100 Hours Minimum, 10 Hours Maximum a Month
An LMSW working toward LCSW licensure needs a minimum of 100 hours of supervisory sessions across the 3,000 hours of supervised professional clinical experience (22 TAC 781.401(a)(1)(D)). That is the floor everyone quotes. The rule that actually governs your pace sits right next to it: no more than 10 hours of supervision may be counted in any one month, or 30-day period (781.403(b)(8)).
Here is the sentence that separates this page from a rulebook summary: you cannot front-load supervision. Banking 20 hours of supervision in one busy month gets you 10 hours of credit, not 20. The rule states no way to count the other 10 later. The 100-hour minimum is a target you build up over many separate months, not a total you can rush by scheduling extra sessions when your calendar happens to be free. For the difference between this supervision total and your 3,000 hours of clinical experience, see what counts as clinical hours for LCSW in Texas.
HourJourney counts only the supervision that counts
Texas counts at most 10 supervision hours a month toward the 100. HourJourney shows what counted this month and applies that limit to your total.
Supervision Scales With Your Actual Hours Worked
Chapter 781 states the pacing rule directly: "Supervision shall occur in proportion to the number of actual hours worked" (781.403(b)(8)). Full-time and part-time LMSWs are not held to the same weekly supervision schedule, but both are held to the same 100-hour total and the same 10-hour monthly ceiling.
BHEC's own supervision FAQ works the arithmetic for a full-time schedule: an LMSW working 30 or more hours a week with 1 hour of supervision a week accumulates roughly 104 supervision hours over 24 months, comfortably past the 100-hour floor. For part-time work, a supervisor may adjust the frequency and duration of sessions so the 100 hours still land at approximately the 3,000-hour mark rather than finishing early or lagging far behind. The FAQ says the supervisor may adjust the frequency or the length of sessions, keeping supervision proportional to hours actually worked.
Run your own numbers by the month, not the week. Spread evenly across the 24-month floor, 100 hours works out to a little over 4 hours a month, well under the 10-hour ceiling. The cap matters when supervision is irregular: a supervisor who skips two months and then holds a 20-hour session block has only 10 hours counted for that month.
The 10-hour cap applies to each month or 30-day period. Hours past 10 in a period are not counted for it (781.403(b)(8)). If your job gets busy and supervision slips, resume at a sustainable pace across more months rather than trying to make up the difference in a single session marathon.
Individual and Group Supervision, and What Counts as an Hour
A supervision hour is defined as a minimum of 60 minutes in length (22 TAC 781.102(50)). Individual supervision means one supervisor working with one supervisee (781.102(33)). Group supervision means a minimum of two and a maximum of six supervisees with one supervisor (781.102(27); 781.403(b)(5)). Both formats can be delivered in person or via HIPAA-compliant audio or web (781.403(b)(4)-(5)).
| Format | Definition | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | One supervisor, one supervisee | In person or HIPAA-compliant audio/web |
| Group | One supervisor, two to six supervisees | In person or HIPAA-compliant audio/web |
Chapter 781 does not state an individual-supervision minimum for this track. A claim repeated across several third-party guides says half of your 100 hours must be individual. That is not in the March 2026 rulebook. Flag it as unverified rather than building your supervision schedule around it, and confirm the split you and your LCSW-S plan to use directly on your Clinical Supervision Plan.
Who Can Supervise an LMSW Toward LCSW
Only an LCSW with supervisor status, an LCSW-S, may supervise your hours on this track (22 TAC 781.402(a)(3); 781.402(b)(1)). An LCSW without the supervisor designation cannot sign your Clinical Supervision Plan, regardless of experience. To become an LCSW-S, a social worker must be an active LCSW in good standing, have practiced in that category for two years, and have completed a 40-hour supervisor training (781.404(a)).
Supervisor status costs $54 to apply for and adds $50 at renewal (22 TAC 885.1). Before signing a plan with anyone, verify their license and supervisor status on BHEC's Verify-a-License lookup, or find one through Find a Supervisor.
One structural difference from Texas's other two supervised tracks: Chapter 781 states no cap on concurrent supervisors on the LCSW track. Texas caps LPC Associates at two supervisors at a time and LMFT Associates at two unless pre-approved, but Chapter 781 states no such ceiling for an LMSW working toward LCSW. Each LCSW-S you add still completes a separate plan with you and a separate verification form.
HourJourney keeps your supervisors' details on file
Add each LCSW-S once with their license number and contact details. Every form you generate uses them.
The Clinical Supervision Plan Has to Exist Before Hours Accrue
A supervision plan is required on the Council form, or a substantially equivalent one, signed by the LMSW and the LCSW-S (22 TAC 781.405(a)). The supervisor is responsible for updating it on a change in agency of employment, job function, goals for supervision, or method by which supervision is provided (781.403(b)(2)). The rule says a plan is completed to accrue supervised clinical experience, and it does not describe how earlier hours are treated. See the Clinical Supervision Plan and verification forms for exactly what goes on each document.
If your supervisor works outside your employing agency, the rule allows a social worker to supervise someone employed in another setting only with the employer's written approval (781.403(a)(2)); the Plan form calls for it on agency letterhead. Confirm the approval is in hand before your first supervised session, not after.
What Your LCSW-S Has to Keep on File
The supervisor keeps the supervision file, and the Plan form says the supervisor and supervisee must both maintain these records. Under 22 TAC 781.403(b)(1), an LCSW-S must maintain the signed supervision plan, a job description for each position you hold, your practice locations, a log of your experience and supervision hours showing the date and duration of each meeting along with your accumulated clinical hours, a custody plan for the records, the employer approval letter if applicable, and a remediation plan if one was needed.
The rule also requires signed supervision notes documenting the content, duration and date of each session (781.403(a)(1)). Ask your LCSW-S how the log and notes are kept, and keep your own ongoing log of your hours.
There is also a fee rule worth knowing before you agree to pay anyone for supervision: a supervisor who is otherwise compensated for supervisory duties may not also charge you for that supervision (781.403(a)(3)).
The 30-Day Verification Deadline
When you ask your supervisor for the verification form, they have 30 days to submit the signed form to BHEC (22 TAC 781.405(c)). The form itself lists a mailing address (TBHEC, Ste. 7.300, 1801 Congress, Austin, TX 78701); see the note below on BHEC's current instruction for LCSW supervisors. Since Chapter 781 states no concurrent-supervisor cap, each LCSW-S you worked with during your 3,000 hours completes their own verification form covering their own dates and hours.
One operational note as of September 2026: BHEC's online supervision module for social work was unavailable, so plans and verification forms are going by email rather than through the portal. Confirm with your LCSW-S which submission method BHEC expects as your 30-day window approaches.
HourJourney fills in your verification form
One Clinical Supervision Verification form per supervisor, with the dates, months, supervision hours and clinical hours from your log, ready for signature.
Hours That Do Not Count, and Why
Supervision does not count during any period when either the LMSW's or the LCSW-S's license is lapsed, suspended, revoked, or delinquent, unless separately approved (22 TAC 781.403(g)). Check both licenses at renewal time, not just your own.
Supervision also cannot start before your regular license issues. A temporary license cannot begin the supervision process (781.405(e)), so hours logged while holding only a temporary credential do not carry forward once the Texas LMSW license is issued.
Worth one line: 781.402, 781.403, 781.405, 781.406, and 781.407 are all new as of March 18, 2026, but the current Clinical Supervision Verification Form for LCSW is dated 9/25/2025, meaning it predates the rules it now supports. Check the SW Forms and Publications page for a newer version before you send anything in.
Common Supervision Mistakes on the LMSW to LCSW Track
These are avoidable errors in an LMSW's supervision record.
Front-loading supervision past the 10-hour cap
Only 10 hours count in any one month or 30-day period, no matter how many sessions you and your LCSW-S actually held. The rule states no carry-forward.
Assuming half of the 100 hours must be individual
Chapter 781 does not state an individual-supervision minimum for this track. A 50% individual split you read elsewhere is not in the rulebook.
Starting hours before the plan is signed
The Clinical Supervision Plan has to be signed by the LMSW and the LCSW-S before hours accrue. The rule has the LMSW and LCSW-S complete a supervision plan to accrue supervised clinical experience (781.405(a)).
Using an outside supervisor with no employer letter
A supervisor from outside your agency needs written approval on the employer's letterhead. Confirm the approval is in hand before the first session.
Continuing under a lapsed LCSW-S
If your supervisor's or your license is revoked, suspended, delinquent or expired during supervision, hours accumulated during that time will not be accepted unless approved by the Council (781.403(g)). Verify status at every renewal cycle, not just once at the start.
Finishing 3,000 hours in under 24 months and expecting to apply
Supervision has to extend to at least 24 full months even if your 3,000 hours and 100 supervision hours finish sooner. Hitting the hour totals early does not shorten the duration floor.
Paying a supervisor who is already compensated for supervision
A supervisor otherwise compensated for supervisory duties may not also charge the supervisee. Confirm how your supervisor is being paid before agreeing to pay them yourself.
How HourJourney Tracks Your LCSW Supervision
Log your month once and the system keeps the record straight:
- ✓Monthly supervision hours checked against the 10-hour cap, not a running total that hides the overage
- ✓A live counter toward your 100-hour supervision minimum across all supervisors
- ✓Duration tracking against the 24-full-month floor, separate from your 3,000-hour progress
- ✓Per-supervisor logs, since Chapter 781 states no cap on how many LCSW-S supervisors you can have
- ✓The Clinical Supervision Verification Form generated as a PDF replica per supervisor, signatures blank
For the workflow side, from setting up supervisors to weekly logging, see hours tracking for Texas associates.
Built for Texas pre-licensed clinicians.
Related Guides and Tools
Texas LCSW Hours Requirements
The full 3,000-hour breakdown for the LMSW to LCSW track
LMSW to LCSW in Texas
How the pre-license path actually works
How to Become an LCSW in Texas
The complete path, from degree to full licensure
The Texas LMSW License
What the LMSW license is, and why it is not an associate registration
The Clinical Supervision Plan and Verification Forms
What each document asks for, and who files it
What Counts as Clinical Hours for LCSW in Texas
Activity-by-activity guidance on the 3,000-hour total
Texas LCSW Hours Calculator
Estimate your finish date against the 3,000 hours, 100 supervision hours and 24-month minimum.
Hours Tracking for Texas Associates
How HourJourney tracks the LPC, LMFT, and LMSW tracks
Texas Supervisor Change Form
How LPC and LMFT handle a supervisor change, and what the LCSW rule leaves out.
FAQ: Texas LCSW Supervision Requirements
How many hours of supervision do you need for LCSW in Texas?▾
At least 100 hours of supervisory sessions across your 3,000 hours of supervised professional clinical experience (22 TAC 781.401(a)(1)(D)). No more than 10 of those hours can be counted in any one month or 30-day period (781.403(b)(8)), and supervision has to continue for at least 24 full months even if you reach 100 hours sooner (781.403(b)(7)).
How many supervision hours for LCSW can you count in a month?▾
A maximum of 10 (22 TAC 781.403(b)(8)). Supervision beyond 10 hours in a single month or 30-day period simply does not count toward your 100-hour total, so a heavy month of catch-up supervision cannot make up for months you skipped.
Can LCSW supervision be done online in Texas?▾
Yes. Chapter 781 allows supervision in person or via HIPAA-compliant audio or web (22 TAC 781.403(b)(4)-(5)). This is explicit for the LMSW to LCSW track, unlike Texas's LPC supervision rule, which does not state a delivery mode at all.
Does group supervision count toward the 100 hours?▾
Yes. Group supervision, defined as two to six supervisees with one LCSW-S (22 TAC 781.102(27); 781.403(b)(5)), counts toward your 100-hour total. Chapter 781 does not state any different weighting, and it does not state a cap on how much of the 100 hours can come from group sessions.
How much individual supervision is required for LCSW in Texas?▾
None is stated. 22 TAC Chapter 781 does not state an individual-supervision minimum for the LMSW to LCSW track. A claim that half of your supervision hours must be individual circulates online, but it is not written anywhere in the March 2026 rulebook, so do not plan your supervision schedule around it.
Who can supervise an LMSW toward LCSW in Texas?▾
Only an LCSW with supervisor status, an LCSW-S (22 TAC 781.402(a)(3); 781.402(b)(1)). To hold that designation, a social worker must be an active LCSW in good standing, have practiced in that category for two years, and have completed a 40-hour supervisor training (781.404(a)). Verify status on BHEC's Verify-a-License lookup before you sign a supervision plan.
Can you have more than one supervisor on the LCSW track?▾
Yes, and Chapter 781 states no cap on concurrent LCSW-S supervisors. That is a difference from Texas's LPC track (two) and LMFT track (two unless pre-approved). Each LCSW-S you work with still completes a Clinical Supervision Plan with you and a separate verification form.
What happens if you get more than 10 hours of supervision in a month?▾
The hours past 10 in that month or 30-day period are not counted toward your 100-hour total (22 TAC 781.403(b)(8)). The rule states no carry-forward. It counts no more than 10 hours in any one month or 30-day period, so front-loading supervision early does not shorten how long the 100 hours take to accumulate.
On the marriage and family therapy track instead? Its verification form is the Supervised Experience Verification form.
Requirements verified against 22 TAC Chapter 781 and the Consolidated SW Rulebook (March 2026), BHEC's Supervision FAQ page, and the current Clinical Supervision Plan and Clinical Supervision Verification Form templates published by BHEC. Statutes and regulations can change. Always confirm current requirements at bhec.texas.gov before making decisions about your supervision arrangement. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.