Virginia Law

A. Registration of supervision. Supervised experience obtained in Virginia without prior written board approval shall not be accepted toward certification. Candidates shall not begin the experience until after completion of the required degree as set forth in 18VAC125-30-40.

1. Prior to beginning supervised postdegree experience in Virginia, an individual shall submit:

a. A completed supervisory contract;

b. The application and the registration fee prescribed in 18VAC125-30-20; and

c. Official graduate transcript documenting the degree requirement of 18VAC125-30-40.

2. The board may waive the registration requirement for individuals who have obtained at least five years of documented work experience in sex offender treatment in another jurisdiction. For individuals with less than five years of documented work experience, the board may accept supervised experience hours completed in another jurisdiction, provided the experience meets the requirements of this section, except it is not required that a supervisor in the other jurisdiction hold certification as a sex offender treatment provider or a license issued by a health regulatory board in Virginia.

B. An applicant for certification as a sex offender treatment provider shall provide documentation of having 2,000 hours of postdegree clinical experience in the delivery of clinical assessment/treatment services. At least 200 hours of this experience must be face-to-face treatment and assessment with sex offender clients.

1. The experience shall include a minimum of 100 hours of face-to-face supervision within the 2,000 hours experience with a minimum of one hour of face-to-face supervision for every 20 hours of experience. A minimum of 50 hours shall be in individual face-to-face supervision. Face-to-face supervision obtained in a group setting shall include no more than six trainees in a group.

2. If the applicant has obtained the required postdegree clinical experience for a mental health license within the past 10 years, the applicant can receive credit for those hours that were in the delivery of clinical assessment/treatment services with sex offender clients provided:

a. The applicant can document that the hours were in the treatment and assessment with sex offender clients; and

b. The supervisor for those hours can attest that he was licensed and qualified to render services to sex offender clients at the time of the supervision.

C. The supervisor.

1. The supervisor shall assume responsibility for the professional activities of the applicant.

2. The supervisor shall not provide supervision for activities for which the prospective applicant has not had appropriate education.

3. The supervisor shall be a certified sex offender treatment provider and hold a current and unrestricted Virginia license as a clinical nurse specialist, doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or clinical psychologist.

4. The supervisor shall provide supervision only for those sex offender treatment services which he is qualified to render.

5. At the time of formal application for certification, the board approved supervisor shall document for the board the applicant's total hours of supervision, length of work experience, competence in sex offender treatment, and needs for additional supervision or training.