HLS 24RS-2067 ENGROSSED
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 865
BY REPRESENTATIVES MYERS AND FISHER
SOCIAL WORKER: Provides relative to virtual social work supervision
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 37:1103(13), 1107(A)(4), 1116(B)(1)(d)(ii) and (2), 2703(7) and
3 (17) and 2707(B) and to enact R.S. 37:1103(14) and 2703(19) and (20), relative to
4 the practice of social work and licensed professional counselors; to provide for
5 definitions; to allow remote supervision via telesupervision; to allow virtual licensed
6 professional counselor telesupervision; to require the Louisiana Licensed
7 Professional Counselors Board of Examiners to establish rules and regulations for
8 telesupervision; to include provisions for virtual social work supervision; to require
9 the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners to establish rules and
10 regulations for telesupervision; and to provide for related matters.
11Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 37:1103(13), 1107(A)(4), 1116(B)(1)(d)(ii) and (2), 2703(7) and (17)
13and 2707(B) are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 37:1103(14) and R.S. 37:2703(19)
14and (20) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
15 §1103. Definitions
16 As used in this Part, the following terms have the meaning ascribed to them
17 in this Section:
18 * * *
19 (13) "Qualified supervision" means the supervision, which shall include
20 telesupervision, for a licensed marriage and family therapist of clinical services, in
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1 accordance with standards developed by the advisory committee, and approved by
2 the board by an individual who has been recognized by the advisory committee as
3 an approved supervisor.
4 (14) "Telesupervison" means clinical supervision conducted through the use
5 of real time, face-to-face synchronous interactive conferencing between the
6 supervisee and supervisor through electronic, visual, and audio means. Supervision
7 of a licensed professional counselor may be conducted in-person or remotely through
8 telesupervision. Telesupervision utilizes secure video conferencing platforms to
9 adhere to the same standards and guidelines as in-person supervision, ensuring
10 regular contact, case review, and ongoing professional development. The board shall
11 establish rules and regulations regarding the specific requirements and parameters
12 for telesupervision, including technology standards, documentation, and
13 confidentiality measures.
14 * * *
15 §1107. Requirements for licensed professional counselor; provisional license;
16 temporary license or temporary provisional license; renewal of license or
17 temporary provisional license
18 A. The board shall issue a license to each applicant who files an application
19 upon a form and in such manner as the board prescribes, accompanied by such fee
20 as required by R.S. 37:1106, and who furnishes satisfactory evidence to the board
21 that he:
22 * * *
23 (4) Can document a minimum of three thousand hours of supervised
24 experience during a minimum of two years of post-master's degree experience in
25 professional mental health counseling under the supervision, or telesupervision, of
26 a licensed professional counselor. Five hundred hours of supervised experience may
27 be gained for each thirty graduate semester hours earned beyond the master's degree,
28 provided that such hours are clearly related to the field of mental health counseling
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1 and are acceptable to the board, provided that in no case the applicant has less than
2 two thousand hours of supervised experience.
3 * * *
4 §1116. Licensure application for marriage and family therapists; provisional license;
5 temporary license or temporary provisional license
6 * * *
7 B. An applicant who meets the requirements of Subsection A of this Section
8 shall be recommended by the advisory committee to the board for issuance of a
9 license by the board upon providing satisfactory evidence to the advisory committee
10 that such person meets the following requirements:
11 (1) Successful completion of one of the following educational requirements:
12 * * *
13 (d) A masters degree or a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy
14 from a regionally accredited institution of higher education whose program and
15 curriculum was approved by the board through the advisory committee at any time
16 prior to July 1, 2010, and the applicant for licensure has at least five hundred hours
17 of client contact, and where the client contact shall include all of the following:
18 * * *
19 (ii) One hundred hours in which the applicant has been subjected to qualified
20 supervision, or telesupervision, as is defined in R.S. 37:1103(11).
21 (2) Successful completion of two calendar years of work experience in
22 marriage and family therapy under qualified supervision, or telesupervision, as
23 defined in R.S. 37:1103(11) following receipt of a qualifying degree.
24 * * *
25 §2703. Definitions
26 As used in this Chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, and
27 except as otherwise expressly provided:
28 * * *
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1 (7) "Clinical supervision" means an interactional professional relationship
2 between a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed master's social worker that
3 provides evaluation and direction over the supervisee's practice of clinical social
4 work and promotes continued development of the licensed master's social worker's
5 knowledge, skills, and abilities to engage in the practice of clinical social work in an
6 ethical and competent manner. Supervision for meeting the requirements of
7 licensure, as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), must shall be provided by a
8 licensed clinical social worker who is also a board-approved clinical supervisor
9 (BACS). Supervision between a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed
10 master's social worker may be conducted in-person or remotely through
11 telesupervision. Telesupervision utilizes secure video conferencing platforms to
12 adhere to the same standards and guidelines as in-person supervision, ensuring
13 regular contact, case review, and ongoing professional development. The board shall
14 establish rules and regulations regarding the specific requirements and parameters
15 for telesupervision, including technology standards, documentation, and
16 confidentiality measures.
17 * * *
18 (17) "Supervision" means the professional relationship between a supervisor
19 and a supervisee that provides guidance and evaluation of the services provided by
20 the supervisee. Supervision between a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed
21 master's social worker may be conducted in-person or remotely through
22 telesupervision. Telesupervision utilizes secure video conferencing platforms to
23 adhere to the same standards and guidelines as in-person supervision, ensuring
24 regular contact, case review, and ongoing professional development. The board shall
25 establish rules and regulations regarding the specific requirements and parameters
26 for telesupervision, including technology standards, documentation, and
27 confidentiality measures.
28 * * *
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1 (19) "In-person supervision" means clinical supervision conducted through
2 real time, face-to-face meetings of the supervisee and supervisor in the same physical
3 location.
4 (20) "Telesupervison" means clinical supervision conducted through the use
5 of real time, face-to-face synchronous interactive conferencing between the
6 supervisee and supervisor through electronic, visual, and audio means.
7 * * *
8 §2707. Qualifications; licensed master's social worker
9 * * *
10 B. An individual licensed as a licensed master's social worker may engage
11 in advanced social work practice based on the application of social work theory,
12 knowledge, ethics, and methods to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or
13 biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations,
14 and communities. The licensed master's social worker's practice requires the
15 application of specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills which include
16 prevention or intervention, or both, service or treatment planning and evaluation,
17 case management, information and referral, counseling, employee assistance
18 services, addiction services, advocacy, teaching, research, supervision, consultation,
19 community organization, and the development, implementation, and administration
20 of policies, programs, and activities. A social worker licensed at the licensed
21 master's social worker level may practice clinical social work and psychotherapy
22 within an agency under the supervision, in-person or virtually, of a licensed clinical
23 social worker. A licensed master's social worker may work as an employee only in
24 an agency setting. Notwithstanding the definition of "agency" as defined in R.S.
25 37:2703(1) or the requirement for employment in an agency setting provided in this
26 Subsection, a licensed master's social worker shall be permitted to provide social
27 work services on behalf of a federal, state, or local governmental agency on a
28 contractual basis.
29 * * *
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 865 Engrossed 2024 Regular Session Myers
Abstract: Allows supervision for certain social workers and licensed professional
counselors to be conducted in-person or remotely via telesupervision.
Present law defines "qualified supervision", along with other terms relative to licensed
professional counselors. Proposed law adds a definition for "telesupervision" and otherwise
retains present law.
Proposed law provides that the requirements for supervision set forth in present law for
licensed professional counselors may be satisfied via telesupervision. Proposed law
otherwise retains present law.
Proposed law requires the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners
to establish rules and regulations regarding parameters and requirements for telesupervision.
Present law defines "clinical supervision" and "supervision", along with other terms relative
to social work.
Proposed law adds definitions for "in-person supervision" and "telesupervision" to
provisions relative to social work. Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Proposed law retains present law provisions and further provides that supervision between
a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed master's social worker may be conducted in-
person or remotely via telesupervision.
Proposed law requires telesupervision to adhere to the same standards and guidelines as
in-person supervision, to ensure regular contact, case review, and ongoing professional
development.
Proposed law requires the La. State Bd. of Social Work Examiners to establish rules and
regulations regarding the requirements and parameters for telesupervision.
Present law allows a social worker licensed at the licensed master's social worker level to
practice clinical social work and psychotherapy within an agency under the supervision of
a licensed clinical social worker.
Proposed law further provides that the supervision required in present law may be conducted
in-person or virtually.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
(Amends R.S. 37:1103(13), 1107(A)(4), 1116(B)(1)(d)(ii) and (2), 2703(7) and (17) and
2707(B); Adds R.S. 37:1103(14) and 2703(19) and (20))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill:
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1. Add a definition for "telesupervision" to present law provisions relative to
licensed professional counselors.
2. Provide that the requirements for supervision set forth in present law for licensed
professional counselors may be satisfied via telesupervision.
3. Require the La. Licensed Professional Counselors Bd. of Examiners to establish
rules and regulations regarding parameters and requirements for telesupervision.
4. Make technical corrections.
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