Hours: Documenting Licensure Hours
There’s a saying that you’ve probably heard: “If you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen.” Perhaps you’ve heard it in your graduate counseling program. More likely than not, this concept was probably drilled into you in your client documentation and treatment planning course. Why is it relevant? Because documentation is the proof that you actually did the thing you said you did. While this is important in clinical practice, it is also VERY necessary when working toward the completion of your hours as a student or registered intern.
I had an experience last year that left me in a bind but fortunately, it could have been much, much worse. After my first qualified supervisor moved out of state, I found another one, whom I absolutely adored. I met with her every other week and paid her every visit. Sometimes, she would give me a receipt but, I didn’t worry that much about it because I didn’t really think I needed the receipts. Four months into our supervision, she passed away unexpectedly. Although I had not been with her long, I was at risk for loosing my supervision hours because not only did I not have a lot of my receipts, I had no documented evidence that she was even my supervisor. I had no supervisor agreement and no signed log showing my completed hours.
After her passing, I contacted the state and informed them of my situation. What saved me, is that my supervisor was a professor at a local university and we used a university classroom or her office to have our meetings. During my time, I met the dean and the front office staff. This proved to be highly necessary as the state requested letters from the university verifying my relationship with the professor as my supervisor. I got lucky, because the dean was very accommodating. I wonder what would have happened had he not been willing to do that for me. I sent the state my hours log that I kept on excel and copies of the few receipts I had. I was thrilled when they emailed me to inform me that they would accept my the dean’s letter and the little documentation I had as evidence of my supervision hours.
So, the moral of the story? Document, document, document. And of course, DO NOT forget to have your supervisor periodically sign off on your hours. Have a written and signed supervisor agreement in place. If you ever end up where I did, you will not regret taking the extra time and effort.
Heather is a registered mental health counselor intern from Brevard County, Florida. Heather graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University in May of 2011. Since that time, she has part owned and operated a non-profit organization, Alliant Counseling Services, Inc., that is dedicated to meeting the needs of the community. She has over fifteen years experience in business operations and human resources including personnel management and employee relations. Her primary counseling focus areas are women's issues, child welfare, trauma, and diagnostic evaluations. She has a husband and two children, ages 15 and 2.