Clinical Supervision Requirements in Washington

Licensing Board Overview

Washington licenses mental health counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists through the Department of Health (DOH). There is no separate licensing board. Requirements are set in Chapter 18.225 RCW and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapter 246-809. Washington uses an associate-level credential system. Associates practice under an approved supervisor while accruing supervised experience toward full licensure.

Washington requires 3,000 hours of supervised experience for all four independent licenses (LMHC, LMFT, LASW, and LICSW), making it one of the more substantial hour requirements in the country. The associate tiers are LMHCA, LMFTA, LASWA, and LICSWA. Washington's rules are detailed and specific about supervision ratios, individual vs. group breakdowns, and supervisor qualifications.

LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Washington's LMHC is the independent mental health counseling license. You start as an LMHCA (Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate) and work under an approved supervisor.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total experience: Either 36 months of full-time counseling or 3,000 hours of postgraduate mental health counseling (RCW 18.225.090; WAC 246-809-230)
• Direct counseling: At least 1,200 hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of immediate supervision, meaning one supervisor and no more than two licensure candidates. Group supervision does not count toward the 100
• Supervision-to-practice ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 80 hours of clinical practice (per WAC 246-809-020)
• CACREP credit: Graduates of CACREP-accredited programs may receive a 50-hour credit toward supervision and a 500-hour credit toward total experience

Supervisor Qualifications

• An LMHC, or an equally qualified LMFT, licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner (WAC 246-809-210)
• Licensed without restrictions and in good standing for the previous 2 years (per WAC 246-809-234)
• Must have completed 15 clock hours of supervision training
• Must have at least 25 hours of supervision experience
• Must not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the supervisee or the supervisee's peer, or have provided psychological services to the supervisee within the past 2 years

LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Washington has two social work license levels. LASW (Licensed Advanced Social Worker) is the non-independent level, and LICSW is the independent clinical level. Both require supervised experience, but the LICSW has more stringent requirements.

LASW Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total experience: 3,000 hours of supervised experience (3,200 hours until September 30, 2025) per RCW 18.225.090
• Direct client contact: At least 800 hours of direct client contact
• Supervision hours: At least 90 hours total (40 one-to-one, plus 50 that may be one-to-one or group)
• Supervisors: An LICSW, an LASW, or an equally qualified licensed mental health professional

LICSW Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total experience: 3,000 hours of supervised experience over a minimum of 2 years per WAC 246-809-330
• Direct client contact: At least 1,000 hours of direct client contact under LICSW supervision
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours total
• LICSW supervisor requirement: At least 70 of those 100 hours must be supervised by an LICSW. The rest may come from an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner
• Individual supervision: At least 60 of the 100 hours must be one-to-one
• Supervision-to-practice ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 80 hours of clinical practice

Supervisor Qualifications

• An LICSW, an LASW (for LASW candidates only), or an equally qualified LMHC, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner (WAC 246-809-310)
• License active and in good standing for the previous 2 years, plus 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience (per WAC 246-809-334)
• An LICSW providing LICSW hours must have at least 1 year of experience supervising the clinical social work of others (RCW 18.225.090)
• Must have completed 15 clock hours of supervision training and have at least 25 hours of supervision experience
• Must not be a relative of, cohabitant with, or therapist of the supervisee

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Washington's LMFT requires supervised experience with specific requirements for couples and family work. You start as an LMFTA (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate).

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total experience: 3,000 hours of supervised experience per WAC 246-809-130
• Direct client contact: At least 1,000 hours of direct client contact
• Couples and families: At least 500 of those 1,000 hours must be spent diagnosing and treating couples and families
• Supervision hours: At least 200 hours total
• LMFT supervisor requirement: At least 100 hours must be with an LMFT who has at least 2 years of clinical experience (5 years until September 30, 2025)
• Other mental health supervisor: The other 100 hours may be with an equally qualified mental health practitioner
• Individual supervision: At least 100 of the 200 hours must be one-on-one (one supervisor and no more than two candidates)
• Supervision-to-practice ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 80 hours of clinical practice

Supervisor Qualifications

• An LMFT, or an equally qualified LMHC, licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner, licensed without restrictions and in good standing for the previous 2 years
• For the 100 LMFT hours: the LMFT must have at least 2 years of clinical experience
• Must have completed 15 clock hours of supervision training and have at least 25 hours of supervision experience, or be an AAMFT Approved Supervisor
• Must not be a relative of, cohabitant with, or therapist of the supervisee

Washington-Specific Details

3,000-Hour Requirement Across All Disciplines

Washington requires 3,000 hours for LMHC, LMFT, LASW, and LICSW. This is higher than many states. At full-time pace, plan for about 2 to 3 years to complete the requirement. Part-time accumulation is allowed but extends the timeline.

1:80 Supervision-to-Practice Ratio

Since May 22, 2025, every licensure candidate must have regular supervision of at least 1 hour for every 80 hours of clinical practice time, regardless of discipline. The rule does not define "clinical practice time" or say whether group supervision counts toward the ratio, so confirm with DOH how it will be checked. Either way, plan for steady supervision throughout your associate period rather than catching up at the end.

Individual and Group Supervision

Group supervision means one supervisor and no more than six candidates, in every discipline. "Individual" differs by track. For LMHC and LMFT candidates it allows up to two candidates with one supervisor. For social work it means exactly one candidate, so triadic supervision counts as group for LASW and LICSW candidates.

SUDP Experience Credit

Washington offers a 10% reduction for practitioners with 3 years of SUDP (Substance Use Disorder Professional) experience within the last 10 years (RCW 18.225.095). That brings the total to 2,700 hours. DOH's social work pages also say 2,700, although the WAC still prints older social work figures, so confirm the number with DOH before you rely on it.

CACREP Credit for LMHC

LMHC candidates who graduated from a CACREP-accredited program can receive a 500-hour credit toward total supervised experience hours and a 50-hour credit toward supervision hours. This is a meaningful reduction from 3,000 to 2,500 hours. Keep your CACREP program documentation accessible when you apply.

Recent Changes

• Endorsement: If you have held an active, clean license in another state for 1 year, you are deemed to meet the supervised experience requirement (this was 5 years until June 2025)
• Pending associate practice: Since October 1, 2025, you may practice under supervision for up to 120 days after DOH receives a complete associate application
• Associate renewals: Associate licenses renew yearly, and there is no longer a limit on the number of renewals

Documentation Requirements

• Associates must practice under an approved supervisor. Each supervisor signs an Approved Supervisor Declaration on the DOH form before supervision begins and gives it to the candidate
• Track direct client contact hours separately from total supervised experience hours
• Document individual vs. group supervision hours separately
• For LMFT: track couple/family hours separately from individual client hours
• For LICSW: track which hours were supervised by an LICSW specifically
• No supervision log is required, but the supervisor must maintain documentation of supervision provided. Supervision must cover the topics listed in WAC 246-809-020, including caseload and treatment plans and Washington laws and rules
• At application, each supervisor completes a separate experience verification for each practice setting and sends it, with their Approved Supervisor Declaration, directly to DOH

Virtual Supervision in Washington

Since June 12, 2025, Washington's rules define both one-on-one and group supervision as "face-to-face or virtual," so supervision by videoconference counts. "Virtual" is not defined, so confirm with DOH before counting telephone-only supervision. Separately, any provider who offers telemedicine has had to complete telemedicine training since January 1, 2021. Document the modality used for each supervision meeting.

Key Washington Board Contact Information

• Washington Department of Health (DOH): doh.wa.gov
• Mental Health Counselor Licensing: DOH Mental Health Counselor page
• Social Worker Licensing: DOH Social Worker page
• Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing: DOH Marriage and Family Therapist page
• Statutes: Chapter 18.225 RCW
• Administrative Rules: WAC Chapter 246-809

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in Washington

Washington's Department of Health (DOH) regulates clinical supervision through WAC Chapter 246-809, with discipline-specific sections: WAC 246-809-234 (LMHC), WAC 246-809-134 (LMFT), and WAC 246-809-334 (LICSW). The approved supervisor standards are largely consistent across all three designations. Washington uses associate-level licenses for pre-licensed professionals. Always verify current requirements directly with DOH.

Approved Supervisor Standards (WAC 246-809)

Washington's approved supervisor requirements are largely consistent across all three disciplines (LMHC, LICSW, LMFT), each defined in their respective WAC sections (246-809-234, 246-809-334, 246-809-134). A supervisor must generally meet all of the following:

• Active license: Must hold a license that has been active and in good standing for the previous 2 years, without restrictions
• Clinical experience: Social work supervisors need 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience. An LMFT providing the 100 LMFT hours needs 2 years of clinical experience. The LMHC rule sets no separate experience requirement beyond the 2 years licensed
• Supervision training: A minimum of 15 clock hours of training in clinical supervision. This may be completed through a supervision course, continuing education credits, or supervision of supervision
• Supervision experience: A minimum of 25 hours of experience in supervising clinical practice
• Knowledge of supervisee's practice: Must have thorough knowledge of the licensure candidate's practice activities
• Declaration form: Must provide the licensure candidate with a declaration form from the department

Discipline-Specific Notes

• LMHC supervisors: Supervise LMHCAs (Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associates). May be an LMHC or an equally qualified LMFT, licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner meeting the WAC 246-809-234 standards
• Social work supervisors: Supervise LICSWAs or LASWAs. LICSW candidates need at least 70 of their 100 supervision hours from an LICSW. LASW candidates may also be supervised by an LASW. Standards are in WAC 246-809-334
• LMFT supervisors: Supervise LMFTAs (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associates). At least 100 of the 200 hours must come from an LMFT. The other 100 may come from an equally qualified practitioner meeting the WAC 246-809-134 standards

Washington-Specific Considerations

• Associate system: Washington uses associate-level licenses (LMHCA, LMFTA, LASWA, LICSWA). Associates must practice under an approved supervisor
• Unique designations: Washington uses LMHC (not LPC) and LICSW (not LCSW). Reference the correct license in your documentation
• Shared standards: The 15 clock hours of training, 25 hours of supervision experience, and 2 years of licensure in good standing apply across all three disciplines under their respective WAC sections. Clinical experience rules differ by discipline
• Multiple supervisors: Having more than one supervisor is common. Each supervisor verifies only the hours under their own supervision

How Guidara Helps Washington Supervisors

Washington's 3,000-hour requirement and detailed breakdown rules mean you're tracking several categories of hours over 2 to 3 years. Guidara keeps hour logs for direct client contact and individual vs. group supervision, along with signed supervision notes and timesheets, so the totals are there when you need them. When it's time to complete the DOH verification forms, you can export PDF records for each supervisee to work from. Each supervisor still completes and sends their own forms to DOH.