by Corporate Relations and Business Strategy Staff
Serving in the role of supervisor can be complicated, with a host of related issues that are important to address. This article identifies legal, ethical and administrative considerations to help you approach supervision of psychologists-in-training in an organized manner. The final section contains a list of helpful resources.
supervisor qualifications and competencies
minimum amount of supervisor-supervisee contact--for example, number of hours per week, total number of hours
number of supervisees allowed
format of supervision — for example, individual vs. group, face-to-face vs. phone or e-mail, etc.
clinical record keeping required of the supervisee, including what information should be included in the client record, and how long records should be maintained. Further, it is important that all parties understand who ultimately controls the record — for example, a facility, agency or the supervising psychologist.
documentation of supervisory activities, such as discussion of client progress and changes in treatment plan
employment status — for example, is the supervisor required to be employed by the agency/practice, can trainees pay for outside supervision?
supervisor availability to clients, such as through a face-to-face meeting early in the process of working with the client
amount of direct service provision vs. research
A written contract between supervisor and supervisee is important for establishing the duties and responsibilities of the respective parties. Keep clearly in mind that the ultimate responsibility for patient care rests with the supervisor.
Boundaries of Competence (2.01)
Delegation of Work to Others (2.05)
Exploitative Relationships (3.08)
Recording (4.03)
Accuracy in Reports to Payers and Funding Sources (6.06)
Design of Education and Training Programs (7.01)
Student Disclosure of Personal Information (7.04)
Assessing Student and Supervisee Performance (7.06)
Sexual Relationships With Students and Supervisees (7.07)
Publication Credit (8.12)
Assessment by Unqualified Persons (9.07)
Informed Consent to Therapy (10.01 (c))
Creating and communicating a job description
Providing an orientation to your practice, as well as workplace policies and procedures
Scheduling
Providing didactic trainings and readings on relevant topics
Establishing and monitoring training goals
Documenting work and completing paperwork
Conducting performance evaluations, giving feedback and addressing performance issues
If you are going to provide supervision to psychologists-in-training, it is important to take steps to ensure your competence in this area. Attend continuing education workshops, read relevant books and articles, and gain experience while obtaining appropriate consultation from another psychologist skilled in supervision.
Several resources and suggested readings for developing your knowledge base are listed below:
Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) — free access to the ASPPB Handbook of Licensure and Certification
APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) — APPIC Training Resources
Alonzo, A. (1985). The Quiet Profession: Supervisors of Psychotherapy. New York: Macmillan. Available from Amazon.com.
Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (2003). Fundamentals of Clinical Supervision (3rd Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Falendar, C. & Shafranske, E (2004). Clinical Supervision: A Competency-Based Approach. Washington, D.C.: APA.
Frawley-O’Dea, M. G., & Sarnat, J. E. (2001). The Supervisory Relationship: A Contemporary Psychodynamic Approach. New York: The Guilford Press.
Watkins, C. E. (Ed.). (1997). Handbook of Psychotherapy Supervision. New York: Wiley.