Kentucky Administrative Regulations
Title 201 - GENERAL GOVERNMENT CABINET
Chapter 23 - Board of Social Work
Section 201 KAR 23:070 - Qualifying education and clinical practice experience under supervision

Universal Citation: 201 KY Admin Regs Service 23:070

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024

RELATES TO: KRS 335.010, 335.080(1)(c), (3), 335.100(1)(a), (b), (3)

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 335.080(1)(c) and 335.100(1)(a) require an applicant for a certified social worker license or a licensed clinical social worker license to have a master's degree or a doctoral degree in social work from an educational institution approved by the board. KRS 335.080(3) authorizes a certified social worker to engage in the practice of clinical social work under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker as directed by the board by promulgation of an administrative regulation. KRS 335.100(1)(b) requires an applicant for a licensed clinical social worker license to have acquired post-master's experience under approved supervision as established by the board by promulgation of an administrative regulation. KRS 335.100(3) requires a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) to assume responsibility for and supervise the certified social worker's (CSW) practice of clinical social work as directed by the board by promulgation of an administrative regulation. This administrative regulation establishes the educational institutions approved by the board, the content of a Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract, the content of a Request to Provide Supervision form, and the requirements for qualifying experience under supervision for in state and out-of-state applicants.

Section 1. Definitions.

(1) "Additional supervisor" means the supervisor who holds a licensed clinical social worker license issued by this board, and who assumes responsibility for the practice of a certified social worker pursuant to KRS 335.080(3), 335.100(3), and this administrative regulation.

(2) "Educational institution approved by the board" means a graduate school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

(3) "Electronic supervision" means the use of computers and other electronic means by which the supervisor and supervisee use interactive video technology, in real-time, with video and audio interaction for individual and group supervision.

(4) "Practice of clinical social work" means the practice of social work that focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a mental disorder as related to the total health of the individual and that meets the requirements of Section 3 of this administrative regulation.

(5) "Supervision" means the educational process of utilizing a partnership between an LCSW supervisor and a CSW supervisee aimed at enhancing the professional development of the supervisee in providing clinical social work services.

(6) "Supervisor of record" means the supervisor who holds a licensed clinical social worker license issued by this board, and who assumes responsibility for the practice of a certified social worker pursuant to KRS 335.080(3), 335.100(3), and this administrative regulation.

Section 2. Education Requirements. An applicant for a certified social worker license or a licensed clinical social worker license shall have a Master of Social Work degree or Doctorate of Social Work degree from an educational institution approved by the board.

Section 3. Practice of Clinical Social Work.

(1) The practice of clinical social work shall be based on knowledge of psychodynamics, human relations, crisis intervention, psychopathology, and group dynamics.

(2) A practitioner of clinical social work shall:
(a) Possess competencies including skills necessary for:
1. Individual, marital, family, and group psychotherapy; and

2. Other recognized treatment modalities; and

(b) Establish a therapeutic relationship with his or her client that includes:
1. Assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders using professionally recognized clinical nomenclature;

2. Safe and appropriate treatment planning that includes development, implementation, modification of the plan, and coordination of treatment with other clinicians who may be involved in the client's care;

3. Evaluation of progress;

4. Termination of the treatment process; and

5. Face-to-face contact with the client throughout the treatment process, and which may include telehealth in accordance with KRS 335.158 and 201 KAR Chapter 23.

Section 4. Supervision.

(1) A supervisor shall be a licensed clinical social worker who:
(a) Provides supervision to a certified social worker pursuant to KRS 335.080(3) and 335.100(3);

(b) Does not have:
1. An unresolved citation filed against him or her by the board;

2. A suspended or probated license; or

3. A previous or existing personal relationship with a supervisee; and

(c) Has:
1. Been engaged in the practice of clinical social work for two (2) years following licensure in Kentucky or another jurisdiction as an independent licensed clinical social worker; or

2. Been engaged in the practice of clinical social work in another jurisdiction pursuant to Section 9 of this administrative regulation; and

(d)
1. Completed an initial board-approved six (6) hour training course on supervisory practices and methods for licensed clinical social workers relating to the requirements in KRS 335.010 to 335.160 and 335.990, and 201 KAR Chapter 23; and

2. The initial supervisory training course on supervisory practice and methods for licensed clinical social workers shall be completed no later than January 1, 2022 for supervisors currently approved as of the effective date of this administrative regulation; and

(e) In addition to the initial board-approved six (6) hour training course established in paragraph (d) of this subsection, each supervisor shall complete a board-approved three (3) hour refresher supervisory training course each licensure renewal period thereafter to maintain supervisory status with the board.

(2) Supervisory experience obtained in Kentucky with a supervisor who has not completed the courses required by subsection (1)(d)1. and paragraph (e) of this section shall not be approved by the board.

(3) A licensed clinical social worker shall not serve as a supervisor of record for more than six (6) certified social workers with whom he or she has a contract to be held accountable to the board at the same time.

(4) To be approved as a supervisor, a licensed clinical social worker who meets the requirements of this section shall submit a Request to Provide Supervision form to become a supervisor in Kentucky along with a copy of the initial supervisory training course certificate.

Section 5. Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract. The Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract required by KRS 335.080(3) and 335.100(3) shall be submitted to the board for approval before the certified social worker begins supervision and shall contain:

(1) The name and license number of the certified social worker supervisee;

(2) The name and license number of the supervisor of record;

(3) The name and license number of additional supervisors;

(4) The agency, institution, or organization where the experience will be received;

(5) A detailed description of the nature of the practice including the type of:
(a) Clients who will be seen;

(b) Therapies and treatment modalities that will be used including the prospective length of treatment; and

(c) Mental disorders that will be treated;

(6) The nature, duration, and frequency of the supervision, including the:
(a) Number of hours of supervision per week;

(b) Amount of individual and group supervision; and

(c) Methodology for transmission of case information;

(7) The conditions or procedures for termination of the supervision including a provision that the terminating party shall provide at least thirty (30) days' written notice of termination to the certified social worker, supervisor of record, additional supervisor, and certified social worker's employer by the terminating party;

(8) The conditions and procedures for evaluation of the supervision process every six (6) months in which both the certified social worker and the supervisor of record evaluate areas of strength, areas of improvement, and overall satisfaction with the supervision process by the supervisor and the supervise;

(9) A statement that:
(a) The supervisor of record understands and agrees that he or she shall be held accountable to the board for the care given to the supervisee's clients;

(b) The certified social worker is an employee of an agency, institution, or organization, and has Social Security and income tax deducted from his or her salary;

(c) The supervisor of record and additional supervisors meet the criteria established in Section 4(1) through (4) of this administrative regulation;

(d) The certified social worker supervisee has completed the training course described in Section 12 of this administrative regulation; and

(e) The supervisor and supervisee agree to use electronic supervision, in accordance with KRS 335.158 and 201 KAR Chapter 23;

(10) An individualized job description attached to the Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract that:
(a) Describes the nature of the clinical social work services the certified social worker supervisee shall provide to a client including assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a mental disorder;

(b) Describes in detail how the requirements of Sections 6 and 7 of this administrative regulation shall be met; and

(c) Is on office or agency letterhead and is signed by the executive director, the agency director, or the individual who heads the office; and

(11) Each supervisor of record and additional supervisor shall record and submit to the board documentation of the hours of individual or group supervision completed during the period of supervised clinical practice experience or upon termination of the Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract, whichever occurs first.

Section 6. Notice to Client. If an employee is practicing clinical social work under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, the employee shall notify in writing each client at the start of treatment during the period of the supervision. The notification shall contain:

(1) The name, office address, telephone number, email address, and license number of the supervisor of record; and

(2) A statement that the employee is licensed by the board.

Section 7. Experience under Supervision. Experience under supervision shall consist of:

(1) At least sixty (60) percent of the required experience in a direct client-professional relationship;

(2) Direct responsibility for providing clinical social work services to a specific individual or group of clients; and

(3) Broad exposure and opportunity for skill development with a variety of mental disorders, diagnoses, acuity levels, and population groups.

Section 8. Supervision Requirements.

(1) Supervision shall relate specifically to the qualifying supervised clinical practice experience and shall focus on:
(a) The accurate assessment and diagnosis of a client's mental disorder leading to proficiency in applying professionally recognized clinical nomenclature;

(b) The development and modification of the treatment plan;

(c) The development of treatment skills suitable to each phase of the therapeutic process;

(d) Ethical problems in the practice of clinical social work and application of the Code of Ethical conduct established in 201 KAR 23:080; and

(e) The development and use of the professional self in the therapeutic process.

(2)
(a) Supervision shall total a minimum of 150 hours, which shall include individual supervision of at least two (2) hours during every two (2) weeks of supervised clinical social work practice, over the two (2) year minimum time period of supervised practice experience under supervision described in KRS 335.100(3).

(b) Virtual supervision may be utilized for supervision hours, if the supervisor and supervisee can see each other, face-to-face, via electronic means.

(c) Electronic supervision shall conform to state and federal laws governing electronic practice or telehealth to ensure that confidentiality of client records and personal health information shall be maintained as required by KRS 335.158, the Code of Ethical Conduct established in 201 KAR 23:080, and other applicable state and federal laws.

(d) A supervisee shall obtain a minimum of 100 hours of the required supervision by individual supervision.

(e) A supervisee may obtain up to fifty (50) hours of group supervision.

(f) Group supervision shall be in groups of not more than six (6) supervisees and shall not include supervisees from other behavioral health professions who are attaining supervised clinical practice experience.

Section 9. A licensed clinical social worker from another jurisdiction requesting approval to provide clinical supervision.

(1) An applicant who holds or has held a license to practice clinical social work or an equivalent license in another jurisdiction and has been engaged in the active practice of clinical social work for at least two (2) years prior to the filing of a Request to Provide Supervision form with the board shall meet the requirements for supervision established in this administrative regulation unless the license, certificate, registration, or other authorization issued by the other jurisdiction:
(a) Has been expired for more than two (2) years;

(b) Is not in good standing; or

(c) Has been suspended or revoked for disciplinary reasons.

(2) An applicant who receives clinical practice experience under supervision in another jurisdiction shall demonstrate that:
(a) His or her clinical practice experience under supervision met the legal requirements of that jurisdiction; and

(b) The board shall give credit for supervision hours obtained in accordance with the legal requirements of the other jurisdiction.

(3) An applicant from another jurisdiction shall submit proof of issuance of a valid license, permit, certificate, registration, or other authorization issued by another jurisdiction that is in good standing.

Section 10. Evaluation by the Board.

(1) The supervised experience required by KRS 335.100(1)(b) shall be evaluated by the board according to one (1) of the methods established in this subsection.
(a) Post experience evaluation. An applicant who obtained his or her supervised experience while licensed in another jurisdiction shall submit his or her Request to Provide Supervision form along with documentation of supervision and qualifications of his or her supervisor.

(b) Transitional evaluation. An applicant who has accumulated an amount less than the full amount of qualifying experience while licensed in another jurisdiction or while working in a clinical social work setting that does not meet the requirements under Section 7(3) of this administrative regulation shall submit his or her Request to Provide Supervision form along with documentation of supervision completed prior to the date of his or her Request to Provide Supervision form. The applicant shall also submit with his or her Request to Provide Supervision form a Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract under paragraph (c) of this subsection for the remainder of the supervised experience.

(c) Preapproved evaluation. Prior to beginning supervised practice experience, an applicant shall submit a Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract for the supervised experience and the applicant shall have the contract approved by the board. This contract shall be evaluated by the board to determine whether or not it is compliant with Section 4 and Section 5 of this administrative regulation and shall be approved or denied within ninety (90) days of its submission.

(2) A certified social worker who desires to practice clinical social work that does not qualify as supervised experience pursuant to KRS 335.100(1)(b) shall submit a Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract pursuant to KRS 335.080(3). This contract shall be evaluated by the board to determine whether or not it is compliant with Section 4 and Section 5 of this administrative regulation and shall be approved or denied within ninety (90) days of its submission.

(3) A certified social worker who desires to practice clinical social work that meets all the other supervised experience requirements, other than the requirement established in Section 7(3) of this administrative regulation, shall submit a Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract pursuant to KRS 335.080(3). The supervision hours obtained in this clinical setting may be considered by the board.

Section 11. Modification of Existing Contract.

(1) Changes to Section A of the Plan of Clinical Social Work Activities of the Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract that describes the clinical setting and nature of the practice and experience that the supervisee is to obtain, as required by Section 5(5) of this administrative regulation, shall be submitted to the board for approval, and approved, prior to implementation.

(2) A new Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract shall be submitted to the board immediately for approval if the supervisee changes his or her:
(a) Supervisor of record; or

(b) Place of employment.

(3) A supervisee shall notify the board in writing of changes of additional supervisors who are not the supervisor of record, but who are identified in the Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract pursuant to Section 5(3) of this administrative regulation and attach a copy of the supervisor's supervisory training certificate.

Section 12. Supervision Training Course for a Certified Social Worker Under Supervision.

(1) Prior to beginning supervised clinical social work practice, a certified social worker supervisee shall complete a one (1) hour board-approved training course on supervised clinical practice experience, provided at no cost by the board, and relating to the requirements in KRS 335.010 to 335.160 and 335.990, and 201 KAR Chapter 23; and.

(2) Submit a copy of the certificate of completion with his or her Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract.

Section 13. Incorporation by Reference.

(1) The following material is incorporated by reference:
(a) "Clinical Social Work Supervision Contract," 4/2021; and

(b)"Request to Provide Supervision", 4/2021.

(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Board of Social Work, 125 Holmes Street, Suite 310, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 335.070(3), 335.080(1)(c), (3), 335.100(1)(a), (b), (3)

The amended version of this section by; eff. 10/5/2025 is not yet available.

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