Clinical Supervision Requirements in Maryland

Licensing Board Overview

Maryland licenses mental health professionals through two boards under the Department of Health. The Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (BOPC) handles professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. The Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE) handles social workers. Each board has its own regulations, forms, and application processes.

Maryland uses slightly different license titles than some states. The independent clinical counseling license is LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), not LPC. The clinical social work license is LCSW-C (Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical). Marriage and family therapists use LCMFT (Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist). The entry-level tiers are LGPC, LGSW, and LGMFT.

LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

Maryland's LCPC is the independent clinical counseling license. You start as an LGPC (Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor) and accrue supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: Typically 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Duration: Minimum 3 years of supervised practice
• Supervision hours: Regular clinical supervision throughout the experience period
• Pre-degree credit: Maryland allows up to 1 year (1,000 hours) of pre-degree supervised experience to count toward the total, which is relatively unusual
• Exam: NCE (National Counselors Examination) required, plus the Maryland State Law Test

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Maryland LCPC license (or equivalent approved credential)
• Must be a Board-approved supervisor. Maryland requires counselor supervisors to apply for and receive approved supervisor status from BOPC before supervising LGPCs
• Must have adequate post-licensure clinical experience
• Must maintain oversight and availability for the supervisee

LCSW-C: Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical

Maryland's LCSW-C is the clinical social work license. You start as an LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker) and work toward clinical certification.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: Post-master's supervised clinical social work experience as defined in COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations) (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Duration: Minimum 2 years of supervised practice
• Clinical focus: Experience must involve clinical social work activities: psychosocial assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical intervention
• Supervision: Regular supervision under an approved LCSW-C supervisor
• Exam: ASWB Clinical examination required

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Maryland LCSW-C license
• Post-licensure clinical experience as defined in COMAR
• Must provide regular, ongoing supervision throughout the experience period

LCMFT: Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist

Maryland's LCMFT is the independent MFT license. You start as an LGMFT (Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist) and accrue supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: Typically 2,000 hours of supervised experience in marriage and family therapy (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Client contact: Typically 1,000 hours of direct client contact (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Supervision hours: Typically 100 hours of supervision (confirm current requirements with your licensing board)
• Group supervision cap: No more than 50 of those hours may be group supervision
• Relational work: Experience must include substantial work with couples and families

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Maryland LCMFT license
• AAMFT Approved Supervisor designation is commonly accepted
• Post-licensure experience in MFT practice

Maryland-Specific Details

Unique License Naming

Maryland's license titles differ from the majority of states. The clinical counseling license is LCPC (not LPC), the clinical social work license is LCSW-C (not just LCSW), and the MFT license is LCMFT. The "graduate" tiers (LGPC, LGSW, LGMFT) serve as the supervised practice licenses. If you're transferring from another state, make sure you're comparing equivalent license levels.

Board-Approved Supervisor Status

Maryland requires counselor supervisors to apply for and receive approved supervisor status from the BOPC before supervising LGPCs. While this is not a separate license, it is a formal board designation that must be obtained before providing supervision. Supervisees should confirm that their supervisor holds current approved status.

Pre-Degree Hour Credit for LCPC

Maryland allows some pre-degree supervised experience to count toward the 3,000-hour requirement for LCPC. This is relatively unusual and can shorten the post-graduation timeline for people who accrued supervised hours during their degree program. Check with the BOPC for current rules on what qualifies.

Two Separate Boards

Counselors and MFTs fall under the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (BOPC). Social workers fall under the Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE). Each board has different regulations, different forms, and different fee structures. If you supervise across disciplines, you'll need to navigate both boards.

Documentation Requirements

• Written supervision agreement or plan in place before supervision begins
• Ongoing documentation of supervision meetings: dates, duration, format, and topics
• Hour tracking with categories (direct client contact, supervision, total experience)
• Supervisor verification and attestation at completion of the supervised experience period
• Board application requires official supervisor documentation of hours completed
• Retain all records for at least 5 years after licensure

Virtual Supervision in Maryland

Maryland expanded telehealth provisions significantly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many supervisors conduct supervision via videoconference. However, formal guidance specifically addressing virtual clinical supervision varies between the two boards. Check with the BOPC (for counselors and MFTs) or BSWE (for social workers) for the latest guidance on virtual supervision policies and any restrictions.

Key Maryland Board Contact Information

• Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (BOPC): health.maryland.gov/bopc (LCPC, LCMFT)
• Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE): health.maryland.gov/bswe (LCSW-C)

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Maryland

Maryland regulates clinical supervision through two boards: the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (BOPC) for LCPC and LCMFT, and the Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE) for LCSW-C. Maryland uses unique license designations (LCPC, LCSW-C, LCMFT) and "graduate" tiers (LGPC, LGSW, LGMFT). Requirements are defined in COMAR. Always verify current standards with the relevant board.

Becoming an LCPC Supervisor in Maryland

• Licensure: Must hold an active Maryland LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor) license in good standing
• Board approval: Must be a Board-approved supervisor. At least half of a supervisee's required clinical experience hours must be completed under an approved LCPC supervisor
• Application: Must apply for and receive approved supervisor status from BOPC before supervising LGPCs. Confirm current training and experience requirements with the Board

Becoming an LCSW-C Supervisor in Maryland

Social work supervisor requirements are defined in COMAR 10.42.08 and regulated by the BSWE.

• Licensure: Must hold an active Maryland LCSW or LCSW-C (Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical) license in good standing
• Clinical experience: Must have a minimum of 18 months of social work experience at the LCSW or LCSW-C level before supervising
• Supervision training: Must complete one of the following: (1) one social work graduate course in supervision from a CSWE-accredited master's program, (2) 12 hours of agency-sponsored supervision training, or (3) 12 credit hours of continuing education in social work supervision from a Board-authorized CE sponsor
• Registration: Must apply for and receive approved supervisor status by submitting a Registration Form to the BSWE before supervising LGSWs

Becoming an LCMFT Supervisor in Maryland

Maryland defines "approved marriage and family therapy supervisor" broadly. An approved MFT supervisor may be any of the following:

• AAMFT credential: An AAMFT Approved Supervisor or AAMFT Approved Supervisor-in-Training
• Maryland LCMFT: A Maryland Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist
• Other licensed professionals: Another health care provider licensed under Maryland's Health Occupations Article who documents (1) 5 or more years of clinical experience working with couples and families, (2) completion of a graduate-level course in marriage and family therapy supervision, and (3) approval by the BOPC

Maryland-Specific Considerations

• Graduate-level system: Maryland uses "graduate" designations (LGPC, LGSW, LGMFT) for pre-licensed professionals. Supervisees must hold an active graduate license before accruing supervised hours
• Unique designations: Maryland uses LCPC (not LPC), LCSW-C (not LCSW), and LCMFT (not LMFT). Use the correct designations in all documentation
• Two boards: Social work (BSWE) and counseling/MFT (BOPC) are regulated by separate boards with different supervisor requirements
• Supervision contract: For social work, a Contract for Supervision must be completed between the supervisor and supervisee before hours begin counting

How Guidara Helps Maryland Supervisors

Maryland's two-board system and unique license naming can make documentation confusing, especially for supervisors working with professionals on different tracks. Guidara keeps each supervisee's records organized with clear hour tracking, digital signatures after every supervision meeting, and exportable reports. Whether you're supervising an LGPC toward LCPC or an LGSW toward LCSW-C, the documentation stays consistent and ready for whichever board you need to submit to.