ABSTRACT
The various forms of regulations may be viewed as ways to hold clinical supervisors accountable for their practice of clinical supervision. The demonstration of negligence may abet a successful complaint that has no relation to negligence but that – even when the other complaint has no basis in fact – confirms inadequate and/or unprofessional clinical supervision. Competent clinical supervisors understand and comply with the normative standards of clinical supervision and clinical performance, professional ethics, and the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction within which they provide their professional services. Law tells practicing mental health care providers what they can do or cannot do, usually based on the scope of practice and related statutes and regulations within each state. Several key concepts and legal obligations may help new supervisors to find direction toward practicing safely and wisely but also toward developing a philosophy of clinical supervision.
