Supervision that meets a national standard

What the ACS credential is

The Approved Clinical Supervisor program is run by the Center for Credentialing & Education. In CCE’s words, the credential “identifies those mental health professionals who have met national professional supervision standards,” and it “promotes the clinical supervisor’s professional identity, visibility, and accountability and encourages professional growth.”

Supervision is a distinct professional skill from therapy itself. A clinician can be an excellent therapist without having been trained to develop other clinicians. The ACS exists to recognize supervisors who have done that work: formal training in supervision, documented experience providing it, and a written, accountable approach to it. A number of state licensing boards recognize the ACS as a supervision credential of choice.

What it takes to earn it

• A master’s degree or higher in a mental health field from an accredited institution.
• A professional license that authorizes independent practice in a behavioral or mental health field, or the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification, in good standing.
• At least five years of post-master’s experience in mental health services, including at least 4,000 hours of direct service with clients.
• Formal training in clinical supervision.
• At least 100 hours of clinical supervision provided to other clinicians, documented and endorsed.
• A professional disclosure statement describing the supervisor’s credentials, areas of competence, training, and model of supervision.
• Agreement to the ACS Code of Ethics, and ongoing continuing education in clinical supervision to maintain the credential.

What it means for residents

Residents in Counseling and Supervisees in Social Work at Seasons are supervised by clinicians held to that standard. Supervision follows a documented approach rather than improvisation, the supervisor’s obligations to the supervisee and to clients are spelled out in a code of ethics, and the hours a resident counts toward licensure are overseen by someone whose own supervision practice has been reviewed against national requirements.

Individual and group supervision are included in the residency, so the people doing that work are also the people responsible for the quality of care across the practice.

What it means for clients

When a client works with a resident at Seasons, that resident’s clinical work is reviewed regularly by a supervisor who meets a national standard for doing so. Supervision is one of the main ways a practice protects the quality and consistency of care, and the ACS is a way of making that commitment visible and verifiable.

Who holds the credential at Seasons

• Anne Luckinbill, LPC, NCC, ACSFounder; Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and North Carolina
• Morgan Minor, LPC, ACSLicensed Professional Counselor and clinical supervisor, Charlottesville

The credential is issued and verified by CCE. ACS holders carry a digital badge that links to the credential record. Verify on Credly ↗ · About the ACS program at CCE ↗