Clinical Supervision Requirements in Delaware

Licensing Board Overview

In Delaware, mental health professions are regulated by two primary boards under the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR): the Board of Social Work Examiners (for social workers) and the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals (for counselors and marriage and family therapists). Applications and change requests go through DPR's DELPROS portal.

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Delaware)

Delaware's LCSW is governed by the Board of Social Work Examiners under 24 Del. C. § 3907. Candidates typically hold a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) credential while accruing supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,200 hours of post-degree clinical social work experience. All 3,200 hours must be under an acceptable supervisor, and at least 1,600 must be clinical experience hours under direct supervision
• Timeframe: Must be completed in no less than 2 years and no more than 5 years
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of direct supervision. At least 75 hours must be one-to-one, and up to 25 hours may be group supervision of 7 or fewer supervisees. Group hours have counted only since December 11, 2025
• Weekly supervision: The Supervisory Reference Form (Rev 06/2026) says at least one hour per week must be one-on-one face-to-face supervision. No rule states this, so confirm with the board
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an LCSW license in any U.S. state or territory
• Must have been licensed as an LCSW for at least 3 years without disciplinary action
• A psychologist or psychiatrist may supervise only when no LCSW is available, documented on a notarized form

LPCMH: Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (Delaware)

Delaware's LPCMH is governed by the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals under 24 Del. C. § 3032. Candidates often hold a Licensed Associate Counselor of Mental Health (LACMH) credential while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total experience: 3,200 hours of mental health counseling over no less than 2 and no more than 4 consecutive years
• Supervised hours: At least 1,600 hours must be under professional direct supervision: at least 750 hours of individual face-to-face counseling, another 750 hours of individual, group, couple, or family counseling, and at least 100 hours of supervision
• Unsupervised hours: Up to 1,600 hours not supervised by a board-acceptable supervisor may count. An administrative supervisor (or, for self-employment, a colleague who is not a relative) verifies them on a separate form
• Supervision format: Since July 11, 2026, individual supervision means meetings with no more than 2 supervisees. Group supervision means 6 or fewer supervisees, and at most 40 group hours count
• Exam: The board accepts the NCE or the NCMHCE

Supervisor Qualifications

• An LPCMH licensed in any U.S. state or territory, with at least 2 years post-licensure and no disciplinary actions
• Other professionals (such as an LMFT, LCSW, psychologist, physician, or APRN) need board approval through the Request for Alternative Professional Supervisor form
• A supervisor may have no more than 10 unlicensed or associate supervisees at a time

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Delaware)

Delaware's LMFT is governed by the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals under 24 Del. C. § 3052 (the associate license is § 3053). Candidates hold a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) credential while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total experience: 3,200 hours of marriage and family therapy experience over no less than 2 and no more than 4 consecutive years
• Supervised hours: 1,600 hours under an approved supervisor: 500 hours of couple and family therapy, 500 hours of individual therapy, 500 hours of either, and 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision
• Unsupervised hours: The remaining 1,600 hours do not have to be supervised. An administrative supervisor verifies them on a separate form
• Exam: AMFTRB National Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• A Delaware LMFT licensed in good standing for at least 2 years
• A licensed AAMFT Approved Supervisor, or an AAMFT supervisor candidate acceptable to the board
• An LMFT licensed in another state for at least 2 years who passed the AMFTRB exam
• Anyone else only with board approval. Unless the supervisor is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, the board must approve the supervisor

Delaware-Specific Details

Associate Licensure and Supervision Plans

LMFT applicants must hold the LAMFT, with a limited exception for people who already completed the experience. For counseling, no rule requires the LACMH; an LPCMH applicant may document supervised hours directly. Where an associate license is held, a written supervision plan signed by each proposed supervisor must be approved by the board before the experience counts. The associate license lasts 2 years and can be renewed up to 2 times. Social workers typically hold an LMSW.

Changing Supervisors

Associates must notify the board on its form within 30 days of any change in clinical supervision, and all changes are subject to board approval. This is done through the "Manage Affiliations" service request in DELPROS. Social work has no plan or change notice.

No Fixed Supervision Ratio

No Delaware rule sets a ratio of supervision hours to practice hours. The requirements are minimum totals over the whole period. The only weekly figure is the one printed on the social work Supervisory Reference Form, described above.

2026 Rule Changes

Revised counseling and MFT rules took effect on July 11, 2026. They changed the LPCMH hour breakdown, let individual supervision include up to 2 supervisees, removed the supervisor continuing education requirement for counseling, capped counseling supervisor caseloads at 10, and cut the out-of-state LMFT supervisor requirement from 5 years to 2. Several board forms still print the older rules, and the online Administrative Code may lag behind, so check the board's news page.

Documentation Requirements

• Each supervisor completes their own verification form for the hours under their supervision: the Direct Supervision Reference (LPCMH), the Verification of Supervision (LMFT), or the Supervisory Reference Form (LCSW). The board adds the forms together
• Hours not under a clinical supervisor (LPCMH, LMFT) are verified on separate experience verification forms
• The forms are uploaded with the application in DELPROS

Virtual Supervision in Delaware

For LCSW, up to 100% of direct supervision may be by live video conferencing at the supervisor's discretion. Supervision by telephone or email is not permitted. For LPCMH, the rule says face-to-face includes live audiovisual conferencing, but the board's web page and supervision forms say live video must not exceed 50% of the 100 supervision hours. The MFT rules do not address video. Confirm with the board before relying on video supervision for LPCMH or LMFT hours.

Interstate Compacts

Delaware is a member of the Counseling Compact, but the board says the compact has not gone live in Delaware. Delaware enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact in 2025 (signed August 25, 2025). There is no MFT compact.

Key Delaware Board Contact Information

• Board of Social Work Examiners: dpr.delaware.gov/boards/socialworkers
• Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals: dpr.delaware.gov/boards/profcounselors
• Statutes: 24 Del. C. ch. 30 (counseling and MFT), 24 Del. C. ch. 39 (social work)

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Delaware

Supervisor requirements in Delaware vary by discipline. Delaware has no separate supervisor registry. Always confirm current standards with the appropriate board.

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor

• Hold an LCSW license in any U.S. state or territory
• Have been licensed as an LCSW for at least 3 years without disciplinary action
• Complete 3 hours of continuing education in clinical supervision, 3 hours in cultural competency or diversity, and 6 hours in ethics within 4 years of the application
• Supervise no more than 7 supervisees at any given time
• Complete the Supervisory Reference Form when your supervisee applies for licensure. There is no advance registration

Becoming an LPCMH Supervisor

• Hold an LPCMH license in any U.S. state or territory, with at least 2 years post-licensure and no disciplinary actions
• Other license types need board approval through the Request for Alternative Professional Supervisor form
• Supervise no more than 10 unlicensed or associate supervisees at a time
• For an associate, sign the Planned Direct Supervision form, which the board approves with the supervision plan

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor

• Hold a Delaware LMFT license for at least 2 years, be a licensed AAMFT Approved Supervisor or approved candidate, or hold another state's LMFT for at least 2 years and have passed the AMFTRB exam
• For an associate, sign the LAMFT Planned Direct Supervision form, which the board approves with the supervision plan

How Guidara Helps Delaware Supervisors

Delaware asks each supervisor to report the hours completed under their supervision and the supervision they provided, with individual and group hours counted separately. Guidara keeps hour logs by category, signed supervision notes, and timesheets for each supervisor, all stored with timestamps and audit trails. It exports PDF records a supervisor can use when completing the board's verification forms.