2624 Kensington Drive, Suite 115, Tyler, Texas 75703, United States
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Getting Started with LCSW Supervision
Getting Started with LCSW Supervision
What to Expect
When an LMSW is under supervision, they meet with their supervisor for 4 hours per month. Our virtual groups are currently on Tuesdays (2nd and 4th of each month) from 4:30-6:30. Most people participate in a 2 hour group session twice a month. You must meet with your supervisor for 100 total hours in no less than 24 months, and it cannot take longer than 48 months to complete supervision. During this time, you must be employed and work at least 30 hours per week to be eligible to complete the supervision process in, or close to, 24 months.
If you work part-time, you need to be working at least 15 hours per week to complete supervision within 48 months. Part-time employees will need one hour of supervision per 40 work hours (usually 2-3 supervision hours per month). Three -thousand total work hours are required before you can apply to sit for the licensing exam. PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST GET YOUR 4 HOURS A MONTH OF SUPERVISION FOR YOUR CLINICAL WORK HOURS TO COUNT!
When I did my clinical supervision (many MANY years ago), I was in a supervision group with about 5 other peers. I also met with my supervisor individually once a month to check in on a personal level of how I was getting along. I feel the group setting allowed me the input of others from various fields and experiences. If you feel you need individual session from time to time, just let me know and we will work it into the schedule.
How do I know if my job qualifies as a clinical social work position?
This is a common question. The board has determined that if your job description includes assess, diagnose, and treat mental health or substance abuse issues using the DSM-V criteria for at least four hours per week, you are eligible for LCSW supervision. Do not get too concerned about making a formal diagnosis. In many settings, it is the physicians, psychiatrists or independently licensed mental health professionals who diagnose clients or patients. If you are using a diagnostic skill set and/or screening tools when working with clients or patient, you ARE fulfilling this requirement. You may be working in behavioral health hospital, outpatient program, medical hospital, home health, hospice, school, dialysis clinic, military base, CPS, non-profit, EAP program, private practice or prison/police department. As long as you have personal client or patient interactions and utilize clinical skills, you probably meet LCSW supervision criteria.
What is a typical group like?
Group members typically present cases or ethical dilemmas they encounter on their job and receive feedback from group members and supervisor. We will also work on understanding the DSM-V , various therapy modalities, medications treatment, and how to "think" for the LCSW exam. We sometimes review test questions and the logic behind the answers that are correct or incorrect. I have been in the social business for about 25 years. I believe if you learn the profession, you will pass the exam.
Getting started
Our groups are virtual every other Tuesday (2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month) from 4:30-6:30pm. YOU MUST ATTEND SUPERVISION FOR YOUR CLINICAL WORK HOURS TO COUNT! If you must miss a group, please communicate with me! You can get an individual session to make up the hours. Please email me to discuss questions or concerns to sere if we are a good fit. This will be a long journey, and you and I both need to feel it is a good match.
Once you decide to make the step into supervision, we will complete a social work supervision agreement and the clinical supervision plan. I also ask you to CC me in an email to your work supervisor informing them that you have begun LCSW supervision with me. As of February 9, 2021 , we no longer submit paperwork to the Board when you begin supervision.
My supervision groups (at this time) are 2 hours in length, twice a month, every other week. The hourly rate is $65 per hour ($130 per supervision session). Individual sessions, as needed or wanted, will also be at rate of $90 per hour. Expect $260 per month; some employers will reimburse you for supervision cost. Just ask them!
Email me to let me know you are ready to begin supervision, complete the paperwork and start attending groups. I suggest creating a binder/folder for your supervision documents. Once you sign your paperwork, I will send you pages to keep up with your hours if you choose. I haven't heard of anyone having an audit by the board, but supposedly they can do so. Therefore, we will both need to keep our ducks in a row!
I've Finished Supervision. Now what?
Congratulations!! You've completed the hardest part of earning your LCSW Now you apply to take the exam. Hopefully, in the future this process will be streamlined, but at this time it is quite a complicated process.
First, you must apply to sit for the exam at www.aswb.org/texas . It costs $60 to apply. To be approved for the exam, ASWB requires that you snail mail them a sealed official MSW transcript and a copy of the Clinical Supervision Verification form that I will send you. Your university may be able to email the official transcript to texas@aswb.org . If so, you can also email the Clinical Supervision Verification Form to that address. If you're using snail mail, it would be a good idea to request a few copies of your official transcript from the university because you will also need to send one to the BHEC.
After sending the supporting documents to ASWB, it takes about 7-10 days to be approved to sit for your LCSW exam. Once you're approved, go to aswb.org to register for the exam. The fee to register is $260.
After you pass the exam, complete the LCSW upgrade application and mail it with a check for $20 to BHEC. As a part of the application, you will need to send proof of the Jurisprudence Exam completion, a copy of a government-issues photo ID, an official MSW transcript (sealed or emailed directly from the university to transcript@bhec.texas.gov), and the NPDB Self-Query in a sealed envelope.
Once BHEC receives everything, they will email instructions telling you to go to a local IdentiGo location to be fingerprinted. This costs $40, and IdentiGo will send your fingerprint results directly to BHEC. Once they're received, BHEC will upgrade your LMSW to LCSW.
This entire process from application to upgrade currently takes about 6 weeks.
Then......IT'S OFFICIAL!!! You've done it! You are an LCSW! WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!
If you have any further questions, you can all the BHEC's Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners at 512-305-7700. I think they have gotten better at answering their phones lately! GOOD LUCK!!!