Clinical Supervision Requirements in Oregon

Licensing Board Overview

Oregon splits mental health licensure across two separate boards. The Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT) handles LPC and LMFT licensure. The Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) handles social work licensure (LCSW). This means different application portals, different rules, and different supervisor registries depending on your discipline.

Oregon uses a registration system for pre-licensed professionals. You register as an associate and work under supervision while accruing hours toward full licensure. OBLPCT registrations have a 5-year limit and require annual renewal.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor

Oregon's LPC is the independent counseling license. You register as an associate and practice under an approved supervisor.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Duration: Minimum 3 years (36 months) of supervised clinical experience
• Direct client contact: At least 1,900 hours of supervised direct client contact (reduced from 2,400 on July 1, 2023, under OAR 833-050-0071)
• Pre-degree hours: Up to 400 hours of pre-degree direct client contact, and up to 1 year of the 36 months, may come from the graduate internship
• Supervision frequency: At least twice monthly, in different weeks, at least 1 hour per meeting (per OAR 833-050-0081)
• Supervision hours based on caseload: If seeing 45 or fewer client hours per month, at least 2 hours of supervision per month. If seeing 46 or more client hours per month, at least 3 hours of supervision per month.
• Individual supervision: At least 50% of the required monthly supervision hours must be individual (one-on-one), so 1 hour of 2 or 1.5 hours of 3
• Group supervision cap: Group supervision limited to a maximum of 6 supervisees
• Registration limit: 5-year registration period with annual renewal

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active Oregon license
• Must have completed 30 hours of post-master's supervision training
• Must pass the Board's Supervisor Law and Rules Exam
• For OBLPCT Approved Supervisor status: 2 or more years licensed (or an approved alternative credential), 6 hours of supervision-of-supervision, and 100 hours of experience supervising associates or students
• Other mental health professionals with an Oregon license based on a graduate degree (LCSWs, psychologists, psychiatrists) may also supervise under OAR 833-130-0070 with 3 or more years of Oregon licensure

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Oregon's LCSW is licensed through the Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW), separate from the OBLPCT. You progress through CSWA (Clinical Social Work Associate) toward full LCSW.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Duration: The 100 supervision hours must fall within at least 24 and no more than 60 consecutive months
• Total practice hours: At least 3,500 practice hours under supervision. These include direct contact, supervision and other work such as notes and treatment planning.
• Direct client contact: At least 2,000 hours of direct client contact
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of clinical supervision
• Individual supervision: At least 50 of the 100 supervision hours must be individual (one-on-one)
• Meetings: At least twice a month with a plan supervisor, for at least 1 hour each. If a second supervisor provides group supervision, one 1-hour meeting with each supervisor meets the rule.
• Group supervision: A plan supervisor and no more than 5 mental health professionals holding an Oregon license or certification
• Setting: Hours count only in an agency. Hours connected to a private practice never count.
• Other supervisors: Since September 23, 2026, psychologists, psychiatrists, LMFTs and LPCs may supervise CSWAs. Together they may provide no more than 50 of the 100 hours.

Supervisor Qualifications

• An Oregon LCSW with at least 2 years of licensed practice, or an approved out-of-state LCSW
• Must have completed 15 hours of continuing education in supervision before supervising
• Must pass the BLSW Oregon rules and statutes exam within 5 years before supervision starts, and again every 5 years
• Must complete 6 hours of continuing education in supervision every 5 years

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Oregon's LMFT is licensed through the OBLPCT (same board as LPC). You register as an associate and practice under supervision.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Duration: Minimum 3 years (36 months) of supervised clinical experience
• Direct client contact: At least 1,900 hours of supervised direct client contact
• Couples and families: At least 750 of the 1,900 hours must be with couples or families in the same session (OAR 833-050-0071(3))
• Pre-degree hours: Up to 400 hours of pre-degree direct client contact, and up to 1 year of the 36 months, may count
• Supervision frequency: Same as LPC: twice monthly in different weeks, at least 1 hour per meeting
• Individual supervision: At least 50% of the required monthly supervision hours must be individual
• Group supervision cap: Group supervision limited to a maximum of 6 supervisees
• Registration limit: 5-year registration period with annual renewal

Supervisor Qualifications

• Same requirements as LPC supervisors (active Oregon license, 30 hours supervision training, Supervisor Law and Rules Exam)
• Supervisors of MFT associates need supervision training that includes systems components. Any qualifying license is allowed.
• Non-registry supervisors may qualify under OAR 833-130-0070 with appropriate credentials

Oregon-Specific Details

Two Separate Boards

This is the most important structural detail about Oregon. LPC and LMFT go through the OBLPCT. LCSW goes through the BLSW. These are entirely separate boards with different websites, different applications, different supervisor registries, and different administrative rules (OAR 833 vs. OAR 877). If you supervise across disciplines, you'll be dealing with two different sets of requirements.

Caseload-Based Supervision Minimums

Oregon ties required supervision hours to your caseload. If you see 45 or fewer client hours per month, you need 2 hours of supervision. At 46 or more, you need 3 hours. Supervision must happen in the same calendar month as the client contact, and extra supervision cannot be carried over to another month or site.

The consequence of a short month is steep. If a month falls below the minimum, none of that month's direct client contact hours count, and the month does not count toward the 36 months.

More Than One Supervisor

OBLPCT associates may have no more than 2 supervisors at a time for each place of practice, and a plan may cover up to 3 practices. Every new supervisor or site must be approved by the Board before hours under it count. Group supervision leaders do not need Board approval. BLSW sets no limit on the number of supervisors or plans.

Title Restrictions

Oregon does not allow OBLPCT associates to use abbreviations for their titles. You cannot call yourself an "LPCa", "LPC-Associate" or similar. The board specifies exactly how you must represent your credential while in the associate period.

Board-Approved Supervision Plan

Before you begin accruing hours in Oregon, you need a Board-approved supervision plan. For LPC and LMFT associates, the plan is filed with the OBLPCT. CSWAs need a BLSW plan of supervision for each place of practice, approved by the supervisor in the portal and then by the Board. Do not begin counting hours until your plan is approved.

Documentation Requirements

• For LPC/LMFT: an annual Supervisor Evaluation and Hours Report, signed by the supervisor(s) and the registrant, with monthly totals. It is also due when the plan ends or a supervisor changes. The board asks for original signatures.
• For LCSW: each supervisor completes a separate six-month evaluation report with only the supervision hours they provided. Work and direct client hours go on one report only.
• BLSW reporting periods end on the last day of the CSWA's birth month and six months later. Reports are due within 30 days.
• Documentation submitted through the Licensee Portal
• For LPC/LMFT: Board-approved supervision plan must be on file before hours count
• OBLPCT supervisors must keep a contemporaneous record of supervision hours and notes for each supervision meeting for at least 3 years, and produce it within 14 days if the Board asks

Virtual Supervision in Oregon

Oregon explicitly allows virtual supervision. The OBLPCT rules (OAR 833-050-0081) state that supervision may be provided "in-person in a professional setting or through live, synchronous, confidential electronic communications." This means videoconference supervision counts, but it must be live (not asynchronous) and confidential. The BLSW allows supervision by video or telephone (OAR 877-020-0010). Electronic supervision needs written client consent to transmit records and secure transmission.

Key Oregon Board Contact Information

• Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT): oregon.gov/oblpct (for LPC and LMFT)
• Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW): oregon.gov/blsw (for LCSW)
• OBLPCT Rules: OAR Chapter 833
• BLSW Rules: OAR Chapter 877

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Oregon

Oregon has two separate boards that oversee clinical supervision: the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT) for LPC and LMFT, and the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) for LCSW. The OBLPCT maintains a supervisor registry with a two-step approval process. Always verify current standards with the relevant board.

Becoming an LPC or LMFT Supervisor in Oregon (OBLPCT Registry)

The OBLPCT uses a two-step process for its supervisor registry:

Step 1: Supervisor Candidate

• Licensure: Must hold an active Oregon LPC or LMFT license in good standing
• Supervision training: Must complete 30 clock hours of post-master's training in clinical supervision
• Law and rules exam: Must pass the Board's law and rules examination
• MFT supervisors: Supervisors of MFT associates must also complete supervision training that includes systems components

Step 2: Approved Supervisor

• Licensure duration: Must have held an active license from the Board for at least 2 years, or hold an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential, an NBCC Center for Credentialing and Education approved supervisor credential, or a CACREP-accredited Counselor Education and Supervision doctorate
• Supervision-of-supervision: Must document 6 hours of supervision-of-supervision. In Oregon it comes from a Board Approved Supervisor; hours completed in another state can count since August 2025.
• Supervision experience: Must document 100 hours of post-licensure experience supervising registered associates or student interns
• Continuing education: 3 CE hours in supervision per reporting period are required to maintain approved supervisor status

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor in Oregon

• Separate board: Supervisors of CSWAs are approved by the BLSW, not the OBLPCT. LCSWs do not use the OBLPCT supervisor registry
• Licensure: Must hold an active Oregon LCSW license in good standing with at least 2 years of licensed practice
• Training and exam: 15 hours of supervision CE before supervising, then 6 hours every 5 years, and the BLSW rules and statutes exam
• Supervising counseling associates: An LCSW can also supervise OBLPCT associates under OAR 833-130-0070. That is an OBLPCT process with its own requirements (3 years of Oregon licensure, 30 hours of training and the Supervisor Law and Rules Exam)

Oregon-Specific Considerations

• Associate registration: Oregon requires pre-licensed professionals to hold an associate registration before accruing supervised hours
• Two boards: Social work (BLSW) and counseling/MFT (OBLPCT) are regulated by separate boards with different processes
• Alternative credentials: LPCs and LMFTs need 2 years of active licensure by the Board, or one of the alternatives above, under OAR 833-130-0050(1)(b). The 3-year rule applies only to other professions under OAR 833-130-0070.
• Pending change: HB 4083 (2026) requires the OBLPCT to allow psychologists and LCSWs to supervise, and the BLSW to allow psychologists, LMFTs and LPCs, from January 1, 2027

How Guidara Helps Oregon Supervisors

Oregon's two-board system and caseload-based supervision minimums create a lot of moving parts to track. Guidara keeps hour logs and timesheets with category breakdowns for direct client contact and individual and group supervision, along with signed supervision notes for every supervision meeting. Running totals are computed automatically, so you can see where you stand at any point. When it's time to complete the OBLPCT hours report or a BLSW six-month report, you can export PDF records to work from.