Section 140.421 - Standards for the Training and Supervision of Counselor Interns(a) A CTI shall appoint a single training coordinator who is a qualified credentialed counselor (QCC). The CTI coordinator or a CCS shall oversee all training activities and ensure compliance with department requirements and rules relating to the training and supervision of CIs.(b) The CTI or CCS shall establish acceptance criteria for CIs. No applicant shall be accepted to a CTI or accepted for CCS supervision without: (1) documentation that the applicant is registered as a counselor intern with the department; and(2) a signed ethics agreement that is consistent with the Professional and Ethical Standards in § 140.423 of this title (relating to Professional and Ethical Standards).(c) The CTI or CCS shall establish the following level system to classify counselor interns according to hours of supervised work experience:(1) Level I: 0-1,000 hours of work experience;(2) Level II: 1,001-2000 hours of work experience;(3) Level III: 2,001-4,000 hours of work experience; and(4) Graduate Status: over 4,000 hours of work experience.(d) The CTI or CCS shall have a supervision structure that includes all intern levels. The CTI or CCS shall designate each intern's level in writing and provide the intern with a copy of the documentation.(e) All counselor interns at a CTI must be under the direct supervision of a QCC as described in § 140.422 of this title (relating to Direct Supervision of Interns). A CCS must directly supervise a counselor intern under the CCS's supervision, as described in § 140.422 of this title.(f) The CTI or CCS shall provide each Level I, II, and III intern with reading assignments and training activities for the supervised work experience that includes material in each KSA dimension.(g) The CTI or CCS shall use the department's counselor intern evaluation forms to structure the intern's 4,000 hours of supervised work experience. The CI's supervising QCC, under the oversight and monitoring of the CTI coordinator, shall perform the CTI's responsibilities in the following paragraphs of this subsection. (1) The CCS or CTI shall set weekly objectives with the CI based on areas targeted for improvement.(2) The CCS or CTI shall provide the CI reading, computer, and/or video assignments that address areas needing improvement. The CTI or CCS shall allow the intern two hours per month to complete these assignments.(3) The CCS or CTI shall monitor the intern's progress and provide verbal and written feedback during weekly supervision meetings.(4) The intern shall complete a written KSA self-evaluation during the first 50 hours of work experience.(5) The CCS or the CTI and the intern shall complete and discuss a written KSA evaluation at the completion of each level of experience (after 1,000 hours, 2,000 hours, and 4,000 hours).(h) The CTI or CCS shall not allow a Level I, II, or III intern to accrue more than 40 hours of work experience per week.(i) A graduate intern may continue to provide chemical dependency counseling services at a registered clinical training institution or with a CCS during that individual's maximum CI registration period.(j) The CTI coordinator or CCS shall send the following documents directly to the department and provide the intern with copies within ten working days from the date the intern completes the required 4,000 hours or leaves the agency: (1) the department's supervised work experience documentation form, fully completed and signed by the CCS or the CI's supervising QCC and the CTI Coordinator; and(2) a copy of the intern's job description showing job responsibilities within the KSAs.(k) All activities counted towards the intern's supervised work experience shall be within the scope of chemical dependency counseling services as defined by the KSAs.(l) The CTI or CCS shall not approve hours for which the intern fails to substantially complete related activities and supervision assignments. Any failure to complete assignments shall be documented on the weekly supervision form.(m) The CTI or CCS shall give each CI the department's CTI and CCS Assessment Form with instructions to complete the assessment and mail it directly to the department.(n) The CTI or CCS shall use current department forms for all training and supervision documentation mandated by the department.(o) The CTI shall ensure that each CTI coordinator and supervising QCC obtains three hours of continuing education in clinical supervision every two years.(p) The CTI or CCS shall inform interns of licensure examination requirements and procedures, as well as examination schedules and information provided by the department.(q) The CTI or CCS shall ensure that interns designate their status by using "counselor intern," "intern" or "CI" when signing client record entries, and that only registered CIs use this designation.(r) The CTI or CCS shall maintain a complete file for each counselor intern for five years from the end of the CI's employment with a CTI or supervision by a CCS, as applicable, to include:(1) letter of registration;(2) ethics agreement signed by the intern;(3) copies of KSA evaluations;(4) documentation of all supervision activities;(5) documentation of intern levels and accumulated hours at each level; and(6) copy of the supervised work experience documentation form.(s) The CTI or CCS shall give the intern a copy of all information contained in the intern file when the intern completes the required supervised work experience and/or leaves the agency.25 Tex. Admin. Code § 140.421
The provisions of this §140.421 adopted to be effective September 9, 2008, 33 TexReg 7520; amended to be effective August 9, 2012, 37 TexReg 5788