Alabama Administrative Code
Title 850 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF SOCIAL WORK EXAMINERS
Chapter 850-X-3 - SUPERVISION
Section 850-X-3-.02 - Supervision Requirements

(a) The supervisor is obligated to keep legible, accurate, complete, signed supervision notes and must be able to produce such documentation for the board if requested. The notes shall document the content, duration, and date of each supervision session.

(b) A social worker may contract for supervision with written approval of the employing agency. A copy of the approval must accompany the supervisory plan submitted to the board.

(c) A board approved supervisor may not charge or collect a fee or anything of value from his or her employee or contract employee for the supervision services provided to the employee or contract employee.

(d) Before entering into a supervisory agreement, the supervisor shall be aware of all conditions of exchange with the clients served by her or his supervisee. The supervisor shall not provide supervision if the supervisee is practicing outside the authorized scope of the license. If the supervisor believes that a social worker is practicing outside the scope of the license, the supervisor shall make a report to the board.

(e) A supervisor shall not be employed by or under the employment supervision of the person who he or she is supervising.

(f) A supervisor shall not be a family member of the person being supervised.

(g) A supervisee must have a clearly defined job description and responsibilities.

(h) A supervisee who provides client services for payment or reimbursement shall submit billing to the client or third-party payers which clearly indicates the services provided and who provided the services and specifying the supervisee's licensure category and the fact that the licensee is under supervision.

(i) If either the supervisor or supervisee has an expired license or a license that is revoked or suspended during supervision, supervision hours accumulated during that time will be accepted only if the licensee appeals to and receives approval from the board.

(j) A licensee must be a current board approved supervisor in order to provide professional development supervision toward licensure, or to provide board ordered supervision to a licensee. Providing supervision without having met all requirements for current, valid board approved supervisor status may be grounds for disciplinary action against the supervisor.

(k) The supervisor shall review the Standards of Professional Conduct and Ethics with the supervisee. Such information should be documented by the supervisor.

(l) The supervisor and supervisee shall avoid forming any relationship with each other that impairs the objective, professional judgment and prudent, ethical behavior of either.

(m) Should a supervisor become subject to a board disciplinary order, that person is no longer a board approved supervisor and must so inform all supervisees, helping them to find alternate supervision.

(n) The board may deny, revoke, or suspend board approved supervisory status following a fair hearing for violation of the Act or rules. Continuing to supervise after the board has denied, revoked, or suspended board approved supervisor status, or after the supervisor's supervisory status expires, may be grounds for disciplinary action against the supervisor.

(o) If a supervisor's board approved status is expired, suspended, or revoked, the supervisor shall refund all supervisory fees the supervisee paid after the date the supervisor ceased to be board approved.

(p) A supervisor is responsible for developing a well-conceptualized supervision plan with the supervisee, and for updating that plan whenever there is a change in agency of employment, job function, goals for supervision, or method by which supervision is provided. All board approved supervisors shall have taken a board approved supervision training course by January 1, 2022, in order to renew board approved supervisor status. The board recognizes that many licensees have had little, if any, formal education about supervision theories, strategies, problem-solving, and accountability. Though some supervisors have functioned as employment supervisors for some time and have acquired practical knowledge, their practical supervision skills may be focused in one practice area and may not include current skills in various supervision methods or familiarity with emerging supervisory theories, strategies, and regulations. Therefore, the board values high-quality, contemporary, multi-modality supervision training to ensure that all supervisors have refreshed their supervisory skills and knowledge in order to help supervisees practice safely and effectively.

(q) Prior to the commencement of any supervision the supervisor shall sign and swear and affirm the "Responsibility statement for Supervisors of a Social worker".

(r) The supervisor providing clinical supervision has had sufficient experience, training and education in the area of clinical supervision to competently supervise associates.

(s) Persons licensed by the board who provides supervision shall have a minimum of three (3) contact hours in supervision training obtained from an approved continuing education provider. This training may apply towards the approved continuing education requirements set forth in sections 850-X-8. The content of such training shall include, but not be limited to:

(t) The supervisor shall provide the supervisee with the original, signed "Responsibility Statement for Supervisors of Social Worker" commencement of any supervision. The supervisee shall provide the board with the original signed form for each supervisor upon application for licensure.