Clinical Supervision Requirements in Kansas

Licensing Board Overview

Kansas regulates mental health professions through the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB). The BSRB oversees social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists, along with psychologists, addiction counselors, and behavior analysts.

Since 2021, all three clinical tracks share the same numbers: 3,000 hours over at least 2 years, including 1,500 hours of direct client contact, plus 100 hours of supervision.

LSCSW: Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (Kansas)

Kansas's LSCSW is governed by K.S.A. 65-6306(f), K.A.R. 102-2-12, and K.A.R. 102-2-8(d). Candidates hold a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) credential while accruing supervised experience. See the BSRB's social work page.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of postgraduate clinical social work experience, over at least 2 years and no more than 6 years
• Direct client contact: At least 1,500 hours must be direct client contact conducting psychotherapy and assessments
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of clinical supervision, at least 50 of them individual. No more than 50 hours may be group supervision
• Supervision ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 15 hours of direct client contact, with at least 2 separate supervision meetings a month, one of them individual
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold a Kansas LSCSW license, or a clinical social work license for independent practice in another state
• Must have at least 2 years of clinical practice beyond clinical licensure, in a position that included assessment, diagnosis, and psychotherapy
• No supervision training course or board-approved supervisor status is required for social work supervisors

LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Kansas)

Kansas's LCPC is governed by K.S.A. 65-5804a, K.S.A. 65-5818, K.A.R. 102-3-7a, and K.A.R. 102-3-7b. Candidates hold a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential while accruing hours. See the BSRB's professional counselors page.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of postgraduate experience over at least 2 years
• Direct client contact: At least 1,500 hours must be direct client contact
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of clinical supervision, at least 50 of them individual. No more than 50 hours may be group supervision
• Supervision ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 15 hours of direct client contact, with at least two 1-hour supervision meetings a month, one of them individual
• Exam: NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination), plus the NCE if not already passed

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an LCPC license in Kansas or another jurisdiction. Another clinical license qualifies only under extenuating circumstances approved by the board
• Must have at least 2 years of practice beyond clinical licensure
• Must be a BSRB board-approved clinical supervisor, which requires 15 hours of supervision continuing education within the last 6 years or 1 semester credit hour of a graduate supervision course

LCMFT: Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (Kansas)

Kansas's LCMFT is governed by K.S.A. 65-6404, K.S.A. 65-6414, K.A.R. 102-5-7a, and K.A.R. 102-5-7b. Candidates hold a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) credential while accruing hours. See the BSRB's marriage and family therapists page.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of postgraduate experience over at least 2 years
• Direct client contact: At least 1,500 hours must be direct client contact
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of clinical supervision, at least 50 of them individual. No more than 50 hours may be group supervision
• Supervision ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 15 hours of direct client contact, with at least two 1-hour supervision meetings a month, one of them individual
• Exam: AMFTRB National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an LCMFT license in Kansas or another jurisdiction. Another clinical license qualifies only under extenuating circumstances approved by the board
• Must have at least 2 years of practice beyond clinical licensure
• Must be a BSRB board-approved clinical supervisor, which requires 15 hours of training (including 8 hours of hands-on supervision overseen by a board-approved clinical supervisor) or 1 semester credit hour of a graduate supervision course
• AAMFT Approved Supervisor status is not required and does not replace board approval

Kansas-Specific Details

Training Plans

Kansas requires a clinical supervision training plan, cosigned by the supervisee and each supervisor, to be approved by the BSRB. Hours count only from the date the board receives the plan, and only once it is approved. Hours accrued before the board received the plan will not count toward clinical licensure.

Any change, such as a new or additional supervisor or a new work site, must reach the board by amendment within 45 days. If it is late, no hours count from the date of the change until the board approves it.

More Than One Supervisor

A supervisee can have more than one supervisor, at the same time or in sequence. Every supervisor must be approved by the board, through the training plan or an amendment, before hours under them count. At application, each supervisor completes a separate attestation covering only the hours accrued under their own supervision. Estimates are not accepted. The supervisor returns the attestation to the applicant in a sealed envelope with their signature across the seal.

Individual and Group Supervision

Individual supervision means one supervisor and one supervisee. Group supervision is one supervisor with no more than six supervisees, so a meeting with two supervisees counts as group in Kansas.

Two-Tiered Licensure

Kansas utilizes a two-tiered licensure system. Candidates must first obtain the master's level license (LMSW, LPC, LMFT), or a temporary license, before they can begin accruing hours toward the clinical level license (LSCSW, LCPC, LCMFT).

Interstate Compacts

Kansas is a member of the Counseling Compact (K.S.A. 65-5825, effective July 2023) and has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (K.S.A. 65-6325, effective July 2024). As of our last review, the counseling compact privilege to practice is not yet available to Kansas licensees. Kansas has no marriage and family therapy compact.

Virtual Supervision in Kansas

Kansas rules allow supervision in person or by synchronous videoconferencing, as long as confidentiality is technologically protected. There is no cap on the share of supervision done by video. Counseling training plans that use video need written verification of the security measures in place, and counseling and MFT attestations report video hours separately.

Key Kansas Board Contact Information

• Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB): ksbsrb.ks.gov
• BSRB regulations: BSRB Regulations

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Kansas

Every Kansas supervisor needs 2 years of practice beyond clinical licensure. Counseling and MFT supervisors also need board-approved clinical supervisor status. Always confirm current standards with the BSRB.

Becoming an LSCSW Supervisor

• Hold a Kansas LSCSW license, or an independent clinical social work license from another state
• Complete at least 2 years of clinical practice beyond clinical licensure
• No separate supervisor registration or training is required. Complete the supervisor sections of the supervisee's training plan or amendment

Becoming an LCPC or LCMFT Supervisor

• Hold an LCPC or LCMFT license in Kansas or another jurisdiction
• Complete at least 2 years of practice beyond clinical licensure
• Complete the required supervision training (15 hours of CE, or 1 graduate credit hour; MFT training includes 8 hours of hands-on supervision)
• Apply to the BSRB for board-approved clinical supervisor status ($20 application fee)
• Keep it current with at least 3 hours of supervision CE each renewal, including 1 hour on ethics in supervision

How Guidara Helps Kansas Supervisors

Guidara keeps hour logs, signed supervision notes, and timesheets for each supervision relationship, stored digitally with timestamps and audit trails. You can export PDF records to use when completing the BSRB's training plan and attestation forms, which you still fill in and sign yourself.