Clinical Supervision Requirements in Vermont

Licensing Board Overview

In Vermont, mental health professions are regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) under the Secretary of State. The Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners licenses clinical mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists and keeps the Roster of Psychotherapists Who Are Nonlicensed and Noncertified. Social work has no board. The OPR Director licenses social workers, with two appointed advisors.

LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (Vermont)

Vermont's clinical social work license is the LICSW, governed by the Office of Professional Regulation, 26 V.S.A. Ch 61. There is no "LCSW" in Vermont, and the LMSW is not a step toward the LICSW. Candidates must be on the Roster of Psychotherapists Who Are Nonlicensed and Noncertified while accruing supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of supervised practice, including 2,000 hours of direct psychotherapy (Social Work Rules 4.1, 4.13)
• Timeframe: Must be completed in no less than 2 years. No more than 1,500 hours count per year, weeks of less than 16 hours do not count, and at least half the hours must fall within 5 years of completing all requirements (Rule 4.15).
• Supervision hours: 1 hour of supervision for every 30 hours of practice (100 hours for 3,000), at least half of it individual. Groups may have up to 8 people (Rules 4.8, 4.9).
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination plus the Vermont jurisprudence exam. To sit the clinical exam, your supervisor verifies at least 18 months and 2,250 hours of practice.

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must be an LICSW, LCMHC, psychologist, or psychiatrist, licensed where the supervised practice takes place. An LMFT cannot supervise toward the LICSW.
• Must have at least 3 years and 4,500 hours of licensed practice, and be currently practicing

LCMHC: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (Vermont)

Vermont's LCMHC is governed by the Office of Professional Regulation, 26 V.S.A. Ch 65. Candidates must be on the Roster of Psychotherapists Who Are Nonlicensed and Noncertified while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of supervised practice over at least 2 years
• Direct client contact: At least 2,000 hours must be direct client contact
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision, at least 50 of them individual. Groups may have up to 6 trainees.
• Ratio: No more than 30 practice hours without at least 1 hour of supervision. The supervision report form applies this ratio to each supervisor and practice setting.
• Recency: Hours must fall within 5 years. Confirm with the board whether that is measured from your application or the licensure decision.
• Exam: Both the NCE (National Counselor Examination) and the NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination)

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an unencumbered license, in the jurisdiction where the supervised practice takes place, as an LCMHC, clinical social worker, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or psychiatrist certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Vermont licensure is not required.
• Must have held that license for at least 3 years before supervision begins, and keep it unencumbered throughout

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Vermont)

Vermont's LMFT is governed by the Office of Professional Regulation, 26 V.S.A. Ch 76. Candidates must be on the Roster of Psychotherapists Who Are Nonlicensed and Noncertified while accruing hours.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of supervised practice over at least 2 years
• Direct client contact: At least 2,000 hours must be direct client contact, and half of those (1,000 hours) must be with couples and/or families
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision, at least 50 of them individual. Groups may have up to 6 trainees. No more than 30 practice hours without at least 1 hour of supervision.
• Exam: AMFTRB National Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• The statute names an LMFT or clinical social worker. It allows a CMHC, psychologist, or psychiatrist only when a qualified MFT is not reasonably available. The board's rule lists all five without that condition, so confirm with the board.
• Must have held an unencumbered license for at least 3 years before supervision begins. There is no AAMFT Approved Supervisor route.

Vermont-Specific Details

The Roster of Psychotherapists

Vermont has no associate license. Individuals accruing hours toward licensure must be entered on the Roster of Psychotherapists Who Are Nonlicensed and Noncertified before beginning supervised practice in Vermont. OPR will not accept hours from any time you were not on the Roster.

Supervision Ratios

All three tracks use a ratio of 1 hour of supervision for every 30 hours of practice. For the LCMHC and LMFT, practice may never run more than 30 hours without a supervision hour.

Supervision Reports and More Than One Supervisor

The board recommends that counselors and MFTs have at least two supervisors. Each supervisor completes their own Supervision Report for one practice setting, covering practice hours and supervision hours, and sends it directly to OPR. There is no supervision plan to file and no supervisor approval in advance. OPR checks supervisor qualifications after supervised practice is complete, so hours under an unqualified supervisor may have to be repeated.

Interstate Compacts and Planned Changes

Vermont is a member of the Counseling Compact and the Social Work Licensure Compact, but neither is issuing privileges in Vermont yet. OPR has also drafted a restructuring for the 2027 legislative session. It would bring social work under an expanded mental health board, replace the Roster with trainee licenses, and require a written supervision contract. It is not yet law.

Virtual Supervision in Vermont

For the LCMHC and LMFT, the board's rule requires supervision in an office, clinic, or institution. A temporary board policy allows supervision in person, by telephone, or by video until December 31, 2026, and the board is reviewing that policy. For the LICSW, face-to-face supervision through HIPAA-compliant electronic media is acceptable by rule. No track sets a percentage limit on remote supervision.

Key Vermont Board Contact Information

• Office of Professional Regulation (OPR): sos.vermont.gov/opr
• Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners: sos.vermont.gov/allied-mental-health
• Social Workers: sos.vermont.gov/social-workers

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Vermont

Supervisor requirements in Vermont generally require 3 years of licensure, and social work also requires 4,500 hours of licensed practice. There is no supervisor registration or approval. The optional Mental Health Supervisor Registry is a listing only and does not show that a supervisor is qualified. Always confirm current standards with OPR.

Becoming an LICSW Supervisor

• Hold an LICSW, LCMHC, psychologist, or psychiatrist license where the supervised practice takes place
• Have at least 3 years and 4,500 hours of licensed practice, and be currently practicing
• Complete a Supervision Report for each practice setting when supervision ends and send it directly to OPR

Becoming an LCMHC Supervisor

• Hold an unencumbered LCMHC, clinical social worker, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or board-certified psychiatrist license where the supervised practice takes place
• Have held that license for at least 3 years before supervision begins
• Complete a Supervision Report for each practice setting when supervision ends and send it directly to OPR

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor

• Hold an unencumbered LMFT or clinical social worker license for at least 3 years before supervision begins. Other licenses may qualify only in limited cases, so confirm with the board.
• Complete a Supervision Report when supervision ends and send it directly to OPR

How Guidara Helps Vermont Supervisors

Vermont puts the burden of documenting supervised hours on the supervisee. Guidara keeps hour logs, signed supervision notes, and timesheet approvals in one place, with timestamps and audit trails. It exports PDF records a supervisor can use when completing OPR's Supervision Report. Guidara does not fill or submit OPR forms.