Professional Development

I am a Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners approved Clinical Supervisor  The supervisory relationship is one that must possess respect, trust, and openness by both the supervisor and supervisee. Supervision is an ongoing and evolving process to enhance clinical and professional skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Emphasis is placed on achieve competency in clinical skills and increasing your identity as a Clinical Social Worker. 

I offer both individual and group supervision. Supervision is utilized to address the parallel process of being a clinician and in supervision which leads to developing your own individual style and therapeutic approach. I value each person’s unique learning style and lens of performing clinical work and use Relational-Cultural Model to approach supervision.

As a supervisor I draw on theoretical frameworks such as Cognitive & Dialectical Behavioral, Psychodynamic, and Solution Focused to guide supervisees to develop their own clinical skills and therapeutic style. Additionally, the lenses of Strengths based perspective and cultural competence are utilized to conceptualize cases and develop treatment plans with supervisees. 

Rules Relating to the Licensing and Regulation of Social Workers” (rules), The rules are available on the board’s website or click  here .

What is clinical social work?

The practice of clinical social work is restricted to either a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or a Licensed Master Social Worker under clinical supervision in employment or under a clinical supervision plan. 

Clinical social work is defined in the rules at 22 TAC §781.102(12) and includes “using specialized clinical knowledge and advanced skills to assess, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions…  Treatment methods may include but are not limited to, providing individual, marital, couple, family, and group psychotherapy.  Clinical social workers are qualified and authorized to use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and other diagnostic classification systems in the assessment, diagnosis and other practice activities. 

Can I work towards my LCSW if my job is not clinical or clinical enough?

Yes.

For those for whom their job is not sufficiently “clinical,” the board has provided a remedy.  An LMSW whose job description is not sufficient to be approved by the board for a Clinical Supervision Plan on its own merits may submit, in conjunction with the original Clinical Supervision Plan specific to the “non-clinical” job, a separate, supplemental Clinical Supervision Plan, which describes a minimum of four hours per week of clinical experience, as defined by the board’s rules, in the same or another setting with the same supervisor.  

If approved by board approved supervisor, the supervised experience hours at the “primary” job as well as the “supplemental” job(s) may be counted towards fulfilling minimum requirements for licensure as an LCSW.  

May I seek LCSW supervision outside my place of employment?

Yes. 

If the board-approved supervisor is not employed by or under contract with the agency to provide supervision towards licensure, the Supervisee is required to obtain and submit with the Clinical Supervision Plan a letter from the agency executive or her/his designee on agency letterhead which authorizes the Supervisee to engage in supervision with the outside Supervisor. ​

How long do I have to be in supervision?

The board requires a  minimum of 100 hours of supervision with a board-approved supervisor that occurs throughout the course of a minimum of 3,000 supervised clinical hours. The supervisee must engage in supervision and clinical hours within a timeframe of a minimum of 24 months and in no more than 48 months.

Since most jobs are rarely 100% clinical and most of us take an average of two weeks of vacation per year,  this averages to 30 hours/week over a period of two (2) years.

How often do I have to meet with my supervisor?

In accordance with Texas State Board requirements supervisees with an approved plan for full-time work must participate in no fewer than four (4) hours of supervision each calendar month AND no fewer than two (2) supervisory sessions each calendar month.
I conduct supervision on a bi-weekly basis in two (2) hour increments and am available to supervisees for consultation and if a crisis arises. Click here for the boards rules & regulations regarding the clinical supervision process.

RATES
(Effective 08/01/2024)
Individual: $55/hour
Group: $40/hour social worker license Temple Killeen Copperas Cove