Clinical Supervision Training for LPC Supervisors
Do you need to complete the clinical supervision training in Georgia? Here’s all you need to know about supervision training and why you are required to complete it.
If you are an APC, read on because this greatly impacts you. The GA Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists passed a rule change effective “after 9/30/2018” that requires Supervisors to have either the CPCS or ACS credential. If you already know you need to complete supervision training, you can register now quickly and easily. I am an NBCC approved continuing education provider ACEP # 6921. I hold both LPCAGA CPCS and NBCC ACS LPC supervision credentials.
Do I need the above supervision training for LPCAGA CPCS or NBCC ACS?
Yes and no. You aren’t required to complete the 6 hour supervision training above, but be sure your training is approved if you are a Georgia supervisor. First a good supervisory relationship begins with a solid free clinical supervision contract. The good news is supervision contracts submitted to the board prior to on or before 9/30/2018 lock you into the former requirements as long as you don’t change supervisors. You are not required to have a supervision credential to continue with your current supervisees or accept new supervisees provided the supervision contract is executed on or before 9/30/18. After 9/30/18, supervision / supervisors must meet the new licensing board requirements: supervisors must hold either the LPCA of Georgia CPCS or National NBCC ACS credential. So complete the CPCS training in Georgia or training for the ACS. The training requirements for the CPCS credential and National ACS credential differ.
What if I only provide practicum and internship Supervision?
There is a long answer and short answer to this question. First, there are fundamental differences between a supervisor and practicum supervisor.
A practicum supervisor does not execute a supervision contract that is submitted to the board. In that sense, they are not a Supervisor by rules definition. Rather, they complete a form attesting to number of practicum and internship hours completed and that they supervised their work. So, it follows that the nature of accountability differs.
The practicum supervisor can either be the course instructor or the practicum site supervisor.
The practicum supervision is, in effect, a course requirement since it is part of the degree program. Still, currently the practicum supervisor must meet supervisor requirements. So you will need to complete the supervision training. But there are several issues that the board may encounter after the rule change becomes effective regarding both practicum supervisors, supervisors and future applicants.
Need to Renew Your CPCS?
Many Georgia LPC Supervisors have completed the clinical supervision training for LPC supervision for the CPCS in anticipation of the rule change subsequently raising the number to approximately 500, but out of state applicants’ Supervisors will not have the Georgia-specific CPCS credential (the board receives many applications from individuals relocating to Georgia who want to apply for GA licenses many of whom are currently fully licensed in their home state).
Will my clinical supervision transfer from another state if my supervisor does not have the CPCS or ACS?
It is not known how all license applications will be handled by the GA Composite Board.
First, if your LPC supervision was or is being provided by an NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor, they are acceptable to Georgia’s Licensing Board provided they meet all other definitions of Supervisor.
Secondly, if you will be submitting an application for licensure by endorsement, the board will evaluate license equivalency (if your state’s licensing requirements are equivalent ) in a different manner.
If the board accepts a non- CPCS or ACS supervisor, it may need to allow in-state applicants to use non-credentialed supervisors as well. But the board has discretion to require the applicant to obtain a credentialed supervisor and start over with all of their supervision.
Also, the other acceptable credential by Georgia’s Board is the national ACS. The majority of applicants after 9/30/2018 and at least in the future will not have the ACS credential. For example, as of this writing there are only 66 ACS credential holders in the state of Tennessee.
3) Again using Tennessee as an example, under the new rule the vast majority of Tennessee supervision forms submitted with a Georgia licensing application would be ineligible if they engaged with these supervisors after 9/30/18.
4) Applicants are in the same dilemma if they relocate from Florida. Florida has only 60 NBCC ACS and few CPCS who are usually licensed in both GA and FL.
Summary
Supervisors: know this new rule. You can encounter conflict with your supervisees if you provide supervision that is not composite board-eligible.
Supervisees: If you have a supervisor on or before 9/30/18, don’t change supervisors before license eligible unless absolutely necessary.
Send an email to the board for clarification on whether they will accept out-of-state supervision provided by non-credentialed supervisors. However, they may not be able to provide an answer to this question.
Most importantly, read and understand the rules thoroughly before committing to a particular supervisor or work setting. Most important to know is “…year of post-masters directed experience under supervision in a work setting acceptable to the board.”
