NJ LCSW supervision: the weekly hour, video and the Board's waivers

The rule

“At least one hour of face-to-face individual or group clinical supervision per week”, or one hour of individual clinical supervision through synchronous video conferencing that complies with HIPAA, “for no more than half of the total supervision hours” (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(b)1v).

Your supervisor attests to it on the Documentation form: supervision of “a minimum of one-hour per week, either in an individual or group setting”.

Video: the half rule

The rule names individual supervision by video, for no more than half of your supervision hours. It doesn't name group supervision by video or supervision by phone. Outside the waivers below, plan for at least half of your supervision in person.

The Board's waivers for 2020 to 2024

The Board's FAQ describes two motions:

• May 8, 2024: if you began clinical supervision between March 13, 2020 and April 1, 2024, all of your supervision hours may take place virtually. It applies automatically; you don't need to request it.
• January 10, 2024: the in-person half is waived for supervision between March 13, 2020 and April 1, 2024 if you request it in writing, uploaded to your online profile. The FAQ doesn't say how this fits with the May motion; we read it as covering those the May motion doesn't. After April 1, 2024, at least half of your remaining supervision hours must be in person.

When the waivers don't say

The FAQ doesn't define when supervision “began” for the first waiver. If your start is close to one of the dates, ask the Board.

A week without supervision

The rule asks for the hour every week. We haven't found what the Board does with a week that had none, whether a missed hour can be made up later, or whether the hour is counted per job or across all your jobs. Keep a dated record of each week's supervision, and ask the Board about any week that fell short.

Who can supervise

Your supervisor must be:

• Licensed as an LCSW by New Jersey
• Clinically licensed as an LCSW for at least three years, not necessarily all in New Jersey (the Board's motion of May 8, 2024, as its FAQ states it)
• Completed at least 20 continuing education credits in clinical supervision approved by the Board; a SIFI course doesn't count (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(b))

Limits on the supervisor

• At most six LSWs working toward the LCSW at one time, and no more than four in one supervision group (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(f))
• Written progress reports on your work, given to you and your employer, at least every three months (8.1(h))

A supervisor outside your agency

Where no qualified supervisor is available at your job, outside supervision is allowed with your employer's written, notarized consent on letterhead (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(i); the Board's FAQ), and each client's written consent to share records or other documents with that supervisor (8.1(i)1).

Supervision counts toward the 3,000

Time in supervision is part of the up to 1,080 non-clinical hours in section C of the Documentation form (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1(a)). All of your supervision hours must be complete before the Clinical exam (the Board's FAQ).

New Jersey's Documentation of Supervised Clinical Experience form, explained