Can a Supervised Social Worker Enroll With FHC in Puerto Rico?

For individual social-worker contracting, FHC’s current provider FAQ requires a permanent Puerto Rico social-work license and a graduate degree. A supervision arrangement alone does not replace those application requirements. The FAQ does not establish whether a trainee may deliver therapy through an approved facility or whether a supervisor may bill for another clinician’s work.

What does FHC require from social-worker applicants?

FHC lists a current permanent license issued by the Puerto Rico social-work examining board, a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited university, and current membership in Puerto Rico’s professional social-work organization. Applicants must complete the application and applicable agreements, carry professional liability insurance, provide the required criminal-record certificate and have an NPI.

Does an office assessment matter?

Yes. The FAQ also requires an office for seeing patients and a facility-assessment compliance score of at least 80%. Meeting the published prerequisites is not the same as receiving a contract. The NPI requirement identifies an application document; it does not instruct a practice to substitute a supervisor’s NPI on a therapy claim.

Are psychologists and counselors treated the same way?

FHC lists separate requirements. Psychologist applicants need current Puerto Rico psychologist licensure and the qualifying graduate education described in the FAQ. Counselor applicants need current Puerto Rico counselor licensure and graduate education in one of the listed clinical fields. Both categories also have application, insurance, office-assessment and NPI requirements. A graduate degree by itself is not the complete enrollment standard.

What remains unresolved for students or provisional clinicians?

The social-work requirement is specifically permanent licensure. Do not describe it as an affirmative route for a temporary-license holder merely because that clinician has a supervisor. Conversely, the individual-contracting FAQ does not establish a universal ban on every student or supervised service in every facility. It does not supply a trainee psychotherapy code list, modifier, supervisor qualification rule or billing-versus-rendering NPI instruction.

Which FHC products and sources does this cover?

FHC’s provider FAQ lists commercial, Medicare Advantage and employee-assistance programs it administers. This article describes its published individual-application requirements; it does not certify that each listed benefit plan pays for the same services. The FAQ is linked from FHC’s current provider page but does not display a policy effective date. Use the accepted contract and applicable member benefit to establish service coverage separately.

Primary sources

FHC current provider resources

FHC provider FAQ: contracting requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Does FHC accept a social worker based only on supervision?

The published individual-contracting checklist requires permanent Puerto Rico social-work licensure and additional qualifications. It does not offer supervision as a substitute for that license.

Can a supervisor use their NPI for a trainee’s FHC therapy?

The reviewed FAQ does not establish that claim arrangement. Requiring an applicant to have an NPI is not permission to use a supervisor’s rendering identity.

Does this mean every student service is prohibited?

No. Individual-contracting requirements do not resolve every facility, trainee or member-benefit arrangement. Those settings remain outside this answer.