Guidelines for Externship Supervisors

PRIOR TO THE EXTERNSHIP

Upon arriving at your practicum site, you and the student will sign a contract agreeing to abide by the provisions of the current Letter of Agreement between UNC Greensboro and your facility. A copy of your current ASHA card, date of initial credentialing, BOE license number or other state license should be on CALIPSO.

Please self attest that you have completed the supervision training with ASHA. Instructions to do so can be found at the bottom of this ASHA webpage. 

Before the externship begins, the student may contact you to make an appointment to meet you and discuss the arrangements for the externship. At this time, the student may give you some specific information about his/her/their background, interests, and needs.

ORIENTATION

An orientation to your physical facilities and professional procedures is very helpful to student interns. As a part of your orientation, you might include:

1. Rules and regulations which apply to employees of the facility such as dress requirements, hours of work, use of the phone, etc.
2. Forms used by the practicum site.
3. Materials and equipment available for use.
4. Program functions and services.
5. An introduction to other staff members and explain their roles.
6. Emergency procedures to be followed, e.g. fire, patient distress.

During the orientation period, it is helpful if both student and supervisor prepare a list of expectations for the practicum experience. The lists provide the basis for the discussion of the internship and an opportunity to identify and clarify areas of agreements, disagreement, or misconception.

OBSERVATION

It is helpful for student interns to have opportunities to observe your work with clients/patients, read files of persons receiving your services, become familiar with written and oral communication practices, and “shadow” you as you carry out various activities in your setting. This observation time will afford opportunities for both supervisor and intern to assess the intern’s needs for information, guidance, and supervision. 

SUPERVISION

The ASHA directives for accredited educational programs as well as NCBOE should be followed. These require practicum observation to be at least 25% of the client contact time for therapy and at least 50% of the client contact time for diagnostic activities. At the beginning of the internship, the student may need more supervision —50% to 100%. As the student’s competencies and confidence increase, less direct supervision may be necessary, although observation time should never fall below the minimum required levels. Please look at the ASHA Practice Portal for Clinical Education and Supervision. 

EVALUATION OF THE INTERN

The intern should be evaluated at least at the mid-way point of an internship and at the end of the internship.

Intern self-evaluation is valuable as well. A sample form for self-evaluation is included in your information. Comparison of intern self-evaluation and supervisor evaluations to find areas of agreement and discrepancy is useful to both intern and supervisor.

WRITTEN RECORDS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

In addition to evaluation forms described above, there are a few additional requests of supervisors:

1. Sign your intern’s Clinical Practicum Hours sheets to approve correct hours on CALIPSO.
2. Provide oral and written feedback to interns for clinical activities you observe. You may choose to use an enclosed example or any other form you prefer. Praise and suggestions are both important. Encourage and reward objective and insightful self-evaluation, too!!
3. Provide feedback to your intern on required written communications, staff presentations, or other such activities.
4. Confer with your intern in at least three formal conferences during the internship. Two of these conferences would include the midterm and final evaluations.

EVALUATION OF SUPERVISION

Students are required to evaluate the supervision during their internship on CALIPSO usually around mid-term. Evaluations during the internship help to inform the supervisor about the most helpful guidance to a particular student and afford the basis for clarifying mutual expectations, etc.