Clinical Supervision Requirements in West Virginia

Licensing Board Overview

West Virginia regulates mental health professions through two primary boards. Social workers are governed by the Board of Social Work, while counselors and marriage and family therapists are governed by the Board of Examiners in Counseling. The counseling and MFT rules were rewritten effective April 14, 2026, and the Board of Social Work published a new LICSW Supervision Manual in May 2026.

LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (West Virginia)

West Virginia's LICSW is governed by the Board of Social Work, W. Va. Code R. § 25-1. Candidates hold a Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) or Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) credential while accruing supervised experience.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours of clinical social work practice. Non-clinical work does not count
• Timeframe: Must be completed in no less than 2 years
• Supervision hours: At least 100 hours of clinical supervision, at least 50% of it individual rather than group
• Ratio: The rule recommends at least 1 hour of supervision for every 30 hours of practice. The 2026 manual adds supervision at least once every two weeks
• Contract approval: A written supervision contract must be approved by the Board before supervision starts. No hours count before that written approval
• Exam: ASWB Clinical Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold a West Virginia LICSW license, or be a licensed clinical social worker from another jurisdiction approved by the Board
• Must have 2 years of clinical practice since the clinical license was first issued
• Must complete at least 6 hours of board-approved clinical supervision training
• Must not be related to the supervisee

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor (West Virginia)

West Virginia's LPC is governed by the Board of Examiners in Counseling, W. Va. Code R. § 27-1. Since April 14, 2026, candidates hold a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate (LPCA) license while accruing hours. Many Board forms still use the older "Provisionally Licensed Counselor" title.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours after a master's degree (1,500 after a doctorate), at least 50% of it direct client work
• Timeframe: The statute says no less than 2 years. Board forms and the FAQ say a 19-month minimum, so confirm with the Board
• Supervision ratio: At least 1 hour of direct supervision for every 20 hours of practice (150 hours across 3,000). If your supervisor is not a full-time employee of the same practice or agency, supervision must happen at least twice each calendar month
• Board forms go further: The registration contract asks for at least 1 hour every week, with individual supervision at least every 2 weeks. The Board's FAQ says hours cannot be counted if the 2-week individual rule is missed
• Exam: NCE (National Counselor Examination), NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination), or the CRC exam

Supervisor Qualifications

• The 2026 rule allows an LPC or LMFT. The Board's ALPS page and application still say LPC only, so confirm with the Board before using an LMFT
• Must have been licensed at the highest level for 2 years and have 5 years of counseling experience
• Must hold the Approved Licensed Professional Supervisor (ALPS) designation

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (West Virginia)

West Virginia's LMFT is governed by the Board of Examiners in Counseling, W. Va. Code R. § 27-8. Since April 14, 2026, candidates hold a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-Associate (LMFTA) license while accruing hours. Board forms still say "Provisionally Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist."

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total supervised experience: 3,000 hours after a master's degree (1,500 after a doctorate)
• Direct and relational hours: At least 50% must be direct service, and at least half of those direct hours must be with couples and families present
• Annual cap: The Board may not credit more than 1,500 hours in any 12-month period
• Timeframe: Must be completed in no less than 2 years (1 year after a doctorate)
• Supervision ratio: At least 1 hour of direct individual supervision for every 20 hours of practice, and at least twice each calendar month if the supervisor is not a full-time employee of the same agency
• Exam: AMFTRB National Examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• An LMFT or LPC who has been licensed for 2 years, has 5 years of experience, and holds the ALPS designation
• Training is a one-semester graduate course in MFT clinical supervision or a 30-hour CE course
• Alternatively, any licensed mental health professional who is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor

West Virginia-Specific Details

Approved Licensed Professional Supervisor (ALPS)

West Virginia requires LPC and LMFT supervisors to be approved by the Board as an Approved Licensed Professional Supervisor (ALPS) before they can provide clinical supervision. MFT candidates may instead use an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. ALPS approval requires an application, specific training, and a jurisprudence exam the Board is introducing in 2026.

Approval Before Every Change

For counseling and MFT, any change of supervisor or job must be approved by the Board before it happens. Hours earned between the end of one arrangement and approval of the next are nullified. An interruption in supervision of more than 6 weeks must be reported in writing within 30 days. Social work follows a similar pattern: clinical practice must stop as soon as a supervision contract ends.

Employment and Onsite Supervision

LPCAs and LMFTAs must work as W-2 (or pro bono) employees. Contract (1099) work and owning a practice are not allowed. The Board's FAQ also says an ALPS or another licensed mental health professional must be onsite whenever an associate is counseling, and both should be named in the informed consent.

Social Work Licensure Tiers

West Virginia has a multi-tiered social work licensure system. The LICSW is the independent clinical license. Candidates typically hold an LGSW or LCSW (which in WV is not the independent clinical license) while accruing hours for the LICSW.

Interstate Compacts

West Virginia is a Counseling Compact member (effective June 6, 2022), but compact privileges are not live in West Virginia yet. It also enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, effective June 9, 2026. The Board of Social Work says that compact is not live yet either.

Documentation Requirements

• Counseling and MFT registration contract: Filed with the Board and approved before supervision begins, and again whenever a supervisor is added or changed
• Quarterly logs (counseling and MFT): Weekly hours by category for each calendar quarter, co-signed and dated by the supervisee and the ALPS. Board materials disagree on whether logs are mailed each quarter or kept and turned in with the evaluations, so confirm with the Board
• Supervisor's Verification and Assessment (SVA): Completed by each ALPS for only the hours under their supervision, at the midpoint (after 50% of direct hours) and at the end. The ALPS seals it in an envelope, signs across the flap, and mails it
• Age of records: Counseling and MFT documentation more than 3 years old, including supervision, is not considered. Up to 500 supervision hours from another state may be considered
• Social work supervision records: The supervisor keeps a record of each face-to-face supervision meeting, initialed by both supervisor and supervisee
• Social work reviews and plans: A Six-Month Review every 6 months, and an Emergency Crisis Plan for each practice setting before clinical practice begins
• Social work verification: Each clinical supervisor completes a Clinical Supervisor's Verification Form and returns it to the applicant, who mails the application. Faxed or emailed applications are not accepted

Virtual Supervision in West Virginia

The 2026 counseling and MFT rules allow supervision in person or through any secured, encrypted telecommunication modality, and define direct supervision to include telephone and video. The 2021 registration contract still describes individual supervision as in person, so check with the Board if your contract and the rule seem to disagree. For social work, face-to-face supervision using HIPAA-compliant technology is acceptable.

Key West Virginia Board Contact Information

• Board of Social Work: wvsocialworkboard.org
• Board of Examiners in Counseling: wvbec.org

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in West Virginia

Supervisor requirements in West Virginia vary by discipline, with counselors and MFTs requiring the ALPS designation. Always confirm current standards with the respective board.

Becoming an LICSW Supervisor

• Hold a West Virginia LICSW license (an out-of-state clinical social work licensee may be approved by the Board)
• Have 2 years of clinical practice since your clinical license was first issued
• Complete at least 6 hours of board-approved clinical supervision training
• Apply to supervise and be listed on the Board's Approved Supervisor Registry

Becoming an LPC Supervisor (ALPS)

• Hold an LPC license (the rule also names the LMFT; confirm with the Board), including an LPC from a state with equal or stricter requirements
• Be licensed at the highest level for 2 years and have 5 years of counseling experience
• Complete Board-approved supervision training. The ALPS page lists 30 contact hours, or 15 with more than 10 years of experience
• Pass the jurisprudence exam and submit the ALPS application to the Board
• Supervise no more than 4 applicants at a time, or up to 8 with prior Board approval
• Complete 3 of your 35 CE hours each renewal period in clinical counseling supervision

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor

• Hold an LMFT or LPC license for at least 2 years, with 5 years of experience
• Complete a graduate course in MFT clinical supervision or a 30-hour CE course and obtain the ALPS designation, or hold AAMFT Approved Supervisor status
• Supervise no more than 4 applicants at a time, or up to 8 with prior Board approval

How Guidara Helps West Virginia Supervisors

Guidara keeps your supervision records in one place: hour logs by category, signed supervision notes, and approved timesheets, all stored with timestamps and audit trails. When a quarterly log or SVA is due, you can export PDF records to work from while completing the Board's forms. Those forms are still signed on paper and mailed the way each board instructs.