Clinical Supervision Requirements in Rhode Island

Licensing Board Overview

In Rhode Island, mental health professions are regulated by the Department of Health (RIDOH). Social workers are overseen by the Board of Social Work Examiners, while counselors and marriage and family therapists are overseen by the Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists.

LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (Rhode Island)

Rhode Island's LICSW is overseen by the Board of Social Work Examiners under 216-RICR-40-05-7. Candidates hold a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credential while accruing supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of post-master's clinical social work practice, at least 1,500 of them providing services directly to clients
• Timeframe: The hours must fall within a 24 to 72 month period immediately before the date of application
• Supervision amount: At least 2 hours of supervision every two weeks, plus at least 1 hour for every 20 hours of direct client contact
• Individual supervision: One-to-one supervision at least 75% of the time. Group supervision, with no more than 10 supervisees, can cover the rest.
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an LICSW license. The board's form asks for the supervisor's license state, so experience gained in another state can be supervised by a supervisor licensed there.
• May not be the supervisee's parent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, child, employee or housemate, or anyone in a romantic, domestic or familial relationship with them

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (Rhode Island)

Rhode Island's clinical mental health counselor license is overseen by the Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists under 216-RICR-40-05-11 (§11.3.3). Candidates can hold a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate license while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 2,000 hours of direct client contact
• Timeframe: Must be completed over a period of at least 2 years
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of post-degree supervision, spread over a two-year period, by a supervisor the board recognizes as an approved supervisor. The board's form counts one-to-one supervision hours.
• Exam: NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination)

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must be a licensed clinical mental health counselor, LICSW, marriage and family therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist, licensed in good standing for at least 5 years
• Must have at least 5 years of clinical experience as a licensee
• Must also have one of: a graduate course in supervision, NBCC certified supervisor status, or at least 2 years supervising clinical staff in a mental health setting

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Rhode Island)

Rhode Island's LMFT is overseen by the Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists under 216-RICR-40-05-11 (§11.3.6). Candidates can hold a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate license while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 1,500 hours of direct client contact since June 22, 2026 (P.L. 2026 ch. 195 and 196). At least 1,400 must come after the master's degree and no more than 100 during the graduate program. The doctoral path needs 1,000 hours.
• Relational hours: At least 300 hours with couples, families, or groups of two or more people
• Timeframe: Must be completed over a period of at least 2 years
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of supervision, spread over two years, by an approved supervisor
• Exam: AMFTRB National Examination

The online statute, the board's rule and the current MFT application still print the old 2,000-hour figure. Confirm with the board how it applies the new law to your application.

Supervisor Qualifications

• Be an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, OR
• Be an LMFT licensed in good standing for at least 5 years, with at least 5 years of clinical experience and a graduate course in MFT supervision or an AAMFT or RIAMFT supervision course

Rhode Island-Specific Details

Social Work Licensure Tiers

In Rhode Island, the LCSW is the master's-level license required to practice and accrue hours toward the independent clinical license, which is the LICSW. Experience in Rhode Island counts only while you hold the LCSW or work in an exempt setting such as state employment.

The LCSW exam is not required until at least August 15, 2030. New MSW graduates may also work for up to 18 months under the direct supervision of a Rhode Island LICSW, using the title "social-work intern" or "trainee."

Direct Client Contact Emphasis

For counselor and LMFT candidates, Rhode Island counts direct client contact hours rather than total supervised experience hours: 2,000 hours for counselors and, since June 2026, 1,500 hours for marriage and family therapists.

Board Forms and Signatures

Each supervisor completes the board's own verification form for their period of supervision, and substitute forms are not accepted. Counseling and MFT supervisors mail their Statement of Supervised Practice directly to the Board. Social work supervisors seal their form in an envelope and sign across the seal, and the applicant mails all of them in one packet.

Virtual Supervision in Rhode Island

No Rhode Island statute, rule or board form addresses video supervision. The social work statute describes supervision as "face-to-face contact" without defining it, and the counseling rule labels individual supervision "face-to-face." Confirm with the board before relying on video supervision.

Key Rhode Island Board Contact Information

• Board of Social Work Examiners (RIDOH): health.ri.gov/licensing/social-work
• Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists (RIDOH): health.ri.gov/licensing/marriage-family-and-mental-health-therapy

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Rhode Island

Supervisor requirements in Rhode Island vary by discipline, with counseling and MFT boards requiring significant post-licensure experience. There is no separate supervisor registration. Supervisors attest to their qualifications on the board's verification form when the supervisee applies for licensure. Always confirm current standards with the appropriate board.

Becoming an LICSW Supervisor

• Hold an LICSW license
• Have none of the barred personal or employment relationships with the supervisee
• Complete the Supervised Practice Form when your supervisee applies for the LICSW

Becoming a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor

• Hold a clinical mental health counselor, LICSW, LMFT, psychologist, or psychiatrist license, in good standing for at least 5 years
• Complete at least 5 years of clinical experience as a licensee
• Complete a graduate supervision course, become an NBCC certified supervisor, or have 2 years of experience supervising clinical staff
• Complete the Statement of Supervised Practice, with your CV, when your supervisee applies

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor

• Be an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, OR hold an LMFT license in good standing for at least 5 years with 5 years of clinical experience and an MFT supervision course
• Complete the Statement of Supervised Practice, with your resume, when your supervisee applies

How Guidara Helps Rhode Island Supervisors

Guidara keeps hour logs by category, signed supervision notes for every supervision meeting, and approved timesheets, all stored with timestamps and audit trails. Rhode Island's boards require their own forms, so Guidara does not replace them. You can export PDF records to work from when you complete the board's verification form.