The Supervision Rule in One Sentence
The Virginia Board of Social Work, part of the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP), states the core supervision requirement in one subsection. A supervisor provides "a minimum of one hour and a maximum of four hours of face-to-face supervision shall be provided per 40 hours of work experience for a total of at least 100 hours" (18VAC140-20-50 A 2). That same subsection sets the group limit and a hardship alternative, both covered below, and a separate subsection sets who is eligible to be that supervisor.
The 100 hours run across the same registration period covered in Virginia LCSW requirements: no less than two nor more than four consecutive years, with an extension available for extenuating circumstances.
When Supervision Hours Start Counting
Supervision hours run on the same clock as every other hour in the registration: "Supervised post-master's degree experience without prior written board approval will not be accepted toward licensure" (18VAC140-20-50 A). The Board's Social Work General FAQ puts it plainly: "you must receive written Board approval prior to counting hours towards licensure." A supervisory contract signed before that approval does not start the 100-hour clock; the Board's approval does.
The setting does not change the rule. "Supervision can be in a paid or volunteer setting" (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 2.1); what stays fixed either way is the rate and the total covered next. The Registration of Supervision file that starts the clock carries a copy of the signed supervisory contract alongside the registration form, an official transcript, and a $50 fee (18VAC140-20-50 A 1).
The Rate: One to Four Hours per 40 Hours of Work Experience
The rate is stated per 40 hours of work experience, not per week and not per hour of direct client contact: "a minimum of one hour and a maximum of four hours of face-to-face supervision shall be provided per 40 hours of work experience for a total of at least 100 hours" (18VAC140-20-50 A 2).
| Requirement | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | 1 to 4 hours per 40 hours of work experience | 18VAC140-20-50 A 2 |
| Total | At least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision | 18VAC140-20-50 A 2 |
| Group maximum | No more than 50 of the 100 hours | 18VAC140-20-50 A 2 |
| Group size | No more than six, unless approved in advance | 18VAC140-20-50 A 2 |
Consider a supervisee who logs 160 hours of work experience across a typical four-week stretch. That is four 40-hour blocks, and running the rate across each block works out to four to sixteen hours of face-to-face supervision for that stretch of work. That is arithmetic that follows from the rate; Virginia does not publish a monthly or weekly supervision total of its own.
Group Supervision and the Six-Person Cap
The same subsection that sets the 100-hour total also limits group format on two axes at once: "No more than 50 of the 100 hours may be obtained in group supervision, nor shall there be more than six persons being supervised in a group unless approved in advance by the board" (18VAC140-20-50 A 2).
The first limit caps how many of the 100 total hours may be group supervision, at 50. By subtraction, at least 50 of the 100 hours must therefore be individual supervision, arithmetic that follows from the 50-hour ceiling rather than a separate individual-hours floor the rule states. The second limit caps the size of any one group at six supervisees, with a path to run a larger group only if the board approves it in advance.
The weekly log described below carries its own Individual or Group Supervision column for each entry, which gives the supervisee and supervisor a place to see group hours against the 50-hour ceiling as the 100 hours accumulate.
What Counts as Face-to-Face, and Hardship Alternatives
Face-to-face is defined once, for both supervision and the delivery of clinical social work services: "the physical presence of the individuals involved in the supervisory relationship during either individual or group supervision or in the delivery of clinical social work services by a supervisee and may include the use of technology that provides real-time, interactive contact among the individuals involved" (18VAC140-20-10). Real-time interactive technology falls inside that definition; it is not a separate telehealth exception.
The same definition governs two different activities under one rule: face-to-face between supervisor and supervisee during a supervision session, and face-to-face between the supervisee and a client during the delivery of clinical social work services. Both share the same allowance for technology that provides real-time, interactive contact (18VAC140-20-10).
For supervision that cannot happen face-to-face at all, the same subsection that sets the rate adds an alternative: "The board may consider alternatives to face-to-face supervision if the applicant can demonstrate an undue burden due to hardship, disability, or geography" (18VAC140-20-50 A 2).
Supervisor Eligibility and Training
A supervisor holds an active, unrestricted LCSW license "in the jurisdiction in which the clinical services are being rendered," with at least two years of post-licensure clinical social work experience (18VAC140-20-50 B 1).
Training runs in two stages. Before supervising, the LCSW completes a three credit-hour graduate course in supervision or at least 14 hours of continuing education. After that, the supervisor keeps at least seven hours of supervision continuing education within the five years immediately preceding the registration of supervision (18VAC140-20-50 B 2), a cycle that runs alongside the CE covered in Virginia license renewal and CE requirements.
Guidance Document 140-9 lists the domains that training content covers: Context of Supervision, Conduct of Supervision, Legal and Regulatory Issues, Ethical Issues, Technology, Evaluation and Outcomes, and Termination (Guidance 140-9).
Prohibited Relationships
The rule states two prohibitions and no others: "The supervisor shall not provide supervision for a family member or provide supervision for anyone with whom the supervisor has a dual relationship" (18VAC140-20-50 B 3).
The rule does not mention employment. It names a family member and anyone with whom the supervisor has a dual relationship, and it does not define "dual relationship"; ask the Board of Social Work if a working relationship raises the question.
What the Supervisor Is Required to Do
Subsection C of the rule lists the supervisor's duties. Among them, the supervisor reviews and approves the diagnostic assessment and treatment plan for a representative sample of the supervisee's clients, and evaluates and documents the supervisee's minimal competencies across seven areas (18VAC140-20-50 C).
The supervisor stays available "on a regularly scheduled basis," and keeps documentation of which clients were the subject of supervision for five years after the supervision ends (18VAC140-20-50 C). The supervisor also notifies the Board of changes.
The Weekly Supervision Log
The supervisee and supervisor keep supervision logs throughout the registration. The logs are not sent with the LCSW application; they are produced only if the Board asks for them (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 3).
The Board's LCSW Supervision Log Template carries columns for Week #, Date, Individual or Group Supervision, Number of Supervised Hours, Number of Face-to-Face Client Contact Hours, Topic of Discussion, Type of Clinical Social Work Services Provided, Evaluation/Remarks, and a signature line for both supervisee and supervisor. The template's own instruction: "Please record an entry at the end of your weekly supervision session," and it adds that the supervisee and supervisor "may alter this document" as they see fit (LCSW Supervision Log Template).
The forms behind the whole application, including the log template and the verification form covered below, are collected in Virginia supervised experience forms.
Changing Supervisors, Termination, and Staying Under Supervision
Adding or changing a supervisor splits on one question: is the new supervisor already on the Approved Supervisor Registry? If so, the supervisee owes the Board no notice; a new supervisory contract goes in the supervisee's own records. If the new supervisor is not on the registry, the supervisee files an Add/Change application, pays a $25 fee, and waits for Board approval before any hours with that supervisor count (Code of Virginia § 54.1-3705(9); 18VAC140-20-50 A 1; LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 2.2).
Either route runs on the same underlying document: a Sample Supervisory Contract, signed and dated by both supervisee and supervisor, including the worksite address or addresses (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 2).
When supervision ends, the supervisor submits a Request for Termination of Supervision form to the Board (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 2.4; 18VAC140-20-50 C 8).
Finishing the 100 hours does not end the supervisory relationship. "A supervisee shall remain under board-approved supervision until licensed in Virginia as a licensed clinical social worker" (18VAC140-20-50 D 5). The Board's General FAQ states it in plainer terms: "You must continue to meet with your supervisor weekly in accordance with Regulation 18VAC140-20-50" (Social Work General FAQ).
The Notarized Verification of Clinical Supervision
Every year and every hour of supervision ultimately feeds one form. The Verification of Clinical Supervision (Rev. 09/2024) is notarized, and one is required per supervisor; notarization has been required "as of October 1, 2024" (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 4).
Part IV of the form covers whether the rate was met, individual and group supervision hours, face-to-face client contact hours, ancillary hours, total hours, seven competency items, and an overall competency question (Verification of Clinical Supervision, Rev. 09/2024). It is the supervisor who completes and signs this form; the weekly log described above is what a supervisee and supervisor can point to if the numbers on it are ever questioned.
Common Mistakes on Virginia LCSW Supervision
Treating the rate as weekly or tied to client contact
The rate is one to four hours of supervision per 40 hours of work experience, not per week and not per hour of direct client contact (18VAC140-20-50 A 2).
Letting group supervision pass 50 of the 100 hours
The 50-hour group ceiling applies to the full 100-hour total. It is a maximum, not a target to approach (18VAC140-20-50 A 2).
Running a group of more than six without prior approval
A group larger than six requires board approval in advance, not after the fact (18VAC140-20-50 A 2).
Overlooking the dual-relationship bar
The rule bars supervision of a family member or of anyone with whom the supervisor has a dual relationship (18VAC140-20-50 B 3).
Sending supervision logs with the LCSW application unprompted
Logs are kept throughout the registration but submitted only if the Board asks for them (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 3).
Treating registry and non-registry supervisor changes the same way
A registry supervisor needs no Board notice. A non-registry supervisor needs an Add/Change application, a $25 fee, and approval before hours count (18VAC140-20-50 A 1; Handbook s. 2.2).
Stopping supervision once the 100 hours are complete
A supervisee remains under board-approved supervision until licensed as an LCSW, whatever the hour count shows (18VAC140-20-50 D 5).
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More on Virginia licensure
The social work track sits alongside Virginia's counseling and marriage and family therapy tracks, each with its own rate and total. For the full picture across all three, see how to become a therapist in Virginia, or browse all Virginia guides.
Related Virginia Social Work Guides
Virginia LCSW Requirements
The full LCSW path: the 3,000-hour total, the 1,380-hour face-to-face minimum, and the two-to-four-year window.
Registration of Supervision in Virginia
The Registration of Supervision itself: the $50 fee, the approval email, and the four-year clock to complete it.
Virginia Supervised Experience Forms
The Board's forms for every Virginia track, including the Verification of Clinical Supervision and the LCSW Supervision Log Template.
Virginia License Renewal and CE Requirements
The June 30 renewal date and continuing-education cycle every Virginia license shares.
How to Become a Therapist in Virginia
The full picture across Virginia's counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy tracks.
All Virginia Guides
Every Virginia licensure guide in one place.
FAQ: Virginia LCSW Supervision Requirements
What are the Virginia LCSW supervision requirements?▾
A Supervisee in Social Work's supervisor provides a minimum of one hour and a maximum of four hours of face-to-face supervision per 40 hours of work experience, for a total of at least 100 hours. No more than 50 of those 100 hours may be group supervision, and a group may not exceed six supervisees unless the board approves a larger group in advance (18VAC140-20-50 A 2). The supervisor must be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who meets the eligibility rule covered below.
How many hours of LCSW supervision are required in Virginia?▾
At least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision (18VAC140-20-50 A 2). Those 100 hours sit inside the larger post-master's experience registration, and no more than 50 of the 100 may be group supervision. Virginia does not publish a separate monthly or weekly total beyond the rate itself: one to four hours of supervision per 40 hours of work experience, applied across the length of the registration.
What is the supervision rate for LCSW candidates in Virginia?▾
A minimum of one hour and a maximum of four hours of face-to-face supervision per 40 hours of work experience (18VAC140-20-50 A 2). The rate is stated per 40 hours of work experience, not per week and not per hour of direct client contact. Applied to a typical 160-hour month, four 40-hour blocks, the rate works out to four to sixteen hours of supervision for that stretch of work, arithmetic that follows from the rate rather than a monthly figure the rule states.
How do I keep an LCSW supervision log in Virginia?▾
The supervisee and supervisor keep supervision logs throughout the registration; the logs are not sent with the LCSW application but must be produced if the Board requests them (LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 3). The Board's LCSW Supervision Log Template records Week #, Date, Individual or Group Supervision, Number of Supervised Hours, Number of Face-to-Face Client Contact Hours, Topic of Discussion, Type of Clinical Social Work Services Provided, Evaluation/Remarks, and both signatures, with an entry recorded at the end of each weekly supervision session.
Who is eligible to supervise a Supervisee in Social Work in Virginia?▾
An active, unrestricted Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the jurisdiction where the clinical services are rendered, with at least two years of post-licensure clinical social work experience (18VAC140-20-50 B 1). The supervisor also needs a three credit-hour graduate course in supervision or at least 14 hours of continuing education, then at least seven hours of supervision continuing education within the five years immediately preceding the registration of supervision (18VAC140-20-50 B 2).
Can LCSW supervision hours in Virginia happen by video?▾
Face-to-face is defined as the physical presence of the individuals in the supervisory relationship during individual or group supervision, or in the delivery of clinical social work services, and may include technology that provides real-time, interactive contact among the people involved (18VAC140-20-10). That definition, not a separate telehealth rule, is what allows video supervision to count as face-to-face.
What happens if I change supervisors during my Virginia LCSW registration?▾
If the new supervisor is already on the Approved Supervisor Registry, no Board notice is required; the supervisee keeps a new supervisory contract in their own records. If the new supervisor is not on the registry, the supervisee files an Add/Change application with a $25 fee and waits for Board approval before counting hours with that supervisor (Code of Virginia § 54.1-3705(9); 18VAC140-20-50 A 1; LCSW Licensure Process Handbook, revised 09/2024, s. 2.2).
Requirements verified against 18VAC140-20 of the Virginia Administrative Code, current as of September 2026, and the LCSW Licensure Process Handbook (revised 09/2024). Statutes, rules and fees can change. Confirm current requirements at the Virginia Board of Social Work before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.