Clinical Supervision Requirements in Ohio

Licensing Board Overview

Ohio licenses counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists through the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT Board). One board oversees all three professions, which simplifies things compared to states with separate boards.

Ohio uses different license designations than many other states. The independent-level licenses are LISW (not LCSW), LPCC (not LPC), and IMFT (not LMFT). Each requires a dependent-level license first, followed by supervised experience to qualify for the independent license.

LPCC: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

Ohio's LPCC is the independent clinical counseling license. You start as an LPC and work toward LPCC status under supervision.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of paid post-LPC work, made up of two years of at least 1,500 hours each (OAC 4757-13-03). Practicum and internship hours do not count.
• Duration: Minimum 24 months
• 12-month cap: No more than 1,500 hours may be counted in any 12-month period. A year with fewer hours earns credit for the fraction of a year worked.
• Clinical setting: The work must be in a clinical setting with a primary focus on diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders. Schools and academic advising do not qualify.
• Supervision hours: The board's guidance is 150 hours of training supervision with an LPCC-S, which follows from the 1:20 ratio
• Supervision ratio: Average of 1 hour of supervision per 20 hours of work
• Clinical work: At least 50% of each year's work must be face-to-face client contact delivering clinical counseling services, including diagnosis and treatment
• Individual and group: Both formats are allowed. Individual supervision allows up to 2 supervisees per supervisor. Group allows up to 8.
• Exam: Since January 1, 2026, the LPCC needs no second exam after the one taken for the LPC

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold LPCC-S designation (LPCC with Supervision Designation)
• At least 1 year and 1,500 hours of clinical experience post-LPCC
• 24 hours of academic preparation or board-approved CE in supervision across 4 content areas
• Must observe 5 training supervision meetings conducted by an existing LPCC-S before being designated

LISW: Licensed Independent Social Worker

Ohio's LISW is the independent social work license. You start as an LSW and earn the LISW through supervised practice.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of paid work in the practice of social work, earned after the master's degree while holding an LSW (OAC 4757-19-02). The current rule does not require the work to be clinical.
• Duration: Minimum 24 months (24 unique, full months)
• Supervision hours: At least 150 hours (OAC 4757-23-01)
• Supervision ratio: Average of 1 hour of supervision per 20 hours of work
• 12-month cap: Maximum 1,500 hours credited per 12-month period, for full-time and part-time workers alike. The board says extra hours in the first 12 months cannot be carried over.
• Individual and group: Both formats allowed. Individual allows up to 2 supervisees. Group allows up to 8.
• Exam: Since July 10, 2026, the LISW requires the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is discontinued, with exceptions for people already in training supervision.

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold LISW-S designation (LISW with Supervision Designation)
• At least 1 year of post-licensure experience as an independent social worker
• Complete at least 9 hours of supervision CE (earned after independent license was issued), or a master's-level supervision course from an accredited university within the last 3 years

IMFT: Independent Marriage and Family Therapist

Ohio's IMFT is the independent MFT license. You start as an MFT and work toward IMFT status under supervision.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Duration: Minimum 24 months (2 calendar years)
• Direct client contact: At least 1,000 hours of face-to-face client contact in marriage and family therapy (OAC 4757-25-04)
• Relational hours: 500 of the 1,000 client contact hours must be relational (couples and/or families present)
• Supervision hours: At least 200 hours of face-to-face training supervision
• Individual supervision: At least 100 hours must be individual
• Group supervision: No more than 100 hours may be group
• Cross-discipline option: Up to 50 of the 200 supervision hours may come from an LISW-S or LPCC-S

Supervisor Qualifications

• At least 150 of the 200 hours must come from an IMFT-S, or from an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or Supervisor Candidate who is licensed in Ohio as an IMFT, LPCC-S, LISW-S, psychologist, or psychiatrist (OAC 4757-29-01)
• IMFT-S has two routes: an AAMFT Approved Supervisor who holds an Ohio IMFT, or an Ohio IMFT with 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience who has completed the AAMFT 30-hour supervision course or an approved equivalent

Ohio-Specific Details

Two Types of Supervision

Ohio distinguishes between clinical/work supervision and training supervision. Work supervision is required when an LPC or MFT diagnoses or treats mental and emotional disorders, and when an LSW provides social psychotherapy or works in a private, group, or partnership practice. Training supervision is the supervision that counts toward the independent license, and only training supervision is counted. The clinical supervisor and training supervisor do not have to be the same person, though one person can serve both roles.

Supervision Logging

The supervisee is responsible for maintaining the supervision log. Ohio does not mandate a specific format. By rule, the log must include the dates and times of supervision and the content and goals of supervision. The board's FAQ suggests also noting topics covered and relevant notes. Your supervisor must sign or acknowledge the log at least quarterly, and the social work rule says the supervisor signs it. Electronic signatures and email confirmations are acceptable.

More Than One Supervisor

Ohio allows more than one training supervisor, at the same time or one after another. The supervisor who last provided training supervision submits all hours not already reported, including hours other supervisors gave, within 30 days of the supervisee's request. That supervisor reviews the supervisee's log and any notes from previous supervisors, and may submit the hours without recommending licensure. For the LISW, months with overlapping supervisors count only once.

Documentation Requirements

• Supervisee maintains the supervision log (not the supervisor)
• Log entries must include dates and times of supervision, and the content and goals of supervision
• Supervisor signs or acknowledges the log at least quarterly
• Electronic signatures and email confirmations are accepted
• Logs should be retained indefinitely (the board may audit, and other states may require verification)
• As of July 2024, all supervision hours not already submitted must be submitted by the last supervisor providing training supervision
• The supervisor submits hours through an online form in their own eLicense Ohio account. Logs are not submitted, but must be available if the board asks.

Virtual Supervision in Ohio

Ohio permits virtual supervision. Supervision must start with an initial face-to-face meeting. For counselors and MFTs, that first meeting may be conducted via videoconferencing. The social work rule does not yet say the first meeting may be by video, although the board's pending 2026 rule package would add it. After the initial meeting, supervision may continue in person, via videoconferencing, or by telephone. The board says telephone supervision has been permitted for social work since a rule change effective September 2018.

Interstate Compacts

Ohio is a member of the Counseling Compact, and the compact is live. LPCCs licensed by Ohio who live in Ohio can apply for the privilege to practice in other live member states. Ohio also enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, effective August 9, 2024, but multistate social work licenses were not yet being issued at our last review. There is no MFT compact.

Pending Rule Changes

In September 2026, the board filed a rule package for public comment. It would have supervisors' review of notes cover AI-assisted records, add psychiatric-mental-health APRNs as work supervisors, and limit social work training supervision to services that are principally clinical. It does not change hours, ratios, or the last-supervisor rule. No effective date has been set.

Key Ohio Board Contact Information

• Ohio CSWMFT Board: cswmft.ohio.gov (oversees LPCC, LISW, and IMFT licensing)

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Ohio

Ohio's Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board regulates all three disciplines under one board. Ohio uses unique license designations (LPCC, LISW, IMFT) that differ from most states. Always verify current requirements directly with the CSWMFT Board.

Becoming a LPCC-S (Supervisor Designation) in Ohio

• Licensure: Must hold an active Ohio LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) license in good standing
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 1 year and 1,500 hours of clinical practice after obtaining LPCC licensure, including diagnosis and treatment, per OAC 4757-17-01
• Supervision training: Must complete 24 hours of academic preparation or board-approved CE across four content areas (6 hours each): assessment, evaluation, and remediation; counselor development; management and administration; and professional responsibilities
• Observed meetings: Must observe 5 training supervision meetings conducted by a current LPCC-S (the applicant observes, not the reverse), followed by a review meeting of at least one hour, per OAC 4757-17-01(I)(1)(c)
• Supervisor designation: Must apply for the "-S" designation from the CSWMFT Board, which is added to the existing LPCC license (becoming LPCC-S)

Becoming a LISW-S (Supervisor Designation) in Ohio

• Licensure: Must hold an active Ohio LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker) license in good standing
• Experience: A minimum of 1 year of post-licensure experience as an independent social worker, per OAC 4757-23-01
• Supervision training: Must complete 9 hours of board-approved supervision CE after the LISW was issued, meeting the seven learning objectives listed in the rule, or a master's-level supervision course within the last 3 years
• Supervisor designation: Must apply for the "-S" designation from the CSWMFT Board, which is added to the existing LISW license (becoming LISW-S)

Becoming an IMFT-S (Supervisor Designation) in Ohio

• Licensure: Must hold an active Ohio IMFT (Independent Marriage and Family Therapist) license in good standing
• Route one: Be an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, per OAC 4757-29-01
• Route two: Have a minimum of 2 years of post-licensure clinical practice as an IMFT and complete the AAMFT 30-hour supervision course or a committee-approved equivalent
• Supervisor designation: Must apply for the "-S" designation from the CSWMFT Board, which is added to the existing IMFT license (becoming IMFT-S)

Ohio-Specific Considerations

• "-S" designation system: Ohio uses a formal "-S" supervisor designation (LPCC-S, LISW-S, IMFT-S) rather than a separate supervisor license. This suffix is added to the existing clinical license after meeting all requirements
• Continuing education: All supervisor-designated professionals must complete 3 hours of supervisor-specific continuing education each renewal cycle
• Cross-discipline: Training supervision toward the LPCC and LISW must come from an LPCC-S or LISW-S, unless the board grants a hardship request. IMFT candidates may count supervision from other licensed professionals through the AAMFT route, plus up to 50 hours from an LISW-S or LPCC-S. Work supervision can cross disciplines

How Guidara Helps Ohio Supervisors

Ohio requires quarterly supervisor acknowledgment of supervision logs, and supervisees are responsible for maintaining their own records. Guidara keeps hour logs, signed supervision notes, and timesheets in one place, with timestamps and audit trails. When the last training supervisor fills in the board's eLicense form, they can work from PDF records exported from Guidara, and the supervisee has a log ready if the board asks for it.