taxes (which is a fairly easy process). 

• If you are accepted as a supervisee you will complete a supervision plan or supervision agreement that spells out licensed professional counselor supervision requirements. You or your supervisor have the right to discontinue supervision at any time and the hours accrued up until termination can still count towards licensure. In other words, you are not required to receive supervision from the same supervisor over the course of your supervision. However, if your supervisor decides to terminate supervision, the reasons behind termination will be documented with the state licensing board. The documentation process ensures transparency and compliance with regulatory standards.