Mental Health Practitioners

Appendix A
Requirements for Supervised Experience - Mental Health Counselor

The experience requirement for licensure as a mental health counselor requires completion of a supervised experience of at least 3,000 clock hours providing mental health counseling in a setting acceptable to the Department. The supervised experience must be obtained after completion of the professional education requirement for licensure. All experience must be documented on Form 4B.

The supervised experience and practice under a limited permit must meet the following supervision and setting requirements.

Supervision of Experience

The supervisor must:

• have completed a master's or higher degree program in counseling, or in the subject of the field in which the supervisor is licensed (see below), or another field related to the field of counseling as determined by the Department; and
• be licensed and registered in New York State to practice mental health counseling, medicine, as a physician assistant, psychology, licensed clinical social work, or as a registered professional nurse or nurse practitioner, or must have the equivalent qualifications as determined by the Department*; and
• have at least three years of practice on a full-time basis, or the part-time equivalent, in mental health counseling. Practice on a full-time basis means 960 clock hours in the practice of mental health counseling earned over a 52-week period.

There must be contact between the applicant and the supervisor during which:

• the applicant apprises the supervisor of the assessment and treatment of each client;
• the applicant's cases are discussed with the supervisor;
• the supervisor provides the applicant with oversight and guidance in assessment and evaluation, treatment planning, completing psychosocial histories and progress notes, individual counseling, group counseling, psychotherapy, and consultation; and
• the supervisor provides an average of one hour per week or two hours every other week of in-person individual or group supervision.

Setting for Experience

The setting in which the experience is obtained must be a location at which legally authorized individuals provide services that constitute the practice of mental health counseling, as defined in Education Law, and must be responsible for the services provided by individuals gaining experience for licensure. The setting cannot be a private practice owned or operated by the applicant.

The practice of mental health counseling is defined in Education Law as:

• the evaluation, assessment, amelioration, treatment, modification, or adjustment to a disability, problem, or disorder of behavior, character, development, emotion, personality or relationships by the use of verbal or behavioral methods with individuals, couples, families or groups in private practice, group, or organized settings; and
• the use of assessment instruments and mental health counseling and psychotherapy to identify, evaluate and treat dysfunctions and disorders for purposes of providing appropriate mental health counseling services.