New York Occupational Therapy Supervision

Responsibilities When Delegating

There are several situations in which occupational therapists serve as supervisors including and clinical supervision in agencies and organizations, supervision of persons gaining experience for licensure purposes, supervision in training situations, and, the supervision of occupational therapy assistants. The supervisor is ultimately responsible for quality control and can be held accountable for the professional services being provided by the person being supervised. While there are differences in the various forms of supervision, occupational therapists who provide clinical supervision are engaged in the practice of occupational therapy.

When an occupational therapist is serving as a supervisor, here are a few things to consider:

• The supervisor's ultimate responsibility to the person receiving supervision
• The limits of confidentiality, including, but not limited to, the mandate for reporting child abuse
• The limits of what the supervisor can do if he or she has questions about the nature or quality of the practice being supervised
• The information that the supervisor can report to the supervisee's employer in an employment setting
• Supervisors should recognize that they could be held accountable for the services provided by the supervisee. The misconduct of a supervisee could be the basis for charges brought against the supervisor where supervision is not adequate.
• If a supervisor is involved when a professional service is performed, it is wise to inform the recipient of the occupational therapy service of the supervisor's involvement and to get his or her consent. This will help to avoid future complications, including issues of confidentiality.
• It is wise to keep records of each supervisory session. The records should include compensation arrangements, if appropriate. The documentation of the supervision should be made available, on request, to institutions, licensing agencies and others who require this information for verification purposes and have the legal authority to obtain it. Before sharing these records, however, where necessary, it is important to get the consent of the supervisee.
• When the supervisor's signature is required on a record or insurance form, the occupational therapist should be fully aware of the ramifications of that signature. Supervisors should consult with the insurance company or their attorney if there are questions about completing insurance forms for supervisees who work in agency or private practice settings as employees.

Citation

NY OT Practice Guidelines