How to Create a Supervision Contract for LPC Internships: Part 1
Please Note:
The following information is meant to help TEXAS LPC Supervisors in the process of creating a supervision contract when working with LPC Interns. This is only advice, and it’s recommended that LPC Supervisors create a contract that fits his/her needs. These are only suggestions, so it’s important that LPC Supervisors create a contract that’s in compliance with the law and LPC Rules. Finally, you may want to consult an attorney regarding any LPC Supervision Contract you create.
Now that we’ve got that part out of the way…
Creating an LPC Supervision Contract: Part 1
Before covering the details of a supervision contract, it’s important to address some other issues regarding contracts:
Why have a contract with your LPC Interns?
Though it’s not required in Texas, it’s highly recommended. Keep in mind, this is completely different from the Supervisor Agreement Form, which is required to be mailed in by the Supervisor to initiate the approval process by the state. In fact, if you look near the top of that form, it specifically states it is “NOT A CONTRACT”.
The Supervision Contract is an additional layer of protection for the Supervisor and Intern. The goal of the contract is to outline the expectations of both parties and create formal rules and guidelines that both parties agree to follow during the supervision process.
Creating Healthy Boundaries: starting the supervision process with a formal contract immediately creates an atmosphere of accountability, and describes the expectations of the Supervisor and Intern. It creates clear rules and obligations throughout the supervision process.
Bottom line: it protects the Supervisor and the Intern from possible future issues that could result in legal and/or LPC board violations.
Legal Stuff
Again, I am not an attorney, nor do I pretend to be one. Everything in this article are only suggestions. It’s important to create a Supervision Contract that fits your needs, and the needs of your Interns. You may also want to consult an attorney prior to using your contract to make sure it’s legal and appropriate.
Okay, so lets cover some of the components you may want to add to you LPC Supervision Contract.
HEADER:
Begin the contract with a formal header. I simply put my logo on the very top of the contract so that it’s neat and clean looking. It’s the first thing your intern will see, so you want it to be professional (as a legal contract should be!). Below the logo, in bold, I have “CONTRACT FOR SUPERVISION”. Here’s an example of my header:
Next, I outline the general agreement between myself (Supervisor) and the potential Intern. Below is example:
“This agreement is made between ____________________ (herein after referred to as the supervisee) and Matt Bierds, MA, LPC-S, LSOTP-S (herein after referred to as the supervisor). The supervisor agrees to provide supervision in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 681 (Rule 681.93) in the State of Texas and in accordance with the terms below. The parties mutually agree to the following:”
In the above statement, please note that this is designed for TEXAS LPCs. Make sure you review the state laws and LPC rules to identify the proper rules and regulations you want to address in the contract.
Areas to Address in the Contract:
Frequency and Duration
In this section, you may want to cover the minimum hours of supervision required each month, types of supervision conducted (face-to-face, live Internet webcam, group), amount of each type of supervision will be provided, how long supervision will occur, and any other pertinent information related to how often, and how long, Interns will be required to adhere to the supervision contract.
Availability
In this section, you determine your availability for contact with the LPC Intern. You may want to consider: the office hours will you be available, dealing with emergency situations, how the supervision sessions will be scheduled, preferred contact methods (cell phone, email), and any other information you feel is important to address regarding your availability to offer supervision. REMEMBER: don’t write anything in this section that you are not willing to commit to.
Compensation
Many times, it seems like counselors want to avoid this topic, but it’s very important to address up front. In this section, you may want to consider: cost for individual sessions, cost for group sessions, time payment is due, ways to reduce fees (such as providing counseling services for the Supervisor), consequences of failing to pay supervision fees by a specific timeframe, fees for missing sessions, how to cancel a session to avoid payment (such as a 24 hour cancellation policy), types of acceptable payment, returned check policies (if you accept checks), and any other expectations regarding compensation.