Chelsea Alexander and I serve as the Supervision Liaisons for TLPCA. Every other month we publish a newsletter for supervisors in the state. On the alternating months we sponsor a zoom Supervision Forum. The next newsletter is scheduled to come out on May 22. The next zoom Supervision Forum is scheduled for June 26 at 12:00 noon (CST). The forum on the 26th will be an open discussion. Please mark your calendar to join us.

I want to address the issue concerning the approval process for receiving the approved supervisor designation from the Tennessee Licensing Board. It is correct that at the present moment, the board is not able to designate approved supervisors. They are aware of this issue and are working on resolving the issue through a revision of the rules. Once the revised rules go into effect, the board will again be designating approved supervisors. Unless the wording is changed in the rule revision process, the statement in the revised rules will read: “Qualified supervisors must be designated by the Board as an approved supervisor, and their license must reflect this designation.”

At present, individuals who meet the qualifications for being approved supervisors, can serve in this capacity. However, when the revised rules go into effect, all approved supervisors will need to be so designated. Once the Board is again designating qualified LPC-MHSPs as approved supervisors, there will be a $50.00 fee as part of the application process. This $50.00 fee is a one-time fee.

Until the Board is once again designating approved supervisors, it is important that those supervisors, who meet the qualifications to be an approved supervisor, provide documentation to supervisees seeking their services as post graduate applicants. I encourage supervisees seeking supervision to ask potential supervisors for proof that they are qualified as approved supervisors. This can be accomplished with a well written and complete supervisor/supervisee agreement or contract.

I think we all agree there needs to be a formal process in place to verify eligibility of those serving as approved supervisors. The Board is working through the revised rules to once again designate approved supervisors.