Standard 4.1: Providing Clinical Supervision

Providing clinical supervision is not an entry-to-practice competency. It requires additional training and experience. CRPO’s definition of a clinical supervisor sets out the minimum qualifications for providing clinical supervision. These apply whether the clinical supervision is for CRPO registration purposes or not. Clinical supervisors also need to be competent to supervise the area of practice that the supervisee is providing to clients.

Taking on the role of a clinical supervisor can be a rewarding experience. It can complement one’s practice, facilitate the professional growth of others, and promote safe, effective client care. It is also a significant responsibility. Clinical supervisors are responsible for the supervision they provide. The scope of clinical supervision required will vary depending on various factors, including:

• The experience and competence of the supervisee. Newer practitioners will require more frequent engagement, for example more frequent or longer meetings.
• Whether the supervisee is a student or a registrant. Students beginning practice require broad oversight over all aspects of their work. This responsibility is shared by the clinical supervisor and the student’s education program. Registrants who have graduated from their psychotherapy education program may receive more focused clinical supervision on particular areas of challenge or growth.
• The practice arrangement. Where there is a shared business or practice arrangement, the clinical supervisor may also need to provide some degree of administrative supervision.

Clinical supervision is characterized by a formal relationship between clinical supervisor and supervisee. It is expected that registrants providing and receiving clinical supervision have a written agreement in place. Details of supervision agreements will depend on particular circumstances, including the therapeutic approach or model of supervision used.

The agreement is to be signed and maintained in the records of all parties. The agreement shall include the following:

1. Optional: Relevant background information on clinical supervisor and supervisee (training, designations, professional approach, etc.).
2. Goals or purpose of clinical supervision.
3. Responsibilities of clinical supervisor and supervisee(s).
4. Clarification regarding who has ultimate responsibility for clients (e.g., is the supervisee treating their own clients, the supervisor’s clients, clients of an agency or clinic?)
5. Supervision format (individual, dyadic, or group); modalities of treatment to be supervised (psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural, systemic, etc.); method of reviewing supervisee’s clinical work (self-report, videotape, live observation, thematic, etc.).
6. Meeting arrangements (physical location or online platform, frequency, duration, cancellations, emergencies, fees if any).
7. Expectations regarding the sharing of client information and informing clients about clinical supervision.
8. Provisions regarding the confidentiality of information shared between clinical supervisor and supervisee.
9. Fees for supervision services, if any.
10. Processes for:

• • providing evaluation and feedback
  • emergency or off-schedule contact between supervisor and supervisee
  • resolving conflicts
  • renewing or terminating the agreement.

Clinical supervisors keep a detailed record of clinical supervision provided. In particular, records include the names of supervisees, dates of attendance, number of hours provided, fees paid If any, issues discussed, and any directions given. Group clinical supervision records may be maintained in a group file while keeping individual files for any supervisees seen individually.

Clinical supervisors act professionally toward supervisees. Similar to the therapist-client relationship, there is a power imbalance between clinical supervisor and supervisee. Many of CRPO’s practice standards apply by analogy to providing clinical supervision. For example:

• Clinical supervisors avoid conflicting roles with supervisees, such as dual personal-professional relationships or supervising and providing therapy to the same person.
• Sexual misconduct, undue influence, and abuse toward supervisees are unacceptable.
• Clinical supervisors maintain confidentiality, subject to agreed-upon limits, of information provided by supervisees.
• Clinical supervisors make mandatory reports if supervisees engage in unsafe practice. “Unsafe practice” does not refer to any mistake or error. It is an acceptable part of a supervisee’s learning process to share and learn from mistakes. Rather, “unsafe practice” refers to professional misconduct or incompetence where clients are placed at risk.

Additionally, clinical supervisors need to have a heightened awareness of their own abilities and use of self in order to ensure both they and their supervisees are practicing within their areas of competence. Clinical supervisors have an ethical responsibility to seek consultation or supervision-of-supervision when needed regarding transference or content that is not their specialty.

RPs supervise a variety of individuals, for example office and communications staff. It is the RP’s responsibility to oversee anything done on their behalf. Some RPs may clinically supervise an unregulated practitioner, such as an addiction counselor or child and youth worker. In such cases registrants must ensure the unregulated practitioner is not misrepresented as a psychotherapist and does not engage in the controlled act of psychotherapy.