Training and Education in Professional Psychology © 2014 American Psychological Association

2014, Vol. 8, No. 4, 236 –240 1931-3918/14/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tep0000075

Contracting for Group Supervision

Randyl D. Smith Jennifer A. Erickson Cornish and Maria T. Riva

Metropolitan State University of Denver University of Denver

One important way to emphasize that group supervision—a common component of predoctoral intern-
ship and postdoctoral fellowship programs—is well planned and intentionally utilized is through the use
of contracts. Contracts have long been recognized as an important element of individual supervision, as
they can mitigate confusion, clarify purpose, delineate roles, and explicate the processes of supervisee
evaluation. For these same reasons and more, contracts in group supervision may be not only useful
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

structuring devices but also essential to the delivery of ethical and impactful group supervision. A sample
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

group supervision contract is provided.

Keywords: group supervision, supervision, contract

The use of contracts has long been recognized as an important— The last decade has seen significant innovation and attention
even best-practice—approach to clinical supervision (e.g., Bernard related to the competencies necessary to perform clinical supervi-
& Goodyear, 2014). For group supervision, however, contracts sion in psychology. Supervision has been considered a key func-
have not been widely adopted, despite the many advantages they tion of psychologists for many years, but only recently has it
offer to both the supervisor and the supervisees. As in individual become one of the core competency areas used to evaluate students
supervision, contracting in group supervision might even be con- and their training programs (Grus, 2013). In 2011, when the
sidered an ethical essential, as contracts mitigate confusion, clarify American Psychological Association (APA; Hatcher et al., 2011)
purpose, delineate roles, and explicate the process of supervisee revised the competencies and benchmarks used to assess psychol-
evaluation. This brief article follows up on recommendations by ogy trainees, supervision was presented as a distinct set of com-
Smith, Riva, and Erickson Cornish (2012) in developing a tem- petencies, comprised of essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes/
plate for a group supervision contract that can be used in predoc- values that can be assessed in determining a trainee’s readiness for
toral psychology internships and postdoctoral fellowship training independent practice. These benchmarks can be used by graduate
sites. programs, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships to
assess the efficacy of their training and education (APA, 2011).
Similarly, when the Health Service Psychology Education Collab-
RANDYL D. SMITH received her MSW from the University of Pennsyl-
orative (2013) developed competencies for health service provid-
vania and her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of ers (HSPs) in psychology, supervision was included as a compe-
Denver. She is currently an associate professor of psychology at Metro- tency, and it was noted that “as the health care system focuses on
politan State University of Denver, and also maintains an independent practice at the highest level of training, HSPs are increasingly
psychotherapy practice. Her areas of interest include professional ethics, called upon to supervise other professions in the delivery of
service learning, and human sexuality. services, including nondoctoral behavioral health providers” (p.
JENNIFER A. ERICKSON CORNISH received her MSW from the University 425). Finally, the recently proposed Standards of Accreditation
of Southern California and PhD in clinical psychology from the California (APA, 2014) for both doctoral programs and internships include
School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles. She is currently associate
supervision as a “profession-wide competency” (for internships,
professor and director of Clinical Training and Internship Consortium at
see p. 5; for doctoral programs, see pp. 7– 8). The upshot of the
the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Her
research areas include supervision and training, ethics, and multicultural- recent changes is that, today, those involved in training and edu-
ism. cation in psychology—from students to faculty to practicum, in-
MARIA T. RIVA received her PhD in counseling psychology from the ternship, and postdoctoral supervisors— have a much clearer un-
University of Pittsburgh. She is department chair and professor of Coun- derstanding of the best practices for competent supervision.
seling Psychology at the Morgridge College of Education at the University Among those best practices emphasized in recent literature is
of Denver. She is past president of the American Psychological Association the supervisory contract. Certainly, the use of contracts in
Division 49: Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy and coeditor supervision is not new. Throughout the 1990s, journal articles
(with Janice L. De Lucia-Waack and Cynthia R. Kalodner) of the Hand- raised awareness of the need for clear written agreements
book of Group Counseling and Group Psychotherapy (2004, 2014). Her
between supervisors and supervisees, both to explicate roles
research interests include group supervision, and group counseling leader-
ship and dynamics.
and responsibilities and to affirm learning goals and objectives
CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS ARTICLE should be addressed to (e.g., Hewson, 1999; Osborn & Davis, 1996). Bernard and
Randyl D. Smith, Psychology Department, Metropolitan State University Goodyear (1992) addressed the use of contracts in the first
of Denver, PO Box 173362, Denver, CO 80217. E-mail: rsmit216@ edition of their classic text Fundamentals of Clinical Supervi-
msudenver.edu sion, and have devoted increasingly more attention to con-

236
 CONTRACTING FOR GROUP SUPERVISION 237

tracts—and the empirical support for them—in each subsequent may warrant more vigilant attention to confidentiality in group
edition (most recently, 2013). supervision, in which the risks of jeopardizing client confidential-
Although not all supervisors use contracts, nearly all the liter- ity are heightened. The client being presented by one supervisee
ature on contracting supports their use, and it is not difficult to may be recognized by another supervisee, from either personal or
understand why. Contracts serve a variety of functions, including professional associations. Although it may be considered best
describing the context in which the supervision occurs; the pur- practice for a trainee to recuse herself from a discussion of a client
pose, goals, and objectives of the supervision; the methods of whom she knows in some other capacity (say, as a classmate or as
evaluation; the duties and responsibilities of supervisors and su- a coworker), that is not common practice in group supervision
pervisees; and additional considerations such as whether observa- (Smith et al., 2012). Perhaps if supervisees were advised, in an
tion or video recording will occur. For group supervision, contracts up-front contract, about how to handle such situations, client
may serve an even broader function. Trainees assigned to group confidentiality would be better protected.
supervision may have inaccurate assumptions about its purpose. Finally, group supervision includes more roles and layers of
Specifically, they may believe that supervision is conducted in a potential complication than individual supervision. Multiple rela-
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

group mode expressly for its efficiency, without understanding the tionships are likely, in that the group supervisor may also be the
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

many advantages that group supervision has, such as the power of individual supervisor of one or more of the group trainees, or that
group dynamics and multiple perspectives to offer an enhanced there may be friendships or professional alliances among and
learning experience (Gillam, Hayes, & Paisley, 1997). Such in- between the trainees. Multiple roles can also occur between a
complete, and even false, notions about group supervision could be group supervisor who is evaluating a case presentation on a par-
mitigated through the use of a written contract that explains the ticular client who is also being discussed in individual supervision
very purpose of the group format for supervision. by a different supervisor. These two supervisors may provide
Although there is no actual consensus on the format and content discrepant information as to how to proceed in the case, confusing
of group supervision, we support the definition articulated by the supervisee. A well-written contract can serve to address how
Bernard and Goodyear (2004) that states, complex roles may impact the learning and evaluation of the
trainees, and can elucidate how the various constituents (supervi-
Group supervision is the regular meeting of a group of supervisees sor, supervisee, clients) interface with one another.
with a designated supervisor or supervisors to monitor the quality of
Despite the many benefits they offer, contracts appear to be an
their work and to further their understanding of themselves as clini-
underused component of the group supervisory process. In re-
cians, of the clients with whom they work, and of service delivery in
general. These supervisees are aided in achieving these goals by their sponse to a recent survey regarding group supervision, the majority
supervisor(s) and by their feedback from and interactions with each of supervisors (54%) and interns (60%) reported that written
other. (p. 235) contracts, though overwhelmingly endorsed as ethical, were not
used in their supervision groups (Smith et al., 2012). Potential
Group supervision can serve supervisees who are seeing indi- barriers to more broad utilization of contracts in group supervision
vidual clients, supervisees who are leading groups, or supervisees include not just adherence to status quo, no-contract practices, but
who are supervising others (i.e., group supervision of supervision). the time and knowledge it takes to develop a contract. Accord-
In contrast to individual supervision, group supervision offers ingly, the ready availability of a preexisting template for group
both the benefits and the pitfalls of multiple trainees sharing their supervision may encourage wider adoption of contracting by group
various experiences and perspectives. The combined input of train- supervisors.
ees has the potential to foster growth and awareness, and a well-
articulated contract can help to explain, at the outset of group
Elements of a Group Supervision Contract
supervision, the value of self-disclosure for group cohesiveness,
modeling, and feedback. Supervisees can be encouraged to take Although each supervision group will differ, several important
advantage of the group process to further their insight and their elements in writing a contract for supervisors and supervisees
professional development. On the other hand, supervisees need to are worth consideration. Many of these elements are similar to
be aware that their disclosures may not necessarily be contained those found in individual supervision contracts (e.g., Bernard &
within that supervision setting. Contracts can be used to elucidate Goodyear, 2014), yet others will be unique to the group format.
whether and how supervisees’ involvement and disclosures may be A proposed template for basic group supervision may be found
used in their evaluations. In addition, because of the group struc- in the Appendix; it may be modified to fit various group
ture, there is a greater likelihood that personal disclosures get supervision scenarios.
“leaked” beyond the confines of the supervision setting, and the
contract can address those risks. In other words, contracts can
Context of Supervision
serve to protect potentially vulnerable individuals: the students,
interns, or postdoctoral fellows whose performance is being eval- Although the context of services for group supervision may be
uated and whose employment, present and future, may hinge on similar to that found in individual supervision, it is still important
the supervisory relationship and its outcome. to outline when, where, and how group supervision will be con-
Of course, contracts also help to protect the group supervisees’ ducted, including the timeline for the group. Group supervision in
clients by articulating behavior related to confidentiality and skill training sites often includes group supervisees at different levels of
development that may directly facilitate better client care. How- training (practicum, internship, or postdoctoral fellowship), and
ever, it is important to remember that discussion of client problems with varying expectations and experience (particularly if the group
and processes, a typical component of any supervision experience, members are from different academic programs). In the case of
 238 SMITH, ERICKSON CORNISH, AND RIVA

trainees purchasing supervision, the contract should include how Duties and Responsibilities of the Group Supervisor
much group supervision will cost. As the proposed Standards of and Supervisees
Accreditation (APA, 2014) include the need for observations dur-
The contract explains the duties and expectations of the super-
ing individual supervision, group supervision may also require
visor and of the supervisee, thereby increasing accountability and
observation of clients in session with the supervisees, although the
minimizing misunderstandings. In this section, the supervisor will
proposed standards are silent on the observation requirements for
generally agree to examine clinical information, review record-
group supervision. In this case, the contract might outline how this
ings, and/or participate in live observation, sign documentation as
will occur (e.g., via a two-way mirror or DVD recordings of a needed, uphold the relevant ethics code (e.g., APA, 2010), main-
supervisee with their client/s) and how the members of the group tain professional liability insurance, and perform all standard su-
will be involved. If group members are expected to give case pervision activities while demonstrating supervision competen-
presentations, an outline for this might be provided. Likewise, if cies. In group supervision, it will be also helpful to add
the group supervisor will be using a particular theory of supervi- information on any dual or multiple relationships with supervisees
sion and/or group supervision, it could be useful to include that
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

(e.g., providing individual supervision as well as group supervision

here as well.
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

to the same trainee), and to discuss how potential problems can be

reduced or addressed. Because achieving the optimal level of
challenge and support in group situations is even more complex
Purpose, Goals, and Objectives of Group Supervision than in individual supervision, it is important to include something
Although group supervision may share similar goals with indi- about providing a safe environment in which supervisees can
vidual supervision (e.g., to monitor and ensure the welfare of present difficult clinical situations and disagree without harm.
clients, to promote the development of supervisee competence, to Group supervisees will also be required to agree to provide
give organized and thorough case presentations), it differs in clinical information, recordings, and documentation; uphold the
relevant ethics code; maintain professional liability insurance; and
several important ways, which can be articulated in the contract.
perform all standard activities.
For instance, in group supervision, supervisees will be expected to
learn to both give feedback to and receive feedback from other
supervisees and also to interact effectively within a group of Additional Considerations
colleagues. When variations of group supervision are conducted
As in contracts for individual supervision, contracts for group
(e.g., group supervision of supervision), additional training goals
supervision may include information about attendance issues,
may be present (such as teaching supervision competencies while
emergency provisions, and ways to resolve potential conflicts. It
also monitoring client welfare). may be helpful to include details about the group supervisor’s
credentials and scope of competence; when this includes expertise
Methods of Evaluation in group supervision that should be described as well. Finally, a
supervision contract usually provides a statement whereby the
In addition to evaluation methods that would be included in involved parties agree to the terms and sign the document. In group
a contract for individual supervision (e.g., where, when, and supervision, individual contracts may vary slightly if supervisees
how, including both formative and summative approaches), come from different programs with different expectations, experi-
within the context of group supervision, supervisees may be ence, and timelines. A universal contract that all supervisees sign
asked to give feedback to each other, either formally or infor- may also be used. The purpose of a contract is to provide clear
mally. It can be helpful to make explicit the expectation that communication and expectations between the group supervisor
feedback is given in a mutually respectful manner. When group and the group supervisee. If the contract is clear and reasonable,
supervisees come from more than one academic program, the the internship or postdoctoral fellowship should expect that all
contract can be used to describe any different training goals or supervisees would sign and honor the contract. It is possible that a
timelines within the group context, as well as different agen- supervisee may have concerns about some specific item on the
contract, and this would be an excellent opportunity to have a
cies, directors, or other administrators who may be involved in
discussion about the specific concern. Whether individual con-
the group supervisees’ training.
tracts or universal contracts are used, each supervisee should
Disclosures made by supervisees may be relevant for evaluation
receive a copy of the contract.
purposes, and thus may become part of oral or written updates
provided to academic program directors. Group supervisors need
to clarify when they may need to disclose information outside of Recommendations
the group for evaluative purposes. Group members should be
We recommend that all group supervisors use some type of
asked not to share material from their fellow supervisees outside of group supervision contract, modifying it when necessary (e.g., for
the group, but as with group therapy, there is no guarantee that group supervision of supervision, or group supervision of group
confidentiality will be upheld by other group members. Thus, a therapy). It might be useful to include developmental consider-
statement related to self-disclosure and privacy issues in the group ations (e.g., group supervision that involves predoctoral trainees
might include that although supervisees are urged to keep conver- will be different than group supervision that involves postdoctoral
sations private, the group supervisor cannot absolutely ensure that fellows). Because the literature is largely silent on the use of
supervisees will do so. contracts in group supervision, going forward, it will be important
 CONTRACTING FOR GROUP SUPERVISION 239

to research the existence of such contracts, the barriers to their Grus, C. L. (2013). The supervision competency: Advancing
implementation, and the best practices for assuring their effective competency-based education and training in professional psychology.
use. The Counseling Psychologist, 41, 131–139. http://dx.doi.org/
10.1177/0011000012453946
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& Leahy, K. (2011). Revised competency benchmarks. Retrieved from
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chologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www .aspx
.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx Health Service Psychology Education Collaborative. (2013). Professional
American Psychological Association. (2011). Revised competency bench-
psychology in health care services: A blueprint for education and train-
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ed./graduate/competency.aspx
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Hewson, J. (1999). Training supervisors to contract in supervision. In E.
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Holloway & M. Carroll (Eds.), Training counselling supervisors: Strat-
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egies, methods and techniques (pp. 67–91). Washington, DC: Sage.
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Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (Eds.). (1992). Fundamentals of clinical

supervision. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446218044.n4
Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (Eds.). (2004). Fundamentals of clinical Osborn, C. J., & Davis, T. E. (1996). The supervision contract: Making it
supervision (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. perfectly clear. The Clinical Supervisor, 14, 121–134. http://dx.doi.org/
Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (Eds.). (2014). Fundamentals of clinical 10.1300/J001v14n02_10
supervision (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Smith, R. D., Riva, M. T., & Erickson Cornish, J. A. (2012). The ethical
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Appendix
Sample Group Supervision Contract

(Readers have blanket permission to use, modify, and revise this template for use in supervision and training, and it is not necessary
to cite the source. Reproduction for publication requires written permission of the authors.)

Context of Supervision
This is an agreement for group supervision between ____________________________ (name of supervisor) and
_________________________ (group supervisee) who is engaged in training at _________________ (training site). Group supervision
will occur every _____________ (day of the week) at _________ (time of day) for _____________ (length of time), from __________
to ___________ (month and year). Except when otherwise indicated, supervision will take place in ____________ (location). Supervisees
will be expected to share case presentations with the group at least ________ (number of times) per ____________ (time period).
Supervision meetings may include observation of supervisees via video recordings and/or a two-way mirror for purposes of evaluating
clinical effectiveness.
1. The purpose, goals, and objective of group supervision. Group supervision is different than individual supervision although it
may have some of the same goals.
• Monitor and ensure the welfare of the clients seen by supervisees.
• Promote the development of supervisees’ professional identity, knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and overall competence.
• Enhance supervisees’ abilities both to give and to receive feedback.
• Present organized and thorough case information (e.g., case presentation).
• Provide a forum in which supervisees can learn to interact effectively within a group of colleagues.
2. Methods of evaluation. Group supervision serves both supportive and evaluative functions. Supervisees are encouraged to share
challenges, concerns, and feelings related to their professional responsibilities. However, it is important to remember that not all
disclosures will necessarily remain confidential; rather, supervisee disclosures may be considered by the supervisor to be relevant to
the overall evaluation of supervisee progress.

(Appendix continues)
 240 SMITH, ERICKSON CORNISH, AND RIVA

• The group supervisor will evaluate group supervisees using formal measures and informal feedback on at least a ___________
(monthly, quarterly, semester) basis. Written evaluations will be provided to each supervisee.
• The supervisees will give feedback to one another, both formally and informally, on at least a ___________ (monthly, quarterly,
semester) basis. ______________ (program director or other administrator) will be provided updates as to the evaluation of each
supervisee.
3. Duties and responsibilities of the supervisor. The group supervisor will strive to create an atmosphere of respect, professionalism,
and engaged learning.
• Work to provide a safe environment where discussions and differences of agreement can occur without harm.
• Clarify the purpose of group supervision and how this differs from individual supervision (e.g., focus, expectations, norms).
• In collaboration with the group, set clear norms for the group supervision sessions and the behavior of group supervisees.
• Describe, at the outset, the evaluation plan.
• Explain how group supervision sessions will be documented.
• Clarify the role of the group supervisor in relation to the supervisees’ individual supervisor(s).
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

• Avoid dual or multiple relationships with supervisees (such as friendships, business or financial relationships, social gatherings). No
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

sexual relationship will occur between the group supervisor and group supervisees. Favoritism will be avoided.
• If a dual relationship does occur (e.g., supervisor provides both individual and group supervision to supervisee/s), discuss how
potential problems can be reduced or addressed.
• Discuss the theory or theories used in group supervision.
• Examine and respond to clinical information presented in group supervision, including case presentations, video recordings, and/or
live observations.
• Sign supervisee documentation as needed.
• Address both confidentiality of client information and privacy/limits to privacy of supervisee disclosures.
• Refrain from discussing material about an absent group supervisee.
• Address and give procedures to help resolve any negative situations that may occur among group supervisees or between group
supervisee(s) and supervisor.
• Uphold the APA Code of Ethics.
• Maintain active license and professional liability insurance.
• Come to group supervision on time and let supervisees know in advance (if possible) of any changes to the schedule.
4. Duties and responsibilities of group supervisees. Group supervisees can benefit from the input, support, and shared experiences
of multiple peer-colleagues while learning how to provide effective feedback and guidance to others.
• Come prepared with clinical questions, case presentations, recordings, and/or documentation as indicated by the group supervisor.
• Provide respectful feedback to other group members.
• Refrain from discussing material about an absent group supervisee.
• Keep private conversations that occur in group supervision.
• Follow all ethical codes, legal requirements, and procedures/policies of the agency/program.
• Follow the group norms.
• Consider group supervision to be a learning experience and seek the benefits of learning from the supervisor and group supervisees.
• Come to group on time and let the group supervisor know when an absence is unavoidable.
I have read the above document, had an opportunity to discuss it, and agree to follow the provisions described.
Group Supervisor ___________________________________ Date _______________
Group Supervisee ___________________________________ Date _______________
Note. Adapted from “The Supervision Contract: Making It Perfectly Clear,” by C. J. Osborn and T. E. Davis, 1996, The Clinical
Supervisor, 14, pp. 121–134, and “Contracting for Supervision,” by E. Sutter, R. H. McPherson, and R. Geeseman, 2002, Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, pp. 495– 498.

Received March 24, 2014

Revision received September 2, 2014
Accepted September 8, 2014 䡲