4757-29-01. Marriage and family therapy supervision


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  • This rule applies to all supervisees who are working toward licensure as independent marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapists who are applying under rule 4757-25-04 of the Administrative Code. It also applies to marriage and family therapists who are diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders under the supervision of an independently licensed mental health professional.

    (A) Definition of supervision:

    (1) "Training supervision" is individual or group supervision applied to all individuals who are gaining the experience required for a license as an independent marriage and family therapist or under rule 4757-25-04 of the Administrative Code for a license as a marriage and family therapist. This type of supervision requires extensive time and involvement on the part of the supervisor in order to help supervisees improve their skills and/or learn new skills, and promote the professional development as a marriage and family therapist.

    (2) "Work supervision" is supervision required of marriage and family therapists whose practice includes the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders. This supervision requires the evaluation of the supervisee's performance; professional guidance to the supervisee; approval of the supervisee's intervention plans and their implementation; the assumption of responsibility for the welfare of the supervisee's clients; and assurance that the supervisee functions within the limits of his/her license. The assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan, revisions to the treatment plan, correspondence and transfer or termination of the client(s) shall be approved by the supervisor and shall be made available to the board upon request. Marriage and family therapists shall disclose to their on all printed and electronic material that they are under the supervision of an appropriately licensed mental health professional when diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders. The supervisee shall on all printed and electronic materials also disclose to their clients the name(s) of said professional(s).

    (3) "Group supervision" is board approved supervision that consists of a case-related interactive face-to-face meeting with one supervisor and no more than six supervisees.

    (4) "Individual supervision" is board approved supervision that consists of a caserelated interactive face-to-face meeting between one supervisor meeting with no more than two supervisees.

    (B) Training supervision purposes:

    (1) To provide for the protection of consumer and client welfare; and

    (2) To provide that supervisees function within the limits of their competence; and

    (3) To enhance professional development of a marriage and family therapist; and

    (4) To provide training in activities relevant to the supervisee's position and academic background.

    (C) Requirements for training:

    (1) All supervisees engaging in training supervision for licensure as independent marriage and family therapists shall be under supervision of one of the following:

    (a) An "American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor or Supervisor Candidate" who is also licensed in Ohio as one of the following: an independent marriage and family therapist, a professional clinical counselor with training supervision designation, an independent social worker with training supervision designation, psychologist or psychiatrist;

    (b) An Ohio licensed independent marriage and family therapist with training supervision designation.

    (2) Request for exceptions due to hardship shall be made in writing to the board. The supervisor shall have demonstrated competence in the area in which he/she is supervising and have training in legal and ethical issues relevant to marriage and family therapy.

    (3) Training supervisees may not choose a supervisor who is a family member.

    (4) Supervised marriage and family therapist experience obtained out of state may count toward the supervised experience requirement. Applicants shall request such consideration in writing from the marriage and family therapist professional standards committee. Supervisees presenting supervision experience from another state shall provide documentation that the supervisor is equivalent to the requirements of paragraph (C)(1)(a) or (C)(1)(b) of this rule and shall provide the vita/resume of their supervisors to demonstrate that their supervisors are licensed to supervise the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders and thus are acceptable to the board.

    (D) Documentation of training supervision:

    (1) It is the responsibility of the supervisee to ensure that the supervisor and the experience meet the requirements of this rule.

    (2) Records of training supervision shall be maintained by the supervisee and supervisor and made available to the board upon request. The supervision records shall contain information concerning the dates of supervision, content and goals of supervision, and shall be signed off on by a supervisor at least quarterly.

    (3) The applicant shall further provide supervision evaluations within thirty days following the completion of the first fifty hours of supervision required under paragraph (A)(2) of rule 4757-25-04 of the Administrative Code and again, at the completion of the full two hundred hours of supervised experience on forms provided by the board. The applicant is responsible for providing the form to the supervisor(s).

    (E) Work supervision of marriage and family therapists practicing in a clinical setting shall be under the supervision of an independent marriage and family therapist, a professional clinical counselor, an independent social worker with a clinical area of competence, a psychologist, or psychiatrist.

    (F) Requirements for marriage and family therapy professional training in supervision to qualify for a training supervision designation:

    (1) After January 1, 2015, only independent marriage and family therapists who have obtained a training supervision designation may provide training supervision.

    (2) Applicants for a training supervision designation after January 1, 2015 shall apply on forms required by the board and shall meet at least one of the following:

    (a) An applicant who is an AAMFT approved supervisor who holds an Ohio independent marriage and family therapist license in good standing; or

    (b) An applicant who holds an Ohio independent marriage and family therapist license in good standing and can document at least the following requirements:

    (i) Two years post-licensure clinical experience as an independent marriage and family therapist; and

    (ii) Completion of the AAMFT thirty hour supervision course, or an equivalent course approved by the MFT professional standards committee.

    (3) All independent marriage and family therapists with training supervision designation who have not previously completed the AAMFT thirty hour supervision course or AAMFT supervision refresher course shall maintain their supervision designation status by obtaining three hours in an AAMFT approved supervision refresher course approved by the MFT professional standards committee or equivalent supervision course prior to renewal.All independent marriage and family therapists with training supervision designation who have previously completed the AAMFT thirty hour supervision course or AAMFT supervision refresher course, provided they can show evidence of completion, shall complete three hours every renewal cycle in any supervision course that is approved by this board for marriage and family therapists, and which includes ethics of supervision.


Effective: 9/2/2019
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 2/27/2023
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4757.10, 4757.30
Rule Amplifies: 4757.30
Prior Effective Dates: 04/10/2004, 09/20/2007, 04/18/2009, 11/03/2014, 03/05/2018