Supervisor Expectations

Supervisor Standards & Conduct

NYU Steinhardt and the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is committed to maintaining affiliations with field placements that encourage and foster appropriate conduct among all persons and respect for individual values in a variety of settings (e.g., hospitals, university and private speech and hearing clinics, interdisciplinary evaluation centers, specialized programs, and public schools). Field placement supervisors volunteer their time and expertise to supervise graduate student clinicians.  Therefore, it is a privilege  to be offered an opportunity to work with a field placement supervisor under their license and certification, and there should be mutual respect for the supervisory process.   

Field placement supervisors are vetted professionals who volunteer their time and expertise.  This partnership is built on mutual respect and a commitment to a non-discriminatory and harassment-free environment.  Discrimination or harassment based on race, gender and/or gender identity or expression, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, ethnicity, disability, veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, or on any other legally prohibited basis is unlawful and undermines the character and purpose of the University.  Such discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated.

Prior to a student’s start date the CFPT confirms that all supervisors will adhere to the following requirements: 

• Maintain a valid ASHA Certification (CCC-SLP)

• Maintain current state licensure and, when applicable, teaching certification

• Upload their credentials to CALIPSO for record keeping purposes

• Complete ASHA 2020 supervision requirements 

• Confirm their ability to follow ASHA’s supervisory guidelines and be onsite 100% of the time during all treatment and assessment sessions

• Follow the ASHA Code of Ethics 

Supervision Requirements

According to the Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC), supervision levels must be tailored to the student’s competency-levels and knowledge. ASHA states, “Direct supervision must be in real-time and must never be less than 25% of the student’s total contact with each client/patient and must take place periodically throughout the practicum. These are minimum requirements that should be adjusted upward if the student’s level of knowledge, experience, and competence warrants.”  During Practicum III, Speech@NYU graduate student clinicians will be entering their first semester-long field placement experience.  Therefore, during the initial phases of the field placement, the Department of CSD requires that Practicum III students should not receive less than a minimum of 50% supervision during all diagnostic and treatment tasks.  These minimum percentages are baseline requirements and should be adjusted upward by the supervisor if the student’s experience or the complexity of the task warrants additional oversight.

NYU requires that a supervisor must be on-premises for a student to treat and assess clients. If a primary supervisor is absent, you may only be overseen by another ASHA-certified, state-licensed professional who has met the 2020 ASHA supervisory requirement and has been previously vetted by the CFPT.

Any speech-language pathologist that is supervising the student for more than 10 hours must be onboarded into CALIPSO. They will need to complete a final CALIPSO evaluation and approve direct contact hours earned under their supervision. 

End-of-Semester Requirements 

To avoid delays in graduation or progression, students must complete the following before each term (Practicum III-V) ends:

• Documentation: Complete your Self-Evaluation, Supervisor Feedback Form, and Off-Campus Placement Evaluation in CALIPSO in advance of your last day and final CALIPSO evaluation review. 

• Final Meeting: Meet with your supervisor to review your Final CALIPSO evaluation.

• Hours Approval: Ensure all pending direct contact hours are approved in CALIPSO.

• Accessibility: Remain available via email/phone to your supervisor and NYU CSD administrative staff after the term ends to finalize any outstanding documentation or administrative tasks to successfully move to the next element of the Clinical Practicum and Field Placement Sequence or graduate on time. 

Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisors oversee the integration of theoretical constructs into diagnostic and therapeutic practice, and provide the framework for professional growth and clinical independence, including:

• Clinical Oversight: Reviewing session/medical plans, observing therapy and diagnostic sessions, and editing written reports of students; assisting with and approving all plans related to client management.

• Feedback: Providing oral/written feedback regarding techniques, methods, materials  and conducting individual/group conferences to integrate theory into practice which includes but is not limited to feedback about all issues related to ethics, clinical and professional competencies, and integrity to foster independence.

• Evaluation: Submitting Midterm and Final evaluations via CALIPSO and approving all direct contact hours.

All supervisory activities are guided by ASHA’s 13 established tasks of clinical supervision. Please refer to the collapsible text below. 

Student-Supervisor Conflict Resolution

The student-supervisory relationship is built upon solid communication processes.  Students and supervisors are required to complete the Dialogue in Sync Tool and Orientation Form to facilitate open communication and to discuss expectations and termly goals. 

If a problem arises in the supervisory relationship, students and/or supervisors should alert the Clinical Field Placement Team and with CFPT guidance follow these steps:

1. Direct Communication: Discuss the concern directly with your supervisor to resolve misunderstandings. Document the agreed-upon solution and alert the CFPT of the outcome.

2. Collaborative Problem Solving: If the issue persists, work together with your supervisor and CFPT point of contact to develop and document a mutually agreed upon approach and solutions.

3. CFPT Mediation: If the problem remains unresolved, contact the Clinical Field Placement Team to facilitate other mediating options and develop a formal course of action.