Clinical Supervision Requirements in Missouri

Licensing Board Overview

Missouri operates three separate committees under the Division of Professional Registration (Department of Commerce and Insurance). Each discipline has its own committee with independent rules and processes. The Committee for Professional Counselors handles LPC licensure, the State Committee for Social Workers handles LCSW, and the State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists handles LMFT.

Missouri is a dual compact member, participating in both the Counseling Compact (RSMo 337.550) and the Social Work Licensure Compact (RSMo 337.1000+) since August 28, 2023. Counseling Compact privileges are not yet live in Missouri; the compact commission lists only Arizona, Minnesota and Ohio as live. Missouri has no MFT compact.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor

Missouri counseling supervisees start as a Counselor-in-Training (CIT) once their supervision is registered and approved by the committee. After passing the NCE, they hold a Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) license. Hours count in both stages.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Hours and duration: 3,000 hours of supervised counseling experience over at least 24 continuous calendar months, completed within 60 months (20 CSR 2095-2.020). You must average at least 15 hours a week
• Direct client contact: At least 1,200 hours, defined in the rule as face-to-face interaction in the same room. Supervision hours are included in the 3,000
• Supervision: At least 1 hour of face-to-face supervision each week from your registered supervisor. At least 2 weeks each month must be individual. Group supervision may count for no more than 2 weeks a month, with no more than 3 CITs or PLPCs. A larger group counts toward the 3,000 hours but not as supervision
• Education: Master's degree in counseling from a CACREP-accredited or equivalent program, with 60 semester hours if you enrolled on or after August 28, 2023 (48 if earlier)
• Provisional license: PLPC issued after you pass the NCE, valid for at least 2 years on the master's route
• Graduate credit shortcut: With 30 post-master's graduate hours, or a specialist or doctoral degree, the requirement drops to 1,500 hours with at least 600 direct, over at least 12 months and within 36 months
• CE requirements: 40 hours biennially (at least 20 formal), including 2 hours of suicide assessment, treatment, and management training

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must be a licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, licensed for at least 2 years
• Must be approved by the Committee for Professional Counselors, and each supervision arrangement must be registered
• May supervise no more than 3 CITs or PLPCs at a time without a written request to the committee

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Missouri's LCSW pathway has both minimum and maximum time windows for completing supervised hours. You hold an LMSW while accumulating clinical hours toward LCSW, and supervision can begin only after the LMSW is issued and the supervision is registered.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total hours: 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, including supervision hours (RSMo 337.615)
• Duration: Completed in no less than 24 months and no more than 48 consecutive calendar months
• Supervision: At least 2 hours of individual, face-to-face supervision every 2 weeks, which may be consolidated to 4 hours per 4 weeks. Up to 50% of supervision per month may be group supervision of 2 to 6 supervisees
• Supervisor: A qualified clinical supervisor (as defined in RSMo 337.600)
• Education: MSW from a CSWE-accredited program or a program recognized by the committee (such as one in CSWE candidacy), or a social work doctorate
• Exam: ASWB Clinical exam or equivalent approved by the committee
• Early exam eligibility: May sit for the exam after accumulating 2,250 hours over at least 18 months (75% of total requirement), with an email from your supervisor
• 4,000-hour certificate: Accumulating 4,000+ hours in the same time frame earns an additional certificate of completion
• Supervisee limit: Maximum of 6 supervisees per supervisor at any one time, unless the committee approves a waiver request (form MO 375-1153)

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Missouri
• Must have practiced as a licensed social worker for at least 3 years. HB 2372 lowered this from 5 years effective August 28, 2026. The committee's rule and supervisor page still say 5 years, so confirm with the committee
• Must have completed at least 16 hours of supervisory training from ASWB, NASW, an accredited university, or a committee-approved program. Courses taken before 2002 are not accepted
• Training must cover the content areas set out in the committee's rule

LMFT: Licensed Marital and Family Therapist

Missouri's LMFT is licensed through the State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists. Note that Missouri uses "Marital" rather than "Marriage" in the title. Supervisees are registered as a Supervised Marital and Family Therapist (S-MFT) or hold a Provisional Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (PLMFT) license.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Direct client contact: 1,500 hours of post-degree direct client contact, in person or by telehealth (telehealth counts since July 30, 2026)
• Duration: At least 24 and no more than 60 calendar months. A month counts only if it has at least 15 hours of supervised experience (20 CSR 2233-2.020)
• Supervision: At least 104 hours, at least 75% of them individual. Group supervision of 3 to 6 supervisees with your registered supervisor may make up no more than 25%. These hours are counted separately from the 1,500
• Supervision hour: At least 50 continuous minutes. The 2026 rule words the weekly figure as a maximum of 1 hour a week or 2 hours every 2 weeks, so confirm with the committee how it applies this
• Alternative route: With a doctoral or specialist degree, or 30 post-master's hours, at least 750 direct hours over 12 to 24 months
• Education: Master's degree in marital and family therapy or equivalent, plus 3 hours of graduate coursework in diagnostic systems
• Exam: Required
• Reciprocity: Available for applicants already licensed in other states

Supervisor Qualifications

• May be an LMFT, LPC, psychologist, LCSW or psychiatrist with a current Missouri license, licensed for at least 2 years, with 5 years of clinical MFT experience
• Must be an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, or have 200 hours of supervising licensure candidates or students, 1 graduate semester hour or 15 CE hours in MFT supervision, and at least 20 hours of supervision-of-supervision
• Must be approved by the State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists
• May supervise no more than 10 candidates at a time, including candidates from other disciplines

Missouri-Specific Details

Three Separate Committees

Missouri is one of the few states that operates three entirely independent committees rather than a single behavioral health licensing board. Each committee has its own rules and its own meeting schedules. The counseling and MFT committees approve supervisors in advance. The social work committee checks a supervisor's qualifications each time supervision is registered and keeps only an optional list of possible supervisors. If you supervise across disciplines or supervise clinicians pursuing different licenses, you'll be interacting with multiple committees.

Registration Before Hours Count

On every track, each supervisor must be registered with the committee for a specific setting before their hours count. Hours count from the date the committee receives the form and fee, and supervision cannot be backdated. You can have more than one supervisor at a time. Adding or changing a supervisor or setting must be filed within 15 working days (LPC), 15 days (MFT) or 14 days (LCSW), or the hours from that period are lost.

48-Month Deadline for LCSW

Missouri sets a 48 consecutive calendar month maximum to complete the 3,000 hours of LCSW supervision. This ceiling means you need to average roughly 63 hours per month of clinical work throughout the period. The committee can grant exceptions case by case, and a written plan co-signed by your supervisor is needed if you will not finish in 48 months. Supervision more than 48 months before your application is not recognized. Plan accordingly and track your pace from the start.

Early Exam Eligibility

Missouri allows LCSW candidates to sit for the ASWB Clinical exam after accumulating 2,250 hours over at least 18 months, with an email from their supervisor. That's 75% of the total requirement. This is helpful because it means you can have your exam out of the way before you finish your hours, reducing the gap between completing supervision and receiving your license.

Graduate Credit Shortcut for LPC

If you earn 30 additional post-master's graduate credit hours in counseling, or hold a specialist or doctoral degree, the requirement drops to 1,500 hours (at least 600 direct) over at least 12 months. It's worth considering if you're already enrolled in doctoral coursework or planning additional graduate study.

LAMSW Designation

Missouri offers the Licensed Advanced Macro Social Worker (LAMSW) credential, which is uncommon among states. This represents a non-clinical advanced practice track for social workers focused on program administration, community organization, and policy development. The LMSW must complete supervised practice toward either LCSW or LAMSW within 48 consecutive calendar months.

Dual Compact Membership

Missouri participates in both the Counseling Compact and the Social Work Licensure Compact. Counseling Compact privileges are not yet available in Missouri. Check compact eligibility and status with each committee.

Documentation Requirements

• Applications submitted to the respective committee with required fees
• One supervision verification from each supervisor, covering the hours worked under their supervision (for LPC, one per supervisor and per setting). The supervisor mails the original directly to the committee
• LCSW: the supervisor files an attestation within 14 days of ending supervision at a setting, and annual progress reports at 12, 24 and 36 months from their approval date
• Paper forms require original signatures and say not to fax or email them. The LPC and MFT licensure applications are notarized. Some forms can be filed through the division's MOPRO online portal
• Exam score reports (ASWB or equivalent)
• CE verification at license renewal
• No rule requires a log in a set format, but the committees recommend keeping records of supervision meetings. The social work committee offers a Record of Supervision form signed by supervisor and supervisee
• LCSW supervisors must keep the attestation of supervision for 48 months
• Keep detailed hour logs throughout your supervised period, especially given the 48-month window

Virtual Supervision in Missouri

Missouri's virtual supervision rules are in the administrative rules rather than the statutes, and they differ by committee. For social work, 20 CSR 2263-2.030 allows supervision that is verbally and visually interactive if confidentiality is maintained. For LPC, video supervision counts only if it is simultaneously visual and verbal, and distance supervision must be disclosed when you register; phone, email and text do not count. The LPC rule still defines direct client contact as being in the same room, so confirm with the committee before counting telehealth client hours. For MFT, supervision may be face-to-face or by telehealth.

Key Missouri Board Contact Information

• Committee for Professional Counselors: pr.mo.gov/counselors.asp
• State Committee for Social Workers: pr.mo.gov/socialworkers.asp
• State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists: pr.mo.gov/marital.asp
• Governing statutes: RSMo 337.500–337.550 (Counselors), RSMo 337.600–337.689 (Social Workers), RSMo 337.700–337.739 (MFT)

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Missouri

Missouri regulates clinical supervision through the Division of Professional Registration, which houses separate committees for each discipline: the Committee for Professional Counselors, the Committee for Social Workers, and the Committee of Marital and Family Therapists. Always verify current requirements with the relevant committee.

Becoming an LPC Supervisor in Missouri

Per 20 CSR 2095-2.021, a registered supervisor for a counselor-in-training or provisional licensed professional counselor must document the following:

• Licensure: Must hold a current, active Missouri license as a professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist (inactive, provisional, expired, temporary, retired, probated, or suspended licenses do not qualify). For experience gained in another state, an equivalent license in that state can qualify
• Clinical experience: Minimum of 2 years of experience as a licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist
• Supervision training: Must document training and experience in counseling and supervisory activities, supported by a resume or vitae detailing coursework, workshops, supervision training, and experience as a supervisor
• Supervisee limit: May not supervise more than 3 counselors-in-training or PLPCs at one time without written committee approval
• Registration: Must apply to the Committee for Professional Counselors as a supervisor, and register each supervision arrangement

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor in Missouri

• Licensure: Must hold an active Missouri LCSW license in good standing. Out-of-state social workers may not supervise in Missouri
• Clinical experience: 3 years of practice as a licensed social worker under RSMo 337.600 as amended by HB 2372 (effective August 28, 2026). The rule still says 5 years, so confirm with the committee
• Supervision training: A 16-hour supervision course from ASWB, NASW, an accredited university, or a committee-approved program, completed in 2002 or later
• Registration: The committee verifies your qualifications each time a supervisee registers supervision with you

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor in Missouri

• Licensure: Must hold a current Missouri license as an LMFT, LPC, psychologist, LCSW or psychiatrist, held for at least 2 years
• Clinical experience: At least 5 years of clinical MFT experience, not counting practicum (20 CSR 2233-2.021)
• Supervision training: AAMFT Approved Supervisor designation, or 200 hours of supervising licensure candidates or students plus 1 graduate semester hour or 15 CE hours in MFT supervision and at least 20 hours of supervision-of-supervision
• Approval: Must receive approval from the Committee of Marital and Family Therapists

Missouri-Specific Considerations

• Registration before hours: Counseling supervisees accrue hours as CITs before they hold a PLPC, and S-MFTs accrue hours without a provisional license. Social work supervisees need an LMSW. On every track, hours count only once the supervision is registered
• Three committees: Each discipline has its own committee under the Division of Professional Registration, so requirements may differ
• Cross-discipline: LPC supervisees may be supervised by an LPC, psychologist or psychiatrist, but not an LCSW. MFT supervisees may be supervised by five license types. LCSW supervisees must be supervised by an LCSW

How Guidara Helps Missouri Supervisors

Missouri's 48-month deadline and three-committee structure make hour tracking more than a convenience. Guidara tracks your supervision hours by category with running totals, so you can see your progress toward your track's requirement at any time: 3,000 hours for LPC and LCSW, or 1,500 direct hours and 104 supervision hours for LMFT. Hour logs, signed supervision notes and timesheets are kept as you go. Guidara exports PDF records your supervisor can use when completing the committee's verification forms, which still need an original signature.