Kentucky Administrative Regulations
Title 201 - GENERAL GOVERNMENT CABINET
Chapter 32 - Board of Licensure of Marriage and Family Therapists
Section 201 KAR 32:035 - Supervision of marriage and family therapy associates

Universal Citation: 201 KY Admin Regs Service 32:035

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

RELATES TO: KRS 335.300, 335.320(6), 335.330, 335.332

NECESSITY FUNCTION AND CONFORMITY: KRS 335.320(9) requires the board to promulgate administrative regulations to implement KRS 335.300 to 335.399. KRS 335.320(4) requires the board to license applicants who satisfy the experience and educational requirements and who have paid the fee. KRS 335.320(5) requires the board to review and approve supervision contracts between marriage and family therapy associates and their approved supervisors. This administrative regulation establishes the supervision requirements for marriage and family therapy associates and their board-approved supervisors.

Section 1. Definitions.

(1) "Group supervision" means supervision of three (3) to six (6) supervisees with the supervisor.

(2) "Individual supervision" means supervision of one (1) or two (2) supervisees with the supervisor.

(3) "Qualified mental health professional" means a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, licensed professional clinical counselor, or licensed clinical social worker.

(4) "Raw data" means video recorded sessions, live observation, or co-therapy with a board-approved supervisor.

(5) "Two (2) years of post-licensure experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy" means a minimum of two (2) years of the practice of marriage and family therapy consisting of 1,000 hours of direct, face-to-face or telehealth contact with individuals, couples, families, and groups in the practice of marriage and family therapy under the supervision of an approved supervisor. Face-to-face for the purposes of this definition includes synchronous contact via technology assisted services for those who have met the training requirements of 201 KAR 32:110.

Section 2. Qualifications for Board-Approved Supervisors Status.

(1) Until December 31, 2015, a board-approved supervisor shall be:
(a) An American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) approved supervisor in good standing;

(b) An AAMFT supervisor candidate; or

(c) A marriage and family therapist in good standing, who is licensed in Kentucky and has a minimum of five (5) years of post-licensure experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy.

(2) Except as established in subsection (3) of this section, effective January 1, 2016, a board-approved supervisor shall be:
(a) An American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) approved supervisor in good standing, who is licensed in Kentucky and has a minimum of two (2) years of post-licensure experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy;

(b) An AAMFT supervisor candidate in good standing who is licensed in Kentucky and has three (3) years of post-licensure experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy; or

(c) A marriage and family therapist in good standing, who is licensed in Kentucky and has a minimum of five (5) years of post-licensure experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy, with the last eighteen (18) months of experience being in Kentucky.

(3) AAMFT approved supervisors, AAMFT supervisor candidates, and non-AAMFT board approved supervisors, approved as of December 31, 2015, shall maintain board approved status.

(4) To obtain initial board-approved supervisor status, an applicant who is not an AAMFT supervisor or supervisor candidate in good standing shall provide proof of completion of six (6) hours of board-approved continuing education courses in supervision.
(a) The course shall be taken within the two (2) years preceding the date of application to become a board-approved supervisor.

(b) This requirement shall be in addition to the hours of continuing education required for li-censure renewal.

(c) Each approved course shall be live or online and shall include:
1. Kentucky law governing the practice of marriage and family therapy, both in KRS 335.300 to 335.399 and 201 KAR Chapter 32;

2. Theories of supervision;

3. Ethical issues involved in supervision; and

4. Supervisor responsibilities such as logs, treatment planning, and recording.

(5) To maintain board-approved supervisor status, a non-AAMFT approved supervisor shall complete at least two (2) hours of continuing education in supervision every year. These two (2) hours shall be included in the hours of continuing education required for licensure renewal. Each approved course shall be live or online and shall include:
(a) Kentucky law governing the practice of marriage and family therapy, both in KRS 335.300 to 335.399 and 201 KAR Chapter 32;

(b) Theories of supervision;

(c) Ethical issues involved in supervision; and

(d) Supervisor responsibilities such as logs, treatment planning, and recording.

(6) To renew as a board-approved supervisor, an AAMFT approved supervisor or supervisor candidate shall complete at least one (1) hour of continuing education every year in Kentucky law governing the practice of marriage and family therapy found both in KRS 335.300 to 335.399 and 201 KAR Chapter 32. The course shall be attended live or online. The one (1) hour shall be included in the hours of continuing education required for licensure renewal.

Section 3. Clinical Supervision.

(1) Clinical supervision shall:
(a) Be equally distributed throughout the qualifying period and shall average at least four (4) hours per month as specified in the supervision contract;

(b) Be clearly distinguishable from psychotherapy, didactic enrichment, or training activities;

(c) Focus on raw data from the supervisee's clinical work within in the last twelve (12) months;

(d) Be direct, face-to-face contact between the supervisor and supervisee or be conducted via live video conferencing if both the supervisor and supervisee have met the educational requirements of 201 KAR 32:110, Section 3(1) and (2); and

(e) Continue until the supervisee is licensed by the board.

(2) The supervision process shall focus on:
(a) Accurate diagnosis of client problems leading to proficiency in applying professionally recognized nomenclature and developing a plan for treatment as established in DSM 5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (2013);

(b) Development of treatment skills appropriate to the therapeutic process;

(c) Development of sensitivity to context and issues relating specifically to the family or individual being counseled;

(d) Acknowledgment of an awareness of the use of the professional self of the therapist in the process of therapy;

(e) Increased theoretical and applied knowledge for the therapist;

(f) Acquisition of a greater depth of knowledge and range of techniques in the provision of marriage and family therapy; and

(g) Awareness of ethical issues in practice, in order to safeguard and enhance the quality of care available to marriage and family therapy clients.

Section 4. Standards for Raw Data Used for Supervision. The use of raw data in a supervision session shall constitute a minimum of fifty (50) hours of the 200 hours of required supervision. In a group setting, raw data can only be used for an individual presenting or conducting the raw data, not the entire group.

Section 5. In a therapy session involving a board-approved supervisor and supervisee:

(1) The role of the board-approved supervisor as a supervisor or co-therapist shall be clearly defined prior to beginning a therapy session; and

(2) The supervisees shall receive credit for client contact hours and supervision hours.

Section 6. Documentation Requirements.

(1) The board-approved supervisor and marriage and family therapy associate shall maintain copies of the completed Supervisory Log, which shall document:
(a) The frequency and type of supervision provided; and

(b) The method of supervision utilized, such as observation, dialogue and discussion, and instructional techniques employed.

(2) No more than 100 hours of supervision shall take place in group supervision.

(3) At least 100 hours shall take place in individual supervision.

Section 7. Number of Supervisees.

(1) A board-approved supervisor shall not supervise more than twelve (12) marriage and family therapy associates at the same time, unless approved by the board.

(2) A request to supervise more than twelve (12) marriage and family therapy associates shall be submitted to the board for approval and shall demonstrate in writing the supervisor's plan and ability to supervise additional marriage and family therapy associates.

Section 8. Temporary Supervision.

(1) In extenuating circumstances, if a marriage and family therapy associate is without supervision, the associate may continue working up to ninety (90) calendar days under the supervision of a qualified mental health professional while an appropriate board-approved supervisor is sought and a new supervision contract is submitted to the board. Extenuating circumstances include situations such as death or serious illness of the board-approved supervisor, a leave of absence by the supervisor, or the termination of the supervisor's employment.

(2)
(a) Within thirty (30) calendar days of a change in status of board-approved supervision, the supervisee shall:
1. Notify the board of these circumstances; and

2. Submit, in writing, a plan for resolution of the situation.

(b) The written plan shall include:
1. The name of the temporary supervisor;

2. Verification of the credential held by the temporary supervisor;

3. An address for the temporary supervisor; and

4. A telephone number for the temporary supervisor.

Section 9. Board-approved Supervisor's Responsibilities to Clients and Supervisees.

(1) A board-approved supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring the proper and appropriate delivery of marriage and family therapy services to clients.

(2) A board-approved supervisor shall be responsible for fostering the professional competence and development of the marriage and family therapy associates under his or her supervision.

(3) A board-approved supervisor shall be responsible for compliance with the code of ethics established in 201 KAR 32:050 and take steps to ensure that supervisees comply with the code of ethics as well.

Section 10. Incorporation by Reference.

(1) "Supervisory Log", 7/2015, is incorporated by reference.

(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Department of Professional Licensing, 500 Mero Street, 2 SC 32, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 335.320(4), (5), (9)

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Kentucky may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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