BBS Supervision Hours
How much supervision do you need for your BBS hours in California?
For every week you claim hours, you need at least one unit of supervision in each work setting. A unit is one hour of individual or triadic supervision, or two hours of group supervision. If you see clients face to face for more than 10 hours in a setting that week, you need two units there. The Board counts no more than six hours of supervision in any single week. Across your 104 weeks, at least 52 must include individual or triadic supervision. The same rules apply to AMFTs, APCCs and ASWs.
Evalin Sosa, AMFT
Published · 6 min read
What counts as one unit of supervision?
A supervision unit is one hour of individual or triadic supervision, or two hours of group supervision. You need at least one unit per setting in each week where experience is counted.
Type | Who is in the session | Time for one unit |
|---|---|---|
Individual | One supervisor, one person | 1 hour |
Triadic | One supervisor, two people | 1 hour |
Group | One supervisor, up to eight people | 2 hours |
As of January 1, 2025 (SB 1024), the group of eight counts anyone being supervised for clinical mental health services, not only BBS associates. Say you sit with four other associates and three other people in supervision. That's a full group of eight.
You can split group supervision into two one-hour sessions in the same week. Individual and triadic sessions cannot be shorter than one hour, so a 30-minute individual check-in does not count.
Telephone supervision does not count either. The law requires a face-to-face component, or real-time, two-way video.
How many units do you need each week?
You need one unit of supervision in each work setting for every week you claim hours there. Above 10 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy, you need two units per setting.
The Board counts no more than six hours of supervision in a week. That includes any week mixing individual, triadic, and group supervision.
Here are two example weeks:
Week A: one setting. You see clients for 12 hours at one agency. That's above 10, so you need two units.
Week B: two settings. You see clients for 12 hours at Agency A and 6 hours at Agency B. Check each setting on its own:
- Agency A: 12 hours is above 10, so you need two units.
- Agency B: 6 hours is 10 or under, so you need one unit.
- Total: three supervised units for the week.
Next, turn those units into hours. One unit is one hour of individual or triadic supervision, or two hours of group supervision. Three units could be any combination: three hours of individual supervision, or six hours of group. Here is a quick check you can run on any week:
- Add up your direct hours in each setting.
- Give each setting one unit. Give it two if the total for that setting is above 10.
- Convert your supervision into units. Remember the Board counts no more than six per week.
If you’re an MFT trainee, you need one unit for every five hours of direct counseling per week. You can average it across weeks. See how the trainee supervision ratio works.
How many of your 104 weeks need individual supervision?
At least 52 of your weeks must include individual or triadic supervision, or a mix of the two. The other weeks can be group.
Weeks add up across supervisors and settings. A change of supervisor does not reset your count. Say you log 20 qualifying weeks with one supervisor and then switch to another supervisor. Your 20 weeks carry over, and you only need 32 more.
ASWs have one extra rule. Of those 52 weeks, 13 must be under a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Wondering if someone qualifies? Read who can supervise an associate in California.
Does supervision have to be in person?
No. Supervision can be face-to-face or by two-way, real-time video, or a mix, in any setting. Since August 29, 2022 (AB 1758), video supervision has counted in every setting, not only exempt ones. SB 775 made that permanent in 2025. Within 60 days of starting supervision, your supervisor must assess whether video is appropriate for you and document it. Telephone does not count.
Do supervision hours count toward your 3,000?
Yes. Supervision is direct supervisor contact, which sits inside your non-clinical hours.
That means it counts against the non-clinical cap of 1,250 hours for AMFTs and APCCs. It is 1,000 hours for ASWs.
Non-clinical hours are separate from direct clinical counseling for AMFTs and APCCs. For ASWs, the clinical side is clinical psychosocial diagnosis, assessment and treatment.
For the full category tables, see:
How do the rules differ by track?
Rule | AMFT | APCC | ASW |
|---|---|---|---|
Weekly unit rule | One unit per setting | One unit per setting | One unit per setting |
Second unit above 10 direct hours | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Weekly cap on credited supervision | 6 hours | 6 hours | 6 hours |
Required individual or triadic weeks | 52 of 104 | 52 of 104 | 52 of 104 |
Hours under an LCSW | Does not apply | Does not apply | |
Weeks under an LCSW | Does not apply | Does not apply | 13 of the 52 |
Hours allowed under an LEP | Up to 1,200; educationally related services within LEP scope only | ||
Trainee ration | One unit per five direct hours | No pre-degree hours count, so no trainee rule | No pre-degree hours count, so no trainee rule |
What happens to a week with no supervision?
The law counts experience only for weeks with at least one hour of direct supervisor contact. So any hours from that week in that setting do not count if the one-hour minimum isn’t met. Log the week anyway so your record is complete, just don’t claim it.
How do you record supervision on the weekly log?
AMFTs and APCCs use columns B1 and B2; ASW uses the two unlettered supervision columns. Keep one log per supervisor per setting. Your supervisor will sign the log. Never sign for them.
Use the right log for your track:
- Form 37A-525 (AMFT)
- Form 37A-638 (APCC)
- Form 37A-638 (ASW)
Supervision questions that associates ask
Do I need supervision in a week I claim no hours?
No. The unit rule applies only to weeks where you claim hours. If you claim nothing that week, you owe no unit.
Can I carry extra supervision into next week?
No. Each week stands on its own: one unit per setting, and for no more than six hours per week.
Does a one-hour group session count?
It counts only when paired with a second one-hour group session in the same week; on its own, it isn’t a unit.
Is triadic the same as individual for the 52-week rule?
Yes. Your 52 weeks can be individual, triadic, or a mix of the two.
Does supervision count if nine people are in the group?
Not as a group unit. A group is capped at eight, including anyone being supervised for clinical mental health services.
Do I need two units if I see clients exactly 10 hours in a week?
No. One unit covers you when you’re at exactly 10 hours. You need the second unit only when you have more than 10 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy in a setting.
What if my supervisor is away for a month?
Weeks with no supervision do not count in that setting, so a long absence can cost you hours. A qualifying substitute can cover, and if it’s 30 days or less, your regular supervisor signs those weeks. Read our guide on changing supervisors for what to do next.
Check every week against these rules
Every week you log has to pass three tests. You must have one unit of supervision per setting, a second unit above 10 direct hours, and no more than six counted hours total.
SparkHours checks each logged week against the unit rule, the 10-hour trigger, and the 6-hour cap as you enter it. Try it out in our BBS hours tracker.