Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 4996.23.1

Current through 2024 Legislative Session
Section 4996.23.1 - [Effective 1/1/2025] [Operative 1/1/2026] Direct supervisor contact
(a) Except for experience gained by attending workshops, seminars, training sessions, or conferences, as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 4996.23, direct supervisor contact shall occur as follows:
(1) Supervision shall include at least one hour of direct supervisor contact each week for which experience is credited in each work setting.
(2) An associate gaining experience who performs more than 10 hours of direct clinical counseling in a week in any setting shall receive at least one additional hour of direct supervisor contact for that setting.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, "one hour of direct supervisor contact" means any of the following:
(1) Individual supervision, which means one hour of face-to-face contact between one supervisor and one person receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services.
(2) Triadic supervision, which means one hour of face-to-face contact between one supervisor and two persons receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services.
(3) Group supervision, which means two hours of face-to-face contact between one supervisor and no more than eight persons receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services. Segments of group supervision may be split into no less than one continuous hour. A supervisor shall ensure that the amount and degree of supervision is appropriate for each person in the group.
(c) Direct supervisor contact shall occur within the same week as the hours claimed.
(d) Of the 104 weeks of required supervision, 52 weeks shall be individual supervision, triadic supervision, or a combination of both.
(e) Of the 52 weeks of required individual or triadic supervision, no less than 13 weeks shall be supervised by a licensed clinical social worker.
(f) Alternative supervision may be arranged during a supervisor's vacation or sick leave if the alternative supervision meets the requirements of this chapter.
(g) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a supervisee working in an exempt setting described in Section 4996.14 may obtain the required weekly direct supervisor contact via two-way, real-time videoconferencing. The supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with state and federal laws relating to confidentiality of patient health information.
(h) Notwithstanding any other law, once the required number of experience hours are gained, an associate clinical social worker or applicant for licensure shall receive a minimum of one hour of direct supervisor contact per week for each practice setting in which direct clinical counseling is performed. Once the required number of experience hours are gained, further supervision for nonclinical practice, as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 4996.23, shall be at the supervisor's discretion.
(i) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2026.

Ca. Bus. and Prof. Code § 4996.23.1

Amended by Stats 2024 ch 160 (SB 1024),s 9, eff. 1/1/2025.
Added by Stats 2022 ch 204 (AB 1758),s 4, eff. 8/29/2022.