Finding a licensed psychologist to guide you during your transition from graduate school to independent practice is very important. Great care should be taken to ensure a good fit between you and your supervisor. Dr. Upson offers structured post-doctoral supervision in preparation for licensure. She has provided direct clinical supervision for school and clinical psychology students at the practicum and internship level. See related article below.

THE NITTY GRITTY

• Name your supervisor and that person's qualifications.
• The contract should clearly state who will supervise you and how they meet the state's requirements to do so. Some states require supervisors to be licensed for a minimum number of years; California requires every supervisor to take a supervision course.
• Specify your hours. State where you will work and the start and end dates. List the amount of time--per week and over the span of the postdoc--you expect to spend on different tasks, such as in face-to-face contact with clients, research, intake interviewing, assessments and administration. Agree on who sets your hours and if and when you will be on call. Discuss supervision. List the minimum number of hours each week you expect your supervisor to provide in-person supervision. Identify your client hours.
• If in private practice, determine how you will develop a client base to meet the hours you've agree upon. If you're required to have 30 patient contacts a week, for example, does that mean 30 shows or 30 scheduled appointments? "Make the contract as specific as you can while leaving flexibility for other training opportunities," says Blatt. For example, instead of requesting group therapy with substance-abusing men, you might outline the number of hours you expect to conduct group therapy as well as other psychological services that you list. Be specific enough to get the experience you want, but not so specific that you couldn't also fit in other opportunities.
• List your goals. Determine what you expect to learn and outline the steps and timeline you need to achieve those goals. "Too often postdocs, in particular, are directionless because they are often viewed as employees rather than as trainees," says Hogg. "The more structure there is, the more likely it is the resident will achieve something very specific toward the training they need for their career specialty."  
• Describe the evaluation process. Delineate how and when your supervisor will formally evaluate you and vice versa. What criteria will be used in those evaluations? At the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium, residents are formally evaluated twice a year and also evaluate their supervisors. While the ability to formally evaluate a supervisor isn't widespread, consider building such feedback into your agreement so that together you can adjust your postdoc if necessary.
• Delineate your supervisor's responsibilities. The supervisor should agree to be responsible for your work for the entire postdoc and to keep records on you and your clients for about 15 years, experts advise. If you want to get licensed in a second state 10 years down the line, you may need the records to prove your experience. (Another option is to bank your credentials: See "What you need to know to get licensed," January 2004 gradPSYCH).
• Agree on compensation. Include how much you'll be paid as well as who will pay you and how often. Also outline any benefits, such as paid vacation time, family and medical leave and health insurance. Note any eligibility limitations, such as exclusions of pre-existing medical conditions or pregnancy within the first few months of the job. Blatt advises asking for a pay increase clause if your marketability increases, by for example, earning a provisional license. Outline your costs. Are you expected to pay office rent, telephone charges or other business expenses? Remember that paying your supervisor is illegal in some states.
• Include a grievance process. What recourse will you have if you are unhappy about your supervision or training? Include under what condition either party could terminate the agreement. Have an amendment clause. Note that your contract can be changed at the agreement of both parties. The provision allows you to adapt to changing interests or circumstances.
• And a last piece of advice from Blatt: Once the deal is done, make sure you have an accurate, signed copy on file so that you and your supervisor are on the same page.