NASW-VA is pleased to have the opportunity to provide comments on the Petition for Rulemaking to amend 18VAC140-20, regarding continuing education requirements for supervisors.

The Petition for Rulemaking proposes reducing the continuing education requirement for supervisors to three to five hours of training in supervision every five years. 

Regulations currently state the following:

The supervisor shall have received professional training in supervision, consisting of a three credit-hour graduate course in supervision or at least 14 hours of continuing education offered by a provider approved under 18VAC140-20-105. The graduate course or hours of continuing education in supervision shall be obtained by a supervisor within five years immediately preceding registration of supervision.

The NASW-VA believes that an initial requirement of at least 14 hours of supervision training is important and adequate.  We support this requirement, as a minimal amount needed for a professional to develop necessary skills and understanding of this important role. We disagree with the petitioner’s request because NASW-VA believes that there should be a minimum of seven hours of training per renewal cycle. As a leader in the area of Supervision, NASW-VA has trained hundreds of Supervisors to perform this role for upcoming professionals and understands the importance of it for both the supervisor and supervisee.

As we stated in previous public comments regarding other proposed changes in supervision training, there is a large amount of information that necessitates more than three to five contact hours per renewal. We believe that it is vital to have ongoing and consistent professional development particularly when one is training to become a licensed professional. NASW-VA believes that similar to a certification process, the Supervision Requirement should be renewed on a three-year cycle with seven hours of training required. By utilizing this model, we can help ensure that the latest practices in behavioral health are passed on to our future professionals. 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this matter.