Clinical Supervision Requirements in Montana

Licensing Board Overview

In Montana, mental health professions are regulated by the Board of Behavioral Health under the Department of Labor & Industry. This single board oversees social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Its supervision rules are in ARM chapter 24.219, and most of them were amended effective August 22, 2026.

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Montana)

Montana's LCSW is governed by the Board of Behavioral Health, ARM 24.219.504. Candidates hold an LCSW candidate (SWLC) license while accruing post-degree supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of supervised social work practice (MCA 37-39-308)
• Timeframe and direct hours: For LCSW applicants licensed after August 22, 2026, the hours take no less than 24 months and include at least 1,500 direct client contact hours. Earlier candidates have no minimum period or direct share. Confirm with the board which license date applies to you
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of individual or group supervision, including at least 50 individual, face-to-face hours with an LCSW. At least 10 of those 50 must include direct observation of service delivery
• Ratio: At least 2 hours of supervision for every 160 hours of social work (ARM 24.219.504(5))
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active LCSW, LCPC, LMFT, licensed psychologist, or licensed and board-certified psychiatrist license in good standing in the jurisdiction where the supervision occurs (ARM 24.219.421)
• The 50 individual, face-to-face hours must be with an LCSW
• Must have experience with the candidate's client population and methods of practice
• New supervisors need 3 years of licensure and board-approved supervision training (see below)

LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Montana)

Montana's LCPC is governed by the Board of Behavioral Health, ARM 24.219.604. Candidates hold an LCPC candidate (PCLC) license while accruing post-degree hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of supervised clinical professional counseling practice (MCA 37-39-309)
• Pre-degree hours: Up to 1,500 hours earned during the degree may count if approved by the graduate program
• Direct client contact: At least 1,000 post-degree hours of direct client contact under face-to-face supervision in a clinical setting. No more than 250 of them may be in group or co-facilitative therapy
• Supervision hours: At least 1 hour of face-to-face supervision for every 20 hours of professional counseling, across all 3,000 hours (about 150 hours)
• Exam: NCE (National Counselor Examination) or NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination)

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active LCPC, LCSW, LMFT, licensed psychologist, or licensed and board-certified psychiatrist license in good standing in the jurisdiction where the supervision occurs (ARM 24.219.421)
• New supervisors need 3 years of licensure and board-approved supervision training (see below)

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Montana)

Montana's LMFT is governed by the Board of Behavioral Health, ARM 24.219.704. Candidates hold an LMFT candidate (MFLC) license while accruing post-degree hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: At least 3,000 hours under the direct supervision of an approved supervisor (MCA 37-39-311)
• Direct client contact: At least 1,000 post-degree client contact hours, at least half of them providing services to couples and families. Up to 500 client contact hours earned during the degree may count if approved by the graduate program
• Supervision hours: A 20:1 ratio of client contact hours to supervision hours. Since August 22, 2026, the rule lists at least 40 hours of face-to-face supervision (38 individual), at least 20 hours with each supervisor, and at least 25 hours involving raw clinical data. The board's forms show 50 hours, so confirm the current figure with the board. The earlier requirement was 200 hours
• Group supervision: No more than six candidates per group
• Exam: AMFTRB National Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active LMFT, LCPC, LCSW, licensed psychologist, or licensed and board-certified psychiatrist license in good standing in the jurisdiction where the supervision occurs (ARM 24.219.421)
• New supervisors need 3 years of licensure and board-approved supervision training (see below)

Montana-Specific Details

Candidate Licensure

Montana uses a "candidate" license for all three disciplines (SWLC, PCLC, MFLC). Post-degree hours count only once the candidate license is active. LCPC and LMFT candidates may also count a limited number of pre-degree hours approved by their graduate program. The candidate license is renewed each year, at most 5 times unless the board approves more (ARM 24.219.431).

Supervisor Training Requirement

From August 22, 2026, new supervisors in every discipline need both 3 years of licensure, not counting any time as a candidate, and either 20 hours of board-approved supervision training or a one-credit graduate course in supervision. The training cannot have been taken during graduate school or while licensed as a candidate. Anyone who supervised in Montana before August 22, 2026 may continue without the training (ARM 24.219.421(2)-(3)).

Time Limit on Hours

From August 22, 2026, supervised work experience must have been obtained in the five years before the application for licensure (ARM 24.219.301(27)).

More Than One Supervisor

A candidate may have more than one supervisor at a time and must always have at least one qualified supervisor of record. When a supervisor starts, is added or stops, the candidate and the supervisor must notify the board within 20 business days on the Supervision Report, one form per supervisor (ARM 24.219.422(10)). At the end, each supervisor signs a separate Supervised Work Experience Evaluation covering only the hours they supervised.

Supervision Records

Candidates keep records for at least 7 years from licensure: the date and length of each supervision meeting in increments of at least 15 minutes, a description of the work, a content summary, evidence of developing competence, and a supervisor attestation that the records are accurate. Supervisors keep their own records for 7 years after supervision ends. The department can request records at any time and audits renewing candidates at random (ARM 24.219.422).

Virtual Supervision in Montana

Face-to-face supervision can be in person or by electronic means that are two-way, interactive, real-time and simultaneous, with both audio and video (ARM 24.219.301(13)). Telephone supervision is not face-to-face. The rules set no percentage limit on supervision by video.

Interstate Compacts

Montana enacted the Counseling Compact in 2023 (MCA 37-39-401), but the board is not yet issuing compact licenses and has no implementation date. Montana is not a member of the Social Work Licensure Compact.

Key Montana Board Contact Information

• Board of Behavioral Health: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/behavioral-health
• Forms: boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/behavioral-health/forms
• Supervision FAQ: Candidate and Peer Support Supervision FAQ (PDF)
• Rules: ARM chapter 24.219
• Statute: MCA Title 37, chapter 39

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Montana

Supervisor requirements in Montana are the same across disciplines: 3 years of licensure excluding candidacy and 20 hours of approved training, unless you supervised in Montana before August 22, 2026. The board does not register or license supervisors. Always confirm current standards with the Board of Behavioral Health.

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor

• Hold an active LCSW, LCPC, LMFT, licensed psychologist, or licensed and board-certified psychiatrist license where the supervision occurs (only an LCSW can provide the 50 required individual hours)
• Be licensed for at least 3 years, not counting time as a candidate
• Complete 20 hours of board-approved supervision training or a one-credit graduate course, unless grandfathered
• Sign a Supervision Report with each candidate within 20 business days of starting; new supervisors send their training with it

Becoming an LCPC Supervisor

• Hold an active LCPC, LCSW, LMFT, licensed psychologist, or licensed and board-certified psychiatrist license where the supervision occurs
• Be licensed for at least 3 years, not counting time as a candidate
• Complete 20 hours of board-approved supervision training or a one-credit graduate course, unless grandfathered
• Sign a Supervision Report with each candidate within 20 business days of starting; new supervisors send their training with it

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor

• Hold an active LMFT, LCPC, LCSW, licensed psychologist, or licensed and board-certified psychiatrist license where the supervision occurs
• Be licensed for at least 3 years, not counting time as a candidate
• Complete 20 hours of board-approved supervision training or a one-credit graduate course, unless grandfathered
• Sign a Supervision Report with each candidate within 20 business days of starting; new supervisors send their training with it

How Guidara Helps Montana Supervisors

Montana expects a dated record of every supervision meeting with a supervisor attestation, kept for 7 years. Guidara keeps hour logs, signed supervision notes and timesheets for each supervisor, with timestamps and audit trails. You can export PDF records to use when completing the board's forms.