The following requirements are applicable to supervisors who are licensed by the Board. Being a supervisor means being truly outstanding in the field of acupuncture; over and above what is expected. Being a supervisor means setting an example for new practitioners coming into the profession.
(a) Supervisors must first have prior approval from the Board before commencing a tutorial program within their practice;
(b) An application for the supervisor must be submitted to the Board on a form provided by the Board and accompanied by the application fee; - (i) Applications must be accompanied by a training plan outline signed and dated by the supervisor and intern which shall be followed throughout the program.
- (A) If the training plan is substantially modified at a later time, a report of such modification shall be filed with the Board. There shall be no charge for filing program modifications.
(c) The supervisor shall: - (i) Be found by the Board to have the knowledge necessary to educate and train interns in the practice of acupuncture and:
- (A) Have at least ten (10) years of experience practicing as an acupuncturist; or
- (B) Hold a license in good standing issued by the Board for at least five (5) years.
- (ii) Ensure that the intern be at least eighteen (18) years of age and has graduated high school or has passed a standard equivalency test. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the Board;
- (iii) Ensure that the intern is enrolled in an ACAOM accredited acupuncture program that mandates at least 1,850 hours of training, including at least eight hundred (800) hours of clinical training. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the Board;
- (iv) Keep detailed files of each intern for the duration of the training program and an additional three (3) years after training completion. The supervisor's intern files shall be subject to audit by the Board and shall include:
- (A) All agreements between the supervisor and the intern;
- (C) Verification of acupuncture school program; and
- (D) A recent photograph of the intern, taken within the past six (6) months, approximately 2" x 3" in size.
- (v) Be responsible for, and provide supervision of, the work performed by the intern;
- (vi) Provide continuous direction and supervision of the intern when patient services are provided;
- (vii) Ensure that the intern not provide acupuncture services autonomously or without the required supervision, and shall not provide any service for which he or she is not trained or competent to perform;
- (viii) Be in the same clinic or facility as, and in proximity to, the location where the intern is rendering patient services and shall be readily available at all times to provide advice, instruction and assistance to the intern;
- (ix) Ensure that services provided by the intern be done so in a manner which does not endanger the health and welfare of patients receiving such services. Furthermore, the supervisor shall ensure that any patient receiving care from an intern must first be notified and give written permission to allow the intern to work with them;
- (x) Ensure that when rendering services or otherwise engaging in professional activity, the intern always identifies himself or herself as an acupuncture intern and wears an identification badge;
- (xi) Ensure no separate billing by the intern;
- (xii) Comply with provisions of the acupuncture law, the acupuncture regulations and applicable laws and regulations governing wages and compensation paid to employees or apprentices, maximum hours and working conditions. Any overtime worked by the intern shall not interfere with or impair the program and shall not be detrimental to the health and safety of the intern or patients;
- (xiii) File a tutorial progress report on a form provided by the Board, within thirty (30) days after the completion of the first six (6) weeks of the program and a report for every six (6) weeks thereafter, for the duration of the program;
- (xiv) Administer a self-assessment questionnaire to the intern to be sent to the Board. The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the work of the intern in the clinic and to give feedback on the intern's clinical development;
- (xv) Train no more than two (2) acupuncture interns at any one time.
Adopted, Eff. 12/14/2017.