Providing Online Counseling Supervision
There is hardly a rural LAPC, SW or MFT who hasn’t lamented the shortage of local counseling supervision and difficulty finding distance counseling supervision. The same applies for distance counseling supervision in Georgia. Some of the problems are:
• Often there are simply no CPCS supervisors locally.
• Supervisors sometimes engage in damaging dual relationships. You both live in a small community and they sometimes don’t properly manage boundaries. Your supervisor refuses to sign the supervision verification form E. Up to three years of license eligible experience down the tubes? Not good.
On September 11th 2015, the Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists voted to adopt a rule allowing distance counseling supervision in Georgia.
It is formally named “Telemental Health Supervision”. Read the actual board meeting minutes adopting the rule chapter 135-11-.01.
My Unique Approach to Supervision
Whether face to face or distance supervision, my goal as a LPC clinical supervisor is to help you become licensed. My goal is your goal. Period. Navigating the licensing process is difficult. It was a challenge even for me.
A Customized Interview
I receive many requests for supervision. I screen thoroughly and often decline applicants.
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Every licensee situation is different so yours is also unique! Your supervision will be custom designed just for you. You will complete my form my form fillable PDF application for supervision. We will talk briefly on the phone and schedule an appointment.
All of my work is online LPC telesupervision. We will meet on video. I will also ask that you bring transcripts, your license application, past/current jobs and supervisors, contract affidavit and so on. We will discuss your role and my role in your clinical supervision training for LPC. If you pass the interview, we will determine together if we are a good match.
I supervise decisively, confidently and with conviction. You will quickly build self-confidence.
A Licensing Review
As a former composite board member, I processed over 7000 APC/LPC applications. I will apply the same meticulous process to a review of your unique licensing situation and you also receive this thorough evaluation if you are interested in face-to-face supervision. If you decide you are not interested in my supervision or decide not to proceed with telesupervision, you will still leave the interview with a clear understanding of what you need to obtain your license.
You will find this licensing review invaluable because you can bring it to any supervisor you choose and ask they make it part of their supervision plan.
Details of My Distance Supervision
I conduct all supervision for LPC online.
I have strict parameters for online supervision. When we meet, I will explain what business can and cannot be conducted via electronic or synchronous communication and how we will protect patient information. Online supervision sessions are limited to one hour.
Termination The Way You Like It
When supervision is complete or either of us decide to not continue working together, we will wrap up all paperwork and I will provide you the completed Form E, “Supervision” in a signed sealed envelope. This minimizes future problems with what you need to submit to the board. The aim is an ideal scenario:
1) We successfully complete our supervisor/supervisee relationship.
2) You know in advance I have recommended you to the board to be issued a license.
3) If the board asks you to furnish contemporaneous records of supervision you will have what they need since we will sign co-sign and share the documents.
4) Your stress and worry is minimized.
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My Cost and Fees for Supervision
My fees are 150.00 – 175.00 per hour and my fee amount is dependent upon your practice activities, directed experience setting, and potential for boundary issues at your site.
What is Telemental Health Supervision
Telemental health supervision in GA is defined as, “…the delivery of supervision via technology-assisted media by a supervisor at one site while the supervisee is located at a distant site”.
In short, distance counseling supervision is a mode of delivering clinical supervision that is not face-to-face. Forms of telemental health supervision include but are not limited to telephone and video and chat.
For example, you live in Macon and your LPC clinical supervisor is in Atlanta GA. You meet via phone or video to meet the required 35 supervision hours per year. Your responsibilities as supervisee and supervisor are still subject to all other board rules. That’s it in a nutshell.
Training Requirements for Telemental Health Supervisors
In order to deliver telemental health supervision, Georgia Composite board rules require 6 (six) telemental health continuing education hours plus 3 (three) hours of supervising telemental health therapy approved by an eligible professional association such as lpcaga or nbcc.
The hours are required one time. You do not need to obtain the hours prior to expiration of each biennial license renewal period.
Advantages of Telemental Health Supervision
Besides convenience, there are additional advantages to remote telemental health supervision:
1) Choices, choices, choices. For distance supervision, your choices are probably greatest with a supervisor in metro Atlanta since it has the highest concentration of eligible supervisors.
2) You can find an LPC supervisor experienced in your clinical specialty or population you work with. For example, if you work with spectrum disorder children, you can find a supervisor experienced in that. If you work with alzheimers and the elderly, you can find that.
3) Information on rules and licensing often reaches rural areas later than urban areas of Georgia. You will have better access to the pipeline of breaking news on Composite Board law and rules and other information you need to know as a counseling professional.
Differences Between Telesupervision and Telemental Health
They are actually completely different.
Confidentiality
Telemental Health in the treatment of patients provided by psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists (and several others professional and non-professional) is privileged under GA Code § 24-5-501, “Evidence”.
It provides for limitations on admissibility of certain communications as evidence in civil and other legal proceedings. I won’t elaborate on the law other than it is the same privilege as face to face psychotherapy.
Clinical Supervision Not Legally Confidential
In Georgia, the only information that is legally confidential between supervisor and supervisee is patient information (attorneys who specialize in administrative law can tell you more about this). In other words, what a supervisee discloses about themselves could be used as evidence. Some supervisors can- and do- disclose supervision information to employers and the licensing board and even use it against supervisees.
Fundamental Differences in the Relationship
With Telemental Health, you are practicing psychotherapy. With Telemental Health Supervision, you are providing services to a peer.
Disadvantages of Telemental Health Supervision
This article on safely providing telemental health and confirming identity is also applicable to telemental health supervision. With telemental health supervision it can be difficult to know well your supervisee’s work situation, level of employer oversight, licensing history and other important factors.
What can you do to minimize this risk? Have the applicant complete a comprehensive supervision application. Know their identity in advance. A proper supervision application aids in the interview and screening process.
