7012.1The following persons may practice under supervision:
(a) A licensed social work associate;(b) A licensed graduate social worker;(c) A social worker licensed under the Act, who is obtaining the required three thousand (3000) hours of post-master's or postdoctoral experience pursuant to § 803 or § 804 of the Act (D.C. Official Code §§ 3-1208.03(a) or § 3-1208.04(a); or(d) An applicant for licensure under the Act who has obtained either a baccalaureate degree (B.S.W.) or a master's degree (M.S.W.) from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and who is waiting to take the national examination; provided, that the following shall apply: (1) A letter issued by the Board to authorize supervised practice by an applicant shall be effective for no more than ninety (90) days;(2) An authorization to engage in supervised practice shall be immediately terminated if the applicant fails the national examination;(3) An authorization to engage in supervised practice shall be immediately terminated if the applicant is denied licensure; and(4) An applicant whose authorization to engage in supervised practice has been terminated shall not be eligible to reapply for authorization for supervised practice.7012.2A person who has been denied a license or disciplined, or who is the subject of a pending denial or disciplinary action, in the District or other jurisdiction shall not practice pursuant to this section unless authorized by the Board in writing to do so.
7012.3An applicant, licensed social work associate, or licensed graduate social worker shall not establish an independent practice, and shall not receive compensation of any nature, directly or indirectly, from a patient, except for a salary based on hours worked under supervision.
7012.4Except as provided in § 7012.1(d), an applicant or social worker must first obtain licensure under the Act at the level of licensure for which he or she is qualified, in order to engage in supervised practice within the District.
7012.5Only a supervisor, meeting the qualifications as set forth in § 7013, shall be authorized to supervise the practice of social work in the District of Columbia.
7012.6A supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring that the individual(s) under his or her supervision is authorized to practice under supervision and may be subject to disciplinary action for supervising unlicensed or unauthorized personnel.
7012.7An applicant or social worker shall practice social work under supervision only in accordance with the Act and this chapter.
7012.8All supervised practice shall take place under supervision, and shall meet the following requirements:
(a) At least one (1) hour of every thirty-two (32) hours of supervised practice shall be under immediate supervision;(b) The supervision relationship shall include daily in-person, telephone, video conference, or internet communication between supervisor and supervisee, as well as regular personal observation, evaluation, oversight, review, and correction of services provided by the supervisee;(c) The supervisor shall have sufficient knowledge of all social work contacts of the supervisee's social work practice, including face to face contact with the client when necessary, to develop and to monitor effective service delivery procedures and the supervisee's treatment or service plan; and(d) All decisions by a supervisee which require the special skill, knowledge, or training of a social worker shall be made in collaboration with and with the approval of the supervisor. Such decisions may include, but are not limited to: type, duration, effectiveness, and method of services provided; fees and billing procedures; and approval of cases.7012.9Where the supervisor is located off-site or practices in a different location from the supervisee for more than two (2) days a week, in addition to the requirements of this chapter, the supervisor and supervisee shall:
(a) Establish a written contract for supervision prior to initiating the supervision relationship;(b) Maintain documentation, for at least five (5) years, of supervisory sessions including dates, duration, and focus of supervision, which shall be available for review upon request of the Board or its agent; and(c) Be subject to auditing by the Board to ensure compliance with the supervision requirements.7012.10A signed copy of the supervision contract shall be maintained by both the supervisor and supervisee for the duration of the supervision relationship, and for an additional three (3) years following the termination of the supervision relationship, and shall contain the following:
(a) The names and contact information of the supervisor and supervisee;(b) The supervision plan and process for providing written evaluation of the supervisee's progress to the supervisee;(c) The location(s) of supervision;(d) Emergency supervision arrangements or planned absences by supervisor, such as when on vacation; and(e) The signatures of the supervisor and supervisee, and date signed.7012.11A supervisor shall be fully responsible for the supervised practice of an applicant or social worker during the period of supervision, and is subject to disciplinary action for any violation of the Act or this chapter by the person being supervised.
7012.12An applicant shall identify himself or herself as such before practicing as a social worker.
7012.13An applicant shall be subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and this chapter. The Board may deny an application for a license by, or take other disciplinary action against, an applicant who is found to have violated the Act or this chapter, in accordance with chapter 41 of this title.
7012.14If the Board finds that an applicant has violated the Act or this chapter, the Board may, in addition to any other disciplinary actions permitted by the Act, revoke, suspend, or restrict the privilege of the applicant to practice.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 17, r. 17-7012
Final Rulemaking published at 35 DCR 1059, 1065 (February 19, 1988); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 35 DCR 6242 (August 12, 1988); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 50 DCR 3174 (April 25, 2003); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 50 DCR 9252 (October 31, 2003); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 52 DCR 10686 (December 9, 2005); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 4209, 4216 (May 14, 2012); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 8489 (June 7, 2013); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 69 DCR 12108 (10/7/2022) 17 DCMR § 7012 is formerly entitled, "Supervision of Practice by Students, Applicants, and Social Workers." Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 4209 (May 14, 2012) replaced it with, "Supervision of Practice."Authority: Section 302(14) of the District of Columbia Health Occupation Revision Act of 1985 (Act), effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code § 3-1203.02(14) (2007 Repl.)), and Mayor's Order 98-140, dated August 20, 1998.