Clinical Supervision Guides›Free Supervision Toolkit›Emergency Procedures
Last updated: November 4, 2026
Supervision emergency procedures are the written instructions a supervisor gives a supervisee for reaching the supervisor, or an alternate on-call supervisor, when a client crisis or emergency arises. California requires them before supervision begins. The template below puts them on one page, and a completed example follows it.
The template 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.
| Item | What to include |
|---|---|
| Supervisor | Name; phone for calls and texts; email; hours I can be reached |
| Alternate on-call supervisor | Name; license; phone; when to call (for example, if I do not answer within [__] minutes, or while I am away) |
| Site procedures | Where the site's crisis protocol is kept; the on-site lead or administrator |
| What to call about at once | A client at imminent risk of harm to self or others; suspected child, elder or dependent adult abuse; a client in medical crisis; a threat to your safety |
| What can wait for supervision | Questions that do not involve safety or a legal deadline |
| Steps | 1. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. 2. Follow the site's crisis protocol. 3. Call me; if I do not answer within [__] minutes, call the alternate. 4. Document what happened and what you did the same day. 5. We review the situation at the next session, or sooner. |
| Given to the supervisee | Date; supervisee initials |
What Do Completed Emergency Procedures Look Like?
An invented example for a supervisor in private practice who supervises an associate working by telehealth. Names and numbers are placeholders.
| Item | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Supervisor | Dr. A. Rivera, LMFT; (555) 010-0101 for calls and texts; reachable 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and by text at weekends |
| Alternate on-call supervisor | M. Chen, LCSW; (555) 010-0102; call if I do not answer within 15 minutes, and during my vacation from December 20 to 31 |
| Site procedures | The practice crisis protocol is in the shared drive under Policies; the practice owner is the on-site lead |
| Telehealth | Confirm and record the client's location and an emergency contact at the start of every telehealth session, so you can send help to the right place |
| Steps | Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger; follow the protocol; call me, then the alternate; document the same day; we review at the next session |
| Given to the supervisee | September 8, 2026, before the first supervision session; supervisee initials J.K. |
What Does California Require for Supervision Emergency Procedures?
California requires every supervisor of marriage and family therapist trainees and associates to establish written procedures for supervisees to contact the supervisor or, in the supervisor's absence, an alternative on-call supervisor to assist in handling crises and emergencies, and to provide those procedures to the supervisee before supervision begins (16 CCR 1833.1(a)(10)). The same duty applies to supervisors of associate clinical social workers and professional clinical counselors under their own sections of the regulations. The Board supplies no form for it, so the procedures can take any written shape that covers who to call and when.
Name an alternate who is licensed, available when you are not and willing to be called, and tell them they are on the sheet. If the supervisee sees clients by telehealth, add the site's rule for confirming the client's location at the start of each session; our guide to telehealth rules for California therapists covers it. Our Clinical Supervision Guides list everything else due before the first session.
Keep reading
Your First Supervisee, what to do before and after a new supervisee starts
Supervision Disclosure Statement Template, the statement that summarizes these procedures
Clinical Supervision Log Template, the key-dates box that records when the procedures were given
Ethics and Liability in Clinical Supervision, the supervisor's legal exposure when a crisis goes wrong
Frequently Asked Questions
Are written emergency procedures required for clinical supervisors in California?
Yes. A supervisor must establish written procedures for supervisees to reach the supervisor or, in the supervisor's absence, an alternative on-call supervisor in crises and emergencies, and give them to the supervisee before supervision begins (16 CCR 1833.1(a)(10)).
Does the BBS have an emergency procedures form?
No. The Board supplies no form, so any written document that covers who to call, when and how meets the purpose.
Who can be the alternate on-call supervisor?
Choose a licensed clinician who is available when you are not and who has agreed to be called. Many supervisors name a colleague at the same site or another qualified supervisor they trade coverage with.
When should the supervisee receive the procedures?
Before supervision begins. Record the date they were given and have the supervisee initial the sheet.
References
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 1833.1. https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I018363124C8211EC89E5000D3A7C4BC3
Board of Behavioral Sciences. (2026). Important answers to frequently asked questions for supervisors (new 02/2026). https://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/publications/faqs_for_supervisors.pdf
Board of Behavioral Sciences. (n.d.). Supervisor resources. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://www.bbs.ca.gov/licensees/supervisor.html
