Treatment Supervision

Revised: October 17, 2022

· Definition

· Coverage Requirements

· Clinical Trainees

· Treatment Supervisor

· Treatment Supervision Plan

· Legal References

Definition

Treatment supervision is the oversight, direction, and evaluation of a staff person who is providing services to a Minnesota Health Care Programs member.

Providers must ensure that each staff person who is not a mental health professional or certified rehabilitation specialist and who provides services to a member is supervised according to the staff person’s written treatment supervision plan.

Coverage Requirements

Treatment supervision must focus on each member’s treatment needs and the ability of the staff person under treatment supervision to provide services. Include the following topics related to the staff person’s current caseload:

· Review and evaluation of the interventions that the staff person delivers to each member;

· Instruction on alternative strategies if a member is not achieving treatment goals;

· Review and evaluation of each member’s assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes for accuracy and appropriateness;

· Instruction on the cultural norms or values of the member and communities that the provider serves and the impact that a member’s culture has on providing treatment;

· Evaluation of and feedback regarding a direct service staff person's areas of competency;

· Coaching, teaching, and practicing skills with the staff person.

The treatment supervisor must provide treatment supervision to a staff person using methods that allow for immediate feedback including in-person, telephone, and interactive video supervision.

Treatment supervision pertinent to member treatment changes must be recorded by a case notation in the member’s record after treatment supervision occurs.

Clinical Trainees

Under the treatment supervision of a mental health professional, clinical trainees may provide a member with psychotherapy, client education, rehabilitative mental health services, diagnostic assessments, functional assessments, level of care assessments, and treatment plans.

The clinical trainee’s treatment supervision experience is helping gain the knowledge and skills necessary to practice effectively and independently. This may include supervision of:

· Direct practice

· Treatment team collaboration

· Continued professional learning

· Job management

Treatment supervision does not supersede requirements set by a health-related licensing board. A clinical trainee is responsible for notifying and applying to their health-related licensing board to ensure all requirements are met.

Treatment Supervisor

Only a mental health professional or certified rehabilitation specialists may provide treatment supervision.

Treatment Supervision Plan

The supervision plan must be developed by the supervisor and the staff person. The plan must be reviewed and updated at least annually. For new staff, the plan must be completed and implemented within 30 days of the new staff person's employment. The supervision plan must include:

· The name and qualifications of the staff person

· The name and licensures of the treatment supervisors

· The frequency treatment supervisors must provide treatment supervision to the staff person

· The staff person’s authorized scope of practices, including:

· Description of the staff person’s service responsibilities

· Description of member population

· Description of the treatment methods and modalities that the staff person may use to provide services

Legal References

Minnesota Statutes 245I.06 Treatment Supervision
Minnesota Statutes 245I.04 Provider Qualifications and Scope of Practice
Minnesota Statutes 245I.05 Training Required