Use these handy steps to ensure you select an eligible Georgia LPC Supervisor. Requirements for LPC Supervision in Georgia are unique and these 15 TIPS can potentially save you a lot of time and money and LPC licensing application headaches.
1) GA LPC Supervisors must be fully licensed as LPCs for a minimum of 3 years to provide board eligible supervision.
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2) Be sure your GA LPC Supervisor holds one of two credentials.
a) The NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor is the best LPC supervision credential. The training is rigorous and importantly it is accepted in 15 states including Georgia.
NBCC administers the licensure examinations used by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.
b) Having an ACS supervisor will be helpful in other state’s license by endorsement/reciprocity processes.
c) In addition, as states move forward with the counseling compact, the NBCC ACS credential is the gold standard and might be accepted for all participating compact states.
The LPCA Certified Professional Clinical Supervisor (CPCS). The LPCA CPCS is a state professional association LPC Supervisor credential accepted by Georgia’s Composite board, but it is for Georgia APC/ LPC applicants.
3) Can Someone Simultaneously Be Both Your Supervisor and Director
Read this carefully:
Yes, your LPC Supervisor and Director can be the same person however Georgia’s Composite Board has made at least one effort to enact licensing requirements rules that would prohibit your Supervisor from also being your Director.
First, if at all humanly possible your supervisor and director should be different people.
When rules are written they are posted for public input. The professional community protested the posted rule and the board withdrew the rule draft.
However, Georgia’s board has encountered numerous problems with licensees when someone is both supervisor and director simultaneously. Their concerns are legitimate in several ways:
When an applicant attempts to collect their forms, the director will sometimes refuse to sign the Form C “Directed Experience” because of an employer/employee dispute *and* refuse to sign the Form E, “Supervision”.
The board must then respond to complaints by applicants against those supervisors. I have provided board-mandated LPC supervision to individuals who were also being sued by the supervisee for lost income, time, monies paid, racial profiling and other allegations.
This is an inherent unavoidable conflict of interest. There are very few instances when these professional roles are not a conflict of interest between licensees.
The Supervisor will often choose the side of the employer and fail in their professional role as supervisor.
Why? Because *first* –an employee wants to keep their job.
Georgia’s Board has good reason to persist with some form of limiting these dual roles because there have been so many disagreements.
A new therapist needs privacy in their supervision. They need to express concerns about ethics problems in their work settings. A conflict of interest can prevent a therapist license applicant from becoming licensed. And it can destroy the relationship.
4) License By Endorsement
If you are applying from out-of-state through an Application By Endorsement, Georgia’s Composite Board has the option of accepting LPC Supervision from Supervisors without either of these credentials. The board has indeed accepted uncredentialed LPC Supervisors, but almost for certain that supervisor still needs to be licensed for a minimum of three years.
Be sure the state licensing board indicates they have a clean license to practice. Georgia’s board has disciplined LPCs for their actions as supervisors.
6) Interview your prospective supervisor
A potential LPC supervisor will be interviewing you. You should interview them as well. Ask the following questions. If they have any problem or are reluctant to answer the questions, consider moving on to find an LPC supervisor.
7) “Have you refused to recommend an LPC supervisee for licensure?”
If they have, ask them the why. If you are not comfortable with the answer, keep searching for a supervisor.
8) “Will you be able to explain to me what I need to do to become licensed as a Georgia LPC?”
Georgia is one of the more difficult states to become licensed as a Professional Counselor. Surprisingly, many supervisors lack a complete knowledge of what you’ll need to do to become fully licensed. That’s not a good sign.
9) “Have you filed a Georgia Composite Board complaint against any of your LPC supervisees?”
If so, ask why. Again, if you are not satisfied with the answer you may want to interview more LPC Supervisors in Georgia.
10) “How many years have you been providing supervision toward LPC licensure in Georgia?”
Whereas the minimum licensing board requirement is three years post licensure, they may have insufficient supervision experience.
11) “What is the range of your clinical experience”?
Georgia’s Composite Board is increasingly evaluating work experience to be sure it is clinical mental health. The board is even moving toward requiring Master’s Degrees in Clinical Mental Health or something very similar. Georgia’s board is moving away from degrees that only prepare future LPCs for work in educational settings. If you are new to the mental health/therapy field you will need someone to teach you:
- How to assess suicidal patients.
- How to Assess alcohol, drug and behavioral addictions.
- Ethical LPC practice.
- How to assess psychotic disorders.
12) “What is your approach to clinical supervision?”
There are many models of supervision. Most importantly, consider the following:
- a. Do you want a supervisor to provide close guidance and advice or one who allows more room for you to grow and make mistakes.
- b. Whereas, it is difficult to know if a supervisor practices ethically, ask them if they are capable of guiding you through ethical dilemmas. Georgia’s Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists Code of Ethics can be found at Ga Composite Board Rule Chapter 135-7.
13) Do you feel comfortable with the potential supervisor?
Consider: Can you communicate with ease? Are they confident or are they tentative?
14) You are ultimately responsible for understanding and meeting all licensing requirements including eligible LPC Supervision in Georgia.
This task cannot be delegated to your clinical supervisor. If your Georgia LPC license application is denied, the licensing board will ask you to address and correct any problems with it. They will not ask your supervisor to correct your application.
15) Know The GA Board Rules. Obtain an eligible supervisor.
If you follow these 14 simple rules you will have a more smooth path to licensing.
