Unbeknownst to Harry, Clay had been operating a small private practice outside of his supervised setting. Harry only discovered this fact when he was served a malpractice complaint as a co-defendant. The plaintiff's attorney alleged that as Clay's supervisor, Harry was responsible for failing to supervise properly. The above scenario is quite typical for malpractice claims involving supervision. Whenever you are involved in supervising someone's clinical work with clients, you could be held liable for not identifying inappropriate therapy, ignoring inappropriate behavior, or supervising in a negligent or insufficient manner.
Supervision is serious business.
Barbara, JD, L.S.W. recommends that every supervisory session be documented. She suggests maintaining a log describing the meetings and the cases discussed. Specific advice regarding a case or a situation should be documented. Equally important is the reviewing the NASW Code of Ethics with the supervisee and documenting that the review has occurred. Particular importance should be paid to the standards on dual relationships and sexual impropriety.