Supervisory Guidelines for OT Personnel/Team Roles and Principles of Collaboration

• face-to-face contact b/w supervisor and supervisee
• includes co-treatment, observation, instruction, modeling, and discussion

• non face-to-face contact b/w supervisor and supervisee
• includes electronic, written and telephone communications

daily, direct contact at the site of work

direct contact at least every two weeks at the site of work, with interim supervision occurring by other methods such as telephone or written communication

at least monthly direct contact with supervision available as needed by other methods

provided only on a needed basis, and may be less than monthly

the supervising OT

• one or more members of one discipline evaluate, plan, and implement tx of the individual
• other disciplines are not involved
• limited communications
• limited perspectives on case
• at risk due to potential narrowness
• holistic care questionable

• a number of professionals from different disciplines conduct assessments and interventions independent from another
• some formal communication b/w team members
• limited communication = lack of different perspectives
• competition may develop

• all disciplines relevant to the case at hand agree to collaborate for decision making
• eval and intervention still conducted independently
• greater understanding of each discipline's perspective
• not bound by discipline line-specific roles and functions
• use group process skills effectively

• characteristics of interdisciplinary teams are maintained and expanded upon
• members support and enhance the activities of other disciplines to provide quality, efficient, cost-effective service
• members committed to ongoing communication, collaboration, and shared decision making for the patient/client's benefit
• eval and intervention planned cooperatively
• role blurring is accepted
• must ensure professional integrity and quality of care is maintained

• most important and primary member of the tx team
• occupations, values, interests, and goals must be determined and used in tx

sociocultural background, socioeconomic status, and caregiver tasks, needs, and skills must be considered as they can impact on the outcome of intervention

• personal care assistants (PCAs)
• home health aides (HHAs)

• alternative practitioners (massage, acupuncturists, etc)
• athletic trainer
• audiologist
• biomedical engineer
• certified orthotist
• certified prosthetist
• chiropractor
• dietician/clinical nutritionist
• expressive/creative arts therapists
• job coach
• nurse practitioner
• nurse, registered
• optometrist/vision specialist
• pastoral care
• physiatrist
• PT/PTA
• PA
• primary care physician
• psychiatrist
• psychologist
• recreational therapist/therapeutic recreation specialist
• respiratory therapy technician certified
• social worker
• special education teacher
• SLP/ST
• substance abuse counselor
• vocational rehabilitation counselor