Clinical Supervision Requirements in New Hampshire

Licensing Board Overview

In New Hampshire, mental health professions are regulated by the Board of Mental Health Practice under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). The regulations governing these professions are found in the New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules, Title Mhp. The candidate supervision rules (Mhp 302 to 305) were readopted effective February 17, 2026.

LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (New Hampshire)

New Hampshire's LICSW is governed by the Board of Mental Health Practice, N.H. Code Admin. R. Mhp 300. Candidates are considered a Candidate for Licensure while accruing supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of clinical social work experience after the clinical graduate degree
• Timeframe: At least 2 years, with each year at least 1,500 hours completed within 12 to 24 months. Supervision must be completed between 2 and 4 years from the date approved supervision began (Mhp 304.02(a))
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of individual, face-to-face supervision, with at least 1 hour every week
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must be a mental health practitioner licensed in New Hampshire, such as an LICSW, LCMHC, LMFT or pastoral psychotherapist (Mhp 302.03)
• Must have practiced clinically in New Hampshire for at least 2 years
• Must have supervision training (see below)

LCMHC: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (New Hampshire)

New Hampshire's LCMHC is governed by the Board of Mental Health Practice, N.H. Code Admin. R. Mhp 300. Candidates are considered a Candidate for Licensure while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of post-master's supervised clinical experience in a mental health setting
• Timeframe: At least 2 years, with each year at least 1,500 hours completed within 12 to 24 consecutive months (Mhp 305.03)
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of individual, face-to-face supervision, with at least 1 hour every week
• Exam: NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination)

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must be a mental health practitioner licensed in New Hampshire, such as an LCMHC, LICSW, LMFT or pastoral psychotherapist (Mhp 302.03). Psychologists are not mental health practitioners under RSA 330-A, and the board ruled in 2022 that psychologists did not qualify as candidate supervisors
• Must have practiced clinically in New Hampshire for at least 2 years
• Must have supervision training (see below)

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (New Hampshire)

New Hampshire's LMFT is governed by the Board of Mental Health Practice, N.H. Code Admin. R. Mhp 300. Candidates are considered a Candidate for Licensure while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience
• Timeframe: At least 2 years, with each year at least 1,500 hours completed within 12 to 24 consecutive months
• Direct client contact: At least 1,000 hours of supervised face-to-face client contact with individuals, couples and families (Mhp 306.02(d))
• Supervision hours: At least 1 hour of individual supervision every week, and at least 200 hours of face-to-face supervision from an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or approved alternate supervisor
• Exam: AMFTRB National Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Weekly individual supervision is provided by a mental health practitioner licensed where the supervision occurs (Mhp 306.02(a)). Confirm with the board whether a psychologist qualifies
• The 200 hours must come from an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or an approved alternate supervisor who meets the criteria in Mhp 306.02(l), including the 30-hour AAMFT Approved Supervisor Training Course
• If the workplace supervisor is not AAMFT approved, the candidate contracts an outside supervisor. The contract between the outside supervisor and the employer is filed with the supervision agreement

New Hampshire-Specific Details

Candidate for Licensure Status

Each supervisor needs their own Candidate for Licensure: Supervision Agreement approved by the board before it takes effect. No supervised hours are credited until the agreement is effective, and the board sets the effective date (Mhp 302.01(h)). A candidate may also hold an optional conditional license for up to 2 years, with one renewal.

Supervisor Training and Caseload

Supervisors need one of the following: a graduate course in clinical supervision, a supervision certificate approved by ACPE, NASW, AMHCA or AAMFT, or 12 CE hours in clinical supervision before the relationship begins. They must have no discipline in any state in the past 5 years, and may supervise no more than 8 candidates at one time unless the board grants a waiver (Mhp 302.03).

More Than One Supervisor

A candidate may have more than one approved supervisor. At licensure, each supervisor completes a separate Supervisor's Confirmation of Clinical Experience for their own facility and period, and returns it in an envelope signed and sealed by the supervisor. A supervisor who stops supervising must notify the board and the candidate in writing, and stays responsible until they do.

Practice Settings

Hours in a private practice count only when the candidate is a W-2 employee. A 1099 independent contractor relationship does not qualify, and the candidate's own independent practice never counts.

Virtual Supervision in New Hampshire

Face-to-face supervision includes synchronous, HIPAA-compliant virtual presence, and supervision may take place on a virtual HIPAA-compliant platform (Mhp 301.01, Mhp 305.03(h)). There is no percentage limit. The rules define group supervision as one supervisor in the physical presence of 2 or more supervisees, so confirm with the board before counting group supervision held by video.

Interstate Compacts

New Hampshire is a member of the Counseling Compact (RSA 330-D) and the Social Work Licensure Compact (RSA 330-A:18-e). Neither compact is issuing privileges or multistate licenses to New Hampshire licensees yet. There is no MFT compact.

Key New Hampshire Board Contact Information

• Board of Mental Health Practice (OPLC): oplc.nh.gov
• Rules (Mhp 300): gencourt.state.nh.us

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in New Hampshire

Supervisors in New Hampshire need a New Hampshire mental health license, at least 2 years of clinical practice in the state, and supervision training. LMFT candidates also need 200 hours from an AAMFT Approved or approved alternate supervisor. Always confirm current standards with the Board of Mental Health Practice.

Becoming an LICSW Supervisor

• Hold an active New Hampshire mental health practitioner license, such as an LICSW or LCMHC
• Practice clinically in New Hampshire for at least 2 years
• Complete a graduate course, an approved certificate or 12 CE hours in clinical supervision
• Sign a supervision agreement with each candidate and wait for board approval before supervised hours count

Becoming an LCMHC Supervisor

• Hold an active New Hampshire mental health practitioner license, such as an LCMHC, LICSW or LMFT
• Practice clinically in New Hampshire for at least 2 years
• Complete a graduate course, an approved certificate or 12 CE hours in clinical supervision
• Sign a supervision agreement with each candidate and wait for board approval before supervised hours count

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor

• Hold an active mental health license where the supervision occurs, and to provide the 200 hours, be an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or meet the approved alternate criteria
• Practice clinically in New Hampshire for at least 2 years
• Complete the required supervision training
• Sign a supervision agreement with each candidate and wait for board approval before supervised hours count

How Guidara Helps New Hampshire Supervisors

New Hampshire asks each supervisor to confirm the weekly and total supervision they provided. Guidara keeps hour logs, signed supervision notes and timesheets, with timestamps and audit trails. You can export PDF records to use when completing the board's paper confirmation, which you still sign and seal yourself.