Rule 4757-1-10 | Trainee Registration.
(A) Counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy students, master's students or counseling and marriage and family therapy doctoral students who are enrolled in a practicum, internship or field work course, prior to receiving their degree are eligible to register as a "trainee" as authorized in section 4757.10 of the Revised Code. Students are not required by the board to have trainee status to complete their degree requirements or when supervised to provide services as part of coursework but may be required to obtain registration as a trainee by the supervising agency as a condition of acceptance of the student for placement. A student may also voluntarily choose to apply for registration as a trainee. Registered trainees are expected to be more closely supervised than licensed professionals. Applicants for trainee status shall:
(1) Meet the board's requirements for criminal convictions as established under section 9.79 of the Revised Code.
(2) Provide criminal records checks per paragraph (E) of rule 4757-1-04 of the Administrative Code.
(3) Apply in a form specified by the board and comply with rule 4757-1-04 of the Administrative Code.
(4) Provide proof of enrollment in a master's or doctoral-level level practicum, internship, or field experience course. A copy of the college or university's online enrollment document shall be acceptable; or a letter, or email from the program director or other faculty member, counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy degree program administrator or registrar stating the applicant is enrolled. The proof of enrollment must clearly identify the name of the trainee applicant, the college or university, the degree program, the dates of course enrollment, and any other information required by the board to determine an applicant's qualifications to register as a trainee.
(5) Provide proof of enrollment as specified in paragraph (A)(4) of this rule for their existing registration to be extended through the dates of the initial trainee registration upon its expiration, if the trainee is seeking to renew the trainee registration.
(6) Have a scope of practice related to the degree program in which the trainee is enrolled. For a counselor trainee the scope of practice is that of a licensed professional counselor as defined in rule 4757-15-01 of the Administrative Code; for a social worker trainee the scope of practice is that of a licensed social worker as defined in rule 4757-21-02 of the Administrative Code for social work; and for a marriage and family therapist trainee the scope of practice is that of a marriage and family therapist as defined in rule 4757-27-01 of the Administrative Code but requires much closer supervision during the training process.
(7) Trainees shall be supervised in accordance with the supervision rules established by the board for training supervision of licensed professional counselors, licensed social workers, and marriage and family therapists.
(B) Trainee status is not a substitute for licensure and is only valid at the school approved placement site(s), and through the dates listed on the board's online license verification system.
(C) Trainee status shall be active only within the dates displayed on the online license verification system. The registration will be valid through the period of enrollment identified on the proof of enrollment submitted with the original application but will be valid for no more than twelve months. Registrations may, based on valid proof of enrollment, be extended for periods of less than twelve months. Upon the request of the trainee, the registration status may be extended for up to six months following the trainee's graduation date as evidenced by an official transcript. Trainees must carefully monitor the expiration date of their registration with the board and begin the process of terminating with and transferring any clients prior to the expiration date of the trainee registration.
(D) The trainee registration will expire if trainee is not enrolled or is removed from their program of study or otherwise no longer considered a student by the program in which they were enrolled at the time the trainee registration was issued, unless the student has graduated and requests an extension as described in paragraph (C) of this rule.
(E) Ensuring the trainee is properly registered and listed on the licensure web site https://elicense.ohio.gov is the responsibility of the trainee but shall be monitored by the workplace supervisor or agency at time of placement and subsequent extensions of trainee status.
Last updated April 13, 2026 at 8:37 AM
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