21 NCAC 31 .0502 ONGOING SUPERVISION

(a) Ongoing supervision as contained in G.S. 90-270.51(a)(1)(b) means face-to-face conversation with someone who holds the designation as an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, or a person who otherwise meets the standards set forth by AAMFT as outlined in the current edition of the AAMFT Approved Supervision Designation: Standards Handbook, which is incorporated by the Board by reference. These incorporated standards include subsequent amendments and additions. A copy of these standards may be obtained at no charge at their website, www.aamft.org.

(b) Ongoing supervision shall focus on the raw data, defined as quantitative information about the client, from the supervisee's continuing clinical practice, which shall be available to the supervisor through a combination of direct observation where the supervisor witnesses the supervisee providing therapy during a live session, co-therapy, written clinical notes, and audio and video recordings.

(1) Peer supervision - the supervision by a person of equivalent qualifications, status, and experience, as opposed to supervision provided by someone who holds a higher level of licensure than the supervisee;

(2) Supervision by current or former family members of the individual's immediate or extended family, including a current or past significant other, lineal ascendants or descendants of the individual or his or her significant other, or any other persons where the nature of the personal relationship prevents or makes difficult the establishment of a professional relationship due to dual roles or conflicts of interest;

(3) Administrative supervision - clinical practice performed under administrative, rather than clinical, supervision by an institutional director or executive;

(4) A didactic process wherein techniques or procedures are taught in a classroom, workshop, or seminar; or

(5) Consultation, staff development, or orientation to a field or program or role-playing of family interrelationships as a substitute for clinical practice in a clinical situation.

(d) Applicants for licensure must have accumulated a minimum of 200 hours of ongoing supervision from a supervisor who meets the standards as set forth in the AAMFT Approved Supervision Designation: Standards Handbook, concurrent with the completion of the 1,500 hours of clinical experience required by G.S. 90-270.51(a)(1)(b). Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associates must remain under on-going supervision for at least one hour monthly until licensed as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as required by Rule .0802 of this Chapter.

(e) Graduates of marriage and family therapy programs who have completed 200 hours of ongoing supervision from a supervisor who meets the standards as set forth in the AAMFT Approved Supervision Designation: Standards Handbook, within their degree program shall complete a minimum of 25 hours of approved ongoing supervision concurrently with the completion of the remaining hours of post-degree clinical experience required by . G.S. 90-270.51(a)(1)(b). Graduates of marriage and family therapy programs may apply up to 500 hours of direct client contact, as defined by Rule .0506, obtained during their program toward the 1,500 required as long as those hours were obtained under the supervision of an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or AAMFT Supervisor Candidate who held a supervision contract with the applicant and who was personally responsible for overseeing the applicant's treatment plans, therapy notes, progress notes, practice of therapy, and client interaction. Applicants for the Marriage and Family Therapy license must have documented a minimum of 500 relational hours toward their required 1,500 hours. For the purposes of this Rule, "relational hours" shall mean hours spent providing therapy with more than one client in the room who are all part of the same treatment plan. Relational hours may also include face-to-face communication with members of the larger system, as defined in G.S. 90-270.47(2b), who are also working with the same client(s). This contact may only be counted if it is authorized via written release by the client(s) or required by law for the purpose of developing and carrying out a treatment plan.

(f) Supervision Reports, as outlined in Rule .0201(4) of this Chapter, shall be submitted on supervision report forms provided by the Board. Supervision report forms are contained within the licensure application packet that may be obtained from the Board's website.

History Note: Authority G.S. 90-270.51(b); 90-270.54; 90-270.54A;

Eff. August 1, 1984;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2011; May 1, 1996; April 1, 1989;

Readopted Eff. July 1, 2019.