(a) Except for experience gained by attending workshops, seminars, training sessions, or conferences, as described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.46, direct supervisor contact shall occur as follows:

(1) Supervision shall include at least one hour of direct supervisor contact in each week for which experience is credited in each work setting.

(2) A trainee shall receive an average of at least one hour of direct supervisor contact for every five hours of direct clinical counseling performed each week in each setting. For experience gained after January 1, 2009, no more than six hours of supervision, whether individual, triadic, or group, shall be credited during any single week.

(3) An associate gaining experience who performs more than 10 hours of direct clinical counseling in a week in any setting shall receive at least one additional hour of direct supervisor contact for that setting. For experience gained after January 1, 2009, no more than six hours of supervision, whether individual supervision, triadic supervision, or group supervision, shall be credited during any single week.

(4) Of the 104 weeks of required supervision, 52 weeks shall be individual supervision, triadic supervision, or a combination of both.

(b) For purposes of this chapter, “one hour of direct supervisor contact” means any of the following:

(1) Individual supervision, which means one hour of face-to-face contact between one supervisor and one supervisee.

(2) Triadic supervision, which means one hour of face-to-face contact between one supervisor and two supervisees.

(3) Group supervision, which means two hours of face-to-face contact between one supervisor and no more than eight supervisees. Segments of group supervision may be split into no less than one continuous hour. The supervisor shall ensure that the amount and degree of supervision is appropriate for each supervisee.

(c) Direct supervisor contact shall occur within the same week as the hours claimed.

(d) Alternative supervision may be arranged during a supervisor’s vacation or sick leave if the alternative supervision meets the requirements in this chapter.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a supervisee working in an exempt setting described in Section 4999.22 may obtain the required weekly direct supervisor contact via two-way, real-time videoconferencing. The supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state laws relating to confidentiality of patient health information.

(f) Notwithstanding any other law, once the required number of experience hours are gained, associates and applicants for licensure shall receive a minimum of one hour of direct supervisor contact per week for each practice setting in which direct clinical counseling is performed. Once the required number of experience hours are gained, further supervision for nonclinical practice, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.46, shall be at the supervisor’s discretion.

(g) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2026.

(Repealed (in Sec. 5) and added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 204, Sec. 6. (AB 1758) Effective August 29, 2022. Operative January 1, 2026, by its own provisions.)