Clinical Supervision Guides›Free Supervision Toolkit›Supervision Goals
Last updated: November 4, 2026
Clinical supervision goals describe what a supervisee will learn to do during supervision, and each one is stronger with an observable objective and a way to check it. Below are a worksheet for drafting the supervisory plan, example goals, objectives and measures in nine areas of practice, and examples of how the same goal changes as a supervisee develops.
The worksheet is part of the Sentio MFT program's free clinical supervision toolkit.
This is an optional aid from the Sentio MFT program's clinical supervision toolkit. This is not a BBS form.
Worksheet
| Goal | Objective: what the supervisee will be able to do, observably | How we will work on it | How we will check | Target date | Review notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Example goals, objectives and measures (adapt the numbers, which illustrate rather than set a standard)
| Area | Example goal | Example objective | Example measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment and diagnosis | Conduct thorough intake assessments | Completes an intake assessment and a supported provisional diagnosis within the first two sessions with each new client | Intake notes reviewed weekly; one recorded intake reviewed each month |
| Case conceptualization | Link assessment to a coherent conceptualization | Presents each new case with a written conceptualization using one named model | Case presentations in the case presentation format |
| Treatment planning | Write measurable treatment plans | Every client has a plan with at least two measurable goals within 30 days of intake | Plan review each quarter |
| Core therapeutic skills | Respond to client emotion with accurate empathy | Rehearses responses to difficult client statements until the supervisor rates them usable in session | Skill rehearsal in supervision; recording review |
| Couples and family work | Manage escalation in conjoint sessions | Interrupts escalating exchanges and restores structure within the session | Recorded conjoint session reviewed each month |
| Risk and crisis response | Assess suicide and violence risk | Completes and documents a structured risk assessment the same day risk is raised | Review of every risk note; a rehearsed risk assessment each quarter |
| Law, ethics and documentation | Meet documentation and reporting duties | Completes progress notes within the employer's deadline and discusses each possible mandated report in supervision | Note review; supervision notes |
| Culture and context | Address cultural and contextual factors in treatment | Names relevant cultural and contextual factors in each case presentation and reflects them in the plan | Case presentations; yearly assessment |
| Use of supervision | Bring difficulties to supervision early | Brings one challenging moment each week, with a recording or note | Session notes |
How Should Goals Change as a Supervisee Develops?
The same area of practice calls for a different goal at each stage. The Integrated Developmental Model describes a beginning supervisee who is focused mainly on their own performance and depends on the supervisor, a middle stage in which attention moves to the client and dependence alternates with autonomy, and a later stage that balances the two with conditional autonomy; development is uneven, so a supervisee can be further along in one area than another (Stoltenberg & McNeill, 2010). Our guide to models of clinical supervision explains the model. In practice it means writing a goal for where the supervisee is in each area, not one level for the whole plan.
| Area | Early in training | Developing | Approaching licensure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk assessment | Asks every new client the agency's risk screening questions and calls the supervisor the same day when risk is raised | Completes a structured risk assessment and a draft safety plan before bringing the case to supervision | Makes and documents the risk decision, then reviews it with the supervisor afterward |
| Case conceptualization | Summarizes the presenting problem and history in a standard format | Writes a conceptualization in one named model and links it to the treatment plan | Compares two models for a complex case and explains the choice |
| Intervention skill | Uses reflections of emotion at least three times in a recorded session | Chooses an intervention to fit the moment and explains why in review | Adjusts the intervention in session when the client's response shows it is not working |
| Use of supervision | Brings a written question and a recording segment to every session | Identifies their own reactions to a client and brings them to supervision | Leads the supervision agenda and asks for feedback on a self-chosen skill |
Where Do Supervision Goals Go in California?
For supervisory relationships that began on or after January 1, 2022, the supervisor and supervisee sign the Board's Supervision Agreement under penalty of perjury within 60 days of the start of supervision. The agreement includes a supervisory plan of goals and objectives that the two of you develop together, and the supervisee keeps the original and submits it with the licensure application (16 CCR 1833(c)). Draft the plan on the worksheet, agree it in a session, then copy the final goals and objectives into the plan section of the agreement. The BBS supervision forms guide walks through the rest of the agreement, and our Clinical Supervision Guides show where the plan fits among the other deadlines.
Write each goal so that you can say later whether it was met. California requires you to assess the supervisee's strengths and limitations at least once a year and when supervision ends, and to give them a copy (16 CCR 1833.1(a)(9)). An objective that names an observable behavior and a measure, such as a recorded session reviewed each month, gives that assessment its evidence.
Keep reading
Supervisee Evaluation Form, the yearly and final assessment that reports progress on these goals
Clinical Supervision Notes Template, the session note that records which goals each session touched
120 Clinical Supervision Questions and Topics, questions for each developmental stage to bring the goals into sessions
BBS Supervision Forms for California Supervisors, the Supervision Agreement the plan belongs to
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of clinical supervision goals?
Common goals include conducting thorough intake assessments, writing measurable treatment plans, responding to client emotion with accurate empathy, managing escalation in conjoint sessions, assessing suicide and violence risk, meeting documentation and reporting duties, addressing cultural factors in treatment and bringing difficulties to supervision early.
What makes a supervision goal measurable?
An objective that describes what the supervisee will do, observably, and a measure you will use to check it, such as a recording reviewed each month, a note review or a rehearsed skill rated usable in session, with a target date.
Where do supervision goals go on the BBS Supervision Agreement?
In the supervisory plan, the section of goals and objectives that the supervisor and supervisee develop together. The agreement is signed within 60 days of the start of supervision.
How often should supervision goals be reviewed?
At least at each yearly assessment and at the end of supervision, when California requires an assessment of the supervisee's strengths and limitations. Many supervisors review the plan each quarter.
References
Board of Behavioral Sciences. (2026). Supervision agreement (DCA BBS 37M-300, rev. 05/2026). https://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/forms/supervision_agreement.pdf
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 1833.1. https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I018363124C8211EC89E5000D3A7C4BC3
Stoltenberg, C. D., & McNeill, B. W. (2010). IDM supervision: An integrative developmental model for supervising counselors and therapists (3rd ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-8058-5825-9. https://www.routledge.com/IDM-Supervision-An-Integrative-Developmental-Model-for-Supervising-Counselors-and-Therapists-Third-Edition/Stoltenberg-McNeill/p/book/9780805858242
American Psychological Association. (2025). Guidelines for clinical supervision in health service psychology. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/guidelines-supervision.pdf
