Supervision and Management
Supervisory responsibilities
The supervisor ensures ethical, competent service delivery by supervisees. Responsibilities include establishing a supervisory relationship, assessing the supervisee's skills, setting goals, providing behavioral skills training (instruction, modeling, rehearsal, feedback), monitoring client outcomes, and documenting supervision. Supervision must be competency-based, not merely hours logged.
Structuring supervision
Use direct observation, review of permanent products, and data review. Provide specific, timely, contingent feedback. Set clear expectations and evaluate progress objectively. Know the distinction between supervision and consultation, and when to refer a supervisee elsewhere for competence outside the supervisor's scope.
Ethics in supervision
Avoid multiple relationships with supervisees; manage power differentials; protect confidentiality; ensure the supervisee practices within their scope and obtains additional supervision where needed. Supervisors are responsible for the services delivered under their authority.
Common traps
Approving hours without direct observation; giving vague praise instead of corrective feedback; failing to document; allowing a supervisee to practice outside competence.
Rule of thumb
If it is not observed, measured, and documented, it did not happen. Supervision should leave a data trail.
Worked example
A supervisee struggles with functional analysis. The supervisor models a condition, has the supervisee rehearse, observes live, and provides immediate feedback, then documents the sequence and outcome-behavioral skills training rather than a lecture.