FAQ:
Supervision For The LCSW: Common Questions
The chapter staff often fields questions on LCSW supervision. Here are the most common questions and answers both fromsupervisees and supervisors.
Questions of Supervisees
Q: How many hours of LCSW supervision must I receive?
A: 100 hours of one-on –one LCSW supervision.
Q: Does group supervision count?
A: NO. The regulations state that the supervision must be one-on-one. There are many benefits to group supervision but the state requirement by the Department of Public Health (DPH) is for one-to-one supervision.
Q: Do I need 3000 hours of post graduate clinical social work experience and 100 hours of supervision?
A: NO. The 100 hours of supervision counts toward the 3000 hours of experience.
Q: Must all of my 3000 hours be under LCSW supervision?
A: Not necessarily. MSW’s practicing clinical social work while working toward their LCSW must be practicing under “professional supervision” which can be any professional who is supervising the practice. In other words until you receive your LCSW you must be under professional supervision in order to be legally practicing clinical social work in Connecticut, but only a 100 hours of direct supervision must be provided by a LCSW.
Q: Can I contract for LCSW supervision if my supervisor at work is not a LCSW?
A: YES. In fact NASW/CT has a registry of LCSW’s who will provide supervision for a fee. You may access the registry on the chapter’s web site, www.naswct.org or call the chapter office at 860-257-8066 for a copy.
Q: How much will it cost me to contract for LCSW supervision?
A: Supervisors set their own prices and there is no set amount. The range seems to vary from about $25.00 per hour to $100.00 per hour.
Q: I’ve been offered two jobs, one with LCSW supervision and one without but with a higher salary, what do you recommend?
A: When seeking employment you may want to include the availability of LCSW supervision as a negotiating point and when weighing employment offers keep in mind that LCSW supervision through the job has significant financial value. If you are basing your decision on LCSW supervision is being offered ask the employer if they will assure its availability in the future. Of course this being said you need to weigh all the pros and cons based on your career goals when considering multiple job offers.
Q: What if I was practicing out of the state so my supervisor was not a CT. LCSW? Does the supervision still count?
A: Yes, if the supervisor held a valid social work license in the state where the practice took place and that state’s license requirements were substantially equivalent to CT’s requirements.
Q: How often should I be receiving supervision?
A: The 100 hours is based on an average of 1 hour per week. You may reach 100 hours in a shorter period but the expectation is that you are receiving ongoing supervision while working toward your LCSW.
Q: Does all LCSW supervision count?
A: Not necessarily. The supervision must be related to clinical social work practice. For example, if you are practicing in a non-clinical social work position and your supervisor is a LCSW the supervision related to non-clinical practice does not count toward the LCSW requirements.
Q: Must I complete supervision in a set number of years, for example two years?
A: NO. There is no numerical requirement in terms of years. If you are working full-time it typically takes about two years to become eligible for the LCSW examination, however if you are working part-time or only part of your job is clinical it will take longer to reach the required hours.
Q: Can I have more than one LCSW supervisor?
A: Yes, employer may assign different supervisors during the time you are working toward the 3000 hours of experience or you may change positions and that is fine.
Q: How do I document supervision?
A: When you are ready to apply for the LCSW the LCSW application will include a form that your supervisor(s) complete that indicates the amount of supervision they provided. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to maintain records of the supervision sessions. LCSW applicants may however want to keep their own record of hours and if you leave an agency or the supervisor leaves you will want to make sure that you know how to contact the supervisor when it is time to apply for the LCSW.
Q: I’ve read all of the above questions and answers and still have a question(s), who do I contact?
A: You can start by contacting the chapter office at 860-257-8066 or email naswct@conversent.net (if you email us please include a phone number so that we can call you if we need clarification). The Department of Public Health has final determination on licensing issues however the NASW/CT staff can answer most questions or will refer you to someone at DPH.
Questions of Supervisors
Q: As a LCSW do I need more than my LCSW to qualify to offer LCSW supervision?
A: NO. All you need is to have a valid LCSW in CT.
Q: What constitutes supervision for the LCSW?
A: Professional supervision is defined by DPH as “face-to-face consultation between one supervisor and one supervisee consisting of “review, periodic written evaluation and assessment of the supervisee’s practice of social work. It may include, but not be limited to, the review of work reports, case presentations, audio tapes, video tapes, and direct observation in order to promote the development of the supervisee’s social work skills.” One hundred hours of LCSW supervision is required.
Q: How do I go about offering my services as a LCSW supervisor?
A: One way is to register for the NASW/CT Supervisors Registry, which you can apply for by downloading the application on our web site, www.naswct.org or by calling the chapter office at 860-257-8066. The fee is $75.00 for six months and $100.00 for one year. You may also make your availability known through advertising, including the NASW/CT newsletter.
Q: Can I offer group supervision?
A: NO. Only one-to-one supervision is acceptable to qualify for the LCSW.
Q: Do I need to keep a record of the supervision sessions?
A: Yes, you must keep records that include the dates of supervisions, the number of hours of supervision and a brief description of the supervision session (i.e. topics discussed, issues covered, etc.).
Q: What should I do if I have provided supervision but do not feel that the supervisee has successfully completed the supervision?
A: You can indicate your reservations on the supervisor’s form or by attaching a separate letter to the Supervisor’s form that you submit to DPH. It is than up to DPH to determine if the supervision hours will qualify or not.
Q: What should I do if my employer asks me to sign off on supervision for someone when I have not provided the supervision?
A: Refuse to do it! It is illegal to claim that you have provided supervision for the LCSW when you have not actually done so, it is unethical and it leaves you open to a charge that you have violated the NASW Code of Ethics. (Actually, this is not a common question but yes members have called us with this problem.)
Q: I’ve read all of the above questions and answers and still have a question(s), who do I contact?
A: You can start by contacting the chapter office at 860-257-8066 or email naswct@conversent.net (if you email us please include a phone number so that we can call you if we need clarification). The Department of Public Health has final determination on licensing issues however the NASW/CT staff can answer most questions or will refer you to someone at DPH.
