Effective September 2015
The current Clinical Supervision Standard of Practice (dated September 2015) will remain in effect until such time as the revised draft receives final Council approval.
Standard
A regulated member of ACSLPA is responsible for quality services delivered by personnel under his/her direction and supervision (e.g., employees, support personnel, students).
Indicators
To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:
âa)âComply with relevant guidelines pertaining to the supervision of personnel.
âb)âIdentify clients who are appropriate to receive services delivered by personnel under the direction and supervision of the regulated member.
âc)âEnsure that clients have all the relevant information regarding any supervised personnel who will be providing services (e.g., training, titles, roles, responsibilities) and consent to receipt of services by supervised personnel.
âd)âAssign activities based on the knowledge, skills and abilities of supervised personnel that fall within their scope of practice (e.g., do not involve interpretation of findings, development or modification of treatment plans).
âe)âCarry out direct and indirect clinical supervision in compliance with relevant legislation and ACSLPA guidelines to ensure safe and competent service delivery.
âf)âAssess the role of and services provided by supervised personnel and monitor service outcomes.
âg)âInform employers and clients of the need to discontinue services by supervised personnel when the regulated member is not available (e.g., extended absence, resignation) to provide the required supervision.
Expected Outcomes
Clients are informed of the roles and responsibilities of the personnel providing services and that the services they receive are supervised and delivered in a competent manner.
Resources
All ACSLPA documents and relevant Alberta Government legislation can be accessed from the ACSLPA website at www.acslpa.ca.
- ACSLPA. (2017). Code of Ethics. Edmonton: Author.
- ACSLPA. (2011). Audiologistsâ Guidelines for Working with Support Personnel. Edmonton: Author.
- ACSLPA. (2011). Clinical Documentation and Record Keeping Guideline. Edmonton: Author.
- ACSLPA. (2011). Speech-Language Pathologistsâ Guidelines for Working with Support Personnel. Edmonton: Author.
- CAASPR. (2018). Practice Competencies for Speech-Language Pathologists in Canada. Ottawa: Author.
- CAASPR. (2018). Practice Competencies for Audiologists in Canada. Ottawa: Author.
- Government of Alberta. (2000). Schedule 7.1 Health Services Restricted Activities in Government Organization Act. Edmonton: Alberta Queenâs Printer.
- Government of Alberta (2002). Health Professions Act, Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Profession Regulation. Edmonton:Â Alberta Queenâs Printer.
Glossary
Client refers to âan individual, family, substitute decision maker, group, agency, government, employer, employee, business, organization or community who is the direct or indirect recipient(s) of the regulated memberâs expertiseâ.
Competence/competent/competency refers to âthe combined knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgment required to provide professional servicesâ.
Quality services refers to âservices in the health care system as measured by accessibility, acceptability, appropriateness, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety factorsâ.Â
Regulated member refers to âan individual who is registered with ACSLPA in any of the categories of membership prescribed in Regulation and in the ACSLPA Bylaws”.
Support personnel refers to âindividuals providing services under the direct supervision of a speech-language pathologist and/or audiologist. This excludes teachers, volunteers and family membersâ.
Draft Standard – January 2021
As of January 2021 a draft revised Standard of Practice on Clinical Supervision is awaiting external stakeholder consultation by Alberta Health. As the consultation process will be delayed due to the impact of COVID-19, the revised version has been made accessible for review by members. The revised Standard complements the recently revised  Speech-Language Pathologistsâ and Audiologistsâ Guideline for Working with Support Personnel (January 2021).
Standard
This standard specifically refers to the clinical supervision of support personnel and/or speech-language pathology and audiology students. Support personnel or students are named as appropriate in each indicator, and the term âsuperviseesâ is used when an indicator addresses both support personnel and students.
A regulated member of ACSLPA is responsible and accountable for services delivered by personnel under their direction and supervision (e.g., support personnel and speech-language pathology and audiology students).
Indicators
To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:
âa)âProvide pertinent information to the client regarding the superviseeâs role and responsibilities and obtain client consent for services delivered in this manner.
âb)âProvide adequate on-the-job training and orientation to supervisees as it relates to the clinical and employment context.
âc)âOptimize both client safety and outcomes by considering the following when assigning clinical activities to support personnel:
i.  the competence of the SP,
ii. the clientâs individual needs, and
iii. factors unique to the practice environment.
âd)âExcept as permitted by indicator e), refrain from assigning activities to support personnel that involve clinical interpretation.
Activities that involve clinical interpretation include the following:
i.  Interpretation of assessment findings
ii. Initial discussion of clinical findings, treatment rationale, or prognosis with clients
iii. Determination of treatment goals and procedures, including the independent planning, development, or modification of treatment plans
iv. Completion and sign-off on formal clinical reports
v. Selection of clients for referral to other professionals or agencies
vi. Discharging clients from service
vii. Approval of clinical content in public education materials
âe)âProvide a clearly documented algorithm or flowchart to be used by support personnel when activities that have a component of clinical interpretation are assigned to them. The regulated member will only develop algorithms or flowcharts for use by support personnel when risk to clients regarding a particular activity has been adequately assessed and it has been determined that the risk can be adequately managed through use of a documented decision-making tool. The regulated member will instruct support personnel on the use of the flowchart or algorithm and will monitor their conformance.
âf)âComply with applicable regulations and standards of practice regarding assignment and supervision of restricted activities to supervisees.
âg)âDetermine the amount of both direct and/or indirect supervision that is required for support personnel under oneâs direction and supervision. The regulated member should have sound rationale to support these decisions and should be able to articulate this rationale as required.
âh)âMonitor the services provided by supervisees on a regular, consistent basis, including client outcomes, modifying and/or reassigning service delivery as determined by clientsâ needs.
âi)âBe available for consultation through some mode of communication or develop a plan for supervision coverage when they are not available.
âj)âInform employers and clients of the need to discontinue services provided by the supervisee when the SLP/audiologist is not available to provide required supervision and a coverage plan or replacement supervisor is not available (e.g., extended absence, resignation).
âk)âProvide direction and supervision to SLP and audiology students who assign activities to support personnel and to support personnel who are mentoring and/or orienting other SP in training.
âl)âInform the appropriate employer/manager if there are support personnel performance concerns, despite direct and indirect supervision, activity modeling, retraining, and communication regarding performance concerns.
âm)âRefrain from entering into an employment agreement whereby they clinically supervise the person who employs them (whether in a paid or volunteer capacity).
Expected Outcomes
Clients are informed of the roles and responsibilities of the personnel providing services and that the services they receive are assigned and supervised by the speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Services are delivered in a safe and competent manner.
Related Standards
- Standard 1.1 Client-centred service
- Standard 1.3 Client assessment and intervention
- Standard 1.5 Collaboration
- Standard 3.4 Conflict of interest
- Standard 4.3 Documentation and Information Management
Resources and Glossary
Remain the same.