(a) A licensed intern in speech-language pathology (intern) must be supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist who has been approved by the department to serve as the intern's supervisor (supervisor).
(b) A supervisor must agree to assume responsibility for all services provided by the intern. The supervisor must comply with the requirements set out in the Act and §111.154.
(c) Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form. A Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form shall be submitted in a manner prescribed by the department and completed by both the applicant and the proposed supervisor. The proposed supervisor must meet the requirements set out in the Act and §111.154.
  (1) Approval from the department shall be required prior to practice by the intern. The Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form shall be submitted upon:
    (A) application for an intern license;
    (B) any changes in supervision; and
    (C) the addition of other supervisors.
  (2) If more than one speech-language pathologist agrees to supervise the intern, each proposed supervisor must submit a Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form.
  (3) The intern may not practice without an approved Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form. The supervisor may not allow an intern to practice before a Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form is approved.
  (4) If the supervisor ceases supervision of the intern, the supervisor shall notify the department, in a manner prescribed by the department, and shall inform the intern to stop practicing immediately. The supervisor is responsible for the practice of the intern until notification has been received by the department.
  (5) If the intern's supervisor ceases supervision, the intern shall stop practicing immediately. The intern may not practice until a new Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form has been submitted to and approved by the department.
(d) Internship Requirements. The internship shall:
  (1) be completed within a maximum period of forty-eight (48) months once initiated;
  (2) be successfully completed after no more than two attempts;
  (3) consist of thirty-six (36) weeks of full-time supervised professional experience (thirty-five (35) hours per week) totaling a minimum of 1,260 hours, or its part-time equivalent, of supervised professional experience in which clinical work has been accomplished in speech-language pathology. Professional experience of less than five hours per week cannot be used to meet the minimum 1,260 hours, but the professional experience still must be supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist.
  (4) involve primarily clinical activities such as assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, screening, treatment, report writing, family/client consultation, and/or counseling related to the management process of individuals who exhibit communication disabilities;
  (5) be divided into three (3) segments with no fewer than thirty-six (36) clock hours of supervisory activities to include:
    (A) six (6) hours of direct supervision per segment by the supervisor(s) of the intern's client contact in which the intern provides screening, evaluation, assessment, habilitation, and rehabilitation; and
    (B) six (6) hours of indirect supervision per segment with the supervisor(s) which may include correspondence, review of videos, evaluation of written reports, phone conferences with the intern, evaluations by professional colleagues; or
    (C) an alternative plan as approved by the department.
(e) Extension Request. An applicant who does not meet the time frames defined in subsection (d)(1), shall request an extension, in writing, explaining the reason for the request. The request must be signed by both the intern and the supervisor in a manner prescribed by the department. Evaluation of the intern's progress of performance from all supervisors must accompany the request. Intern plans and supervisory evaluations for any completed segments must be submitted in a manner prescribed by the department. The department shall determine if the internship:
  (1) should be revised or extended; and
  (2) whether additional course work, continuing professional education hours, or passing the examination referenced in §111.21 is required.
(f) Evaluations. During each segment of the internship, each supervisor shall conduct a formal evaluation of the intern's progress in the development of professional skills. Documentation of this evaluation shall be maintained by both parties for three years or until the speech-language pathology license is granted. A copy of this documentation shall be submitted to the department upon request.
(g) Changes in Internship. Prior to implementing changes in the internship, approval from the department is required.
  (1) If the intern changes the intern's supervisor or adds additional supervisors, a current Speech-Language Pathology Intern Plan and Agreement of Supervision Form shall be submitted by the new proposed supervisor and approved by the department before the intern may resume practice as prescribed under subsection (c).
  (2) If the intern changes the intern's supervisor, the Speech-Language Pathology Report of Completed Internship Form shall be completed by the former supervisor and the intern and submitted to the department upon completion of that portion of the internship. It is the decision of the former supervisor to determine whether the internship is acceptable. The department shall review the form and inform the intern of the results.
  (3) Each supervisor who ceases supervising an intern shall submit a Speech-Language Pathology Report of Completed Internship Form for the portion of the internship completed under the supervisor's supervision. This must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the date the supervision ended.
  (4) If no hours were earned under an approved supervisor, the licensed intern or the approved supervisor must submit a signed, written statement that no hours were earned and provide the reason.
  (5) If the intern changes the intern's employer but the supervisor and the number of hours employed per week remain the same, the supervisor shall notify the department in a manner prescribed by the department of the new location. This must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the date the change occurred.
(h) Notwithstanding the supervision provisions in this section, the department may establish procedures, processes, and mechanisms for the monitoring and reporting of the supervision requirements.

Source Note: The provisions of this §111.41 adopted to be effective May 1, 2018, 43 TexReg 2544; amended to be effective August 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 5172; amended to be effective December 30, 2021, 46 TexReg 9021