How it works: Getting started as a supervisee on Headway

Updated

This program is currently in a pilot phase specifically for group practices in New York seeing Aetna and Cigna clients. While we are prioritizing group practices initially, we’re actively working to expand to additional major payers, new states, and solo providers over the next year.

Follow this guide to get set up to see your first client on Headway as a supervisee.
 

Step 1: Confirm you meet your state’s requirements

Before getting started, make sure you're eligible to practice under supervision in your state. Requirements vary by license type and state licensing board, but you'll generally need to:

  • Hold a provisional or pre-licensed credential (e.g., LMSW, LPC, LMHC, or CP-LP depending on your state)
  • Have a qualified, fully licensed supervisor in place
  • Be actively working toward your hours for independent licensure

It's your responsibility to confirm that your supervision arrangement meets your state licensing board's requirements, including any rules around supervision frequency, documentation, and caseload. Headway's platform is designed to support compliant supervisory billing, but does not replace your obligation to follow your state's regulations.

 

Step 2: Gather your prerequisites

NPI, CAQH, and malpractice insurance

Before anything else, you'll need three things in place. We recommend completing them in this order – each one builds on the last.

NPI (National Provider Identifier) 

A unique 10-digit number that identifies you as a healthcare provider for billing purposes. You must have an individual (Type 1) NPI – not a group (Type 2).

Malpractice insurance (professional liability) 

Even under supervision, you carry your own clinical responsibility. Malpractice insurance ensures you're protected if a client ever raises a concern about your care. Your policy must list you personally as the insured, not just your LLC or PLLC. Coverage minimums vary by state, but a general guideline is $1M per occurrence / $3M aggregate.

CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) 

CAQH ProView is the online portal where you submit your information. Payers use it to verify your credentials, and it's how Headway confirms you're ready to see clients.

  • Takes ~30–60 minutes to complete. You'll need your NPI and malpractice insurance handy.
  • After setting up your account, you must re-attest (confirm your info is accurate) – your account can't be processed until this step is done.
  • Visit our guide to getting started with CAQH.

Once all three are in place: Your group admin can add you to the practice and kick off your intake.

 

Step 3: Accept your Sigmund invitation and create your account

Your group admin will invite you to Sigmund Lite – Headway's provider portal – via the Manage Team tab in their admin portal. You'll receive an email invitation to confirm enrollment and set up your account.

Sigmund Lite is where you'll manage your calendar, confirm sessions, write notes, and submit treatment plans. Both you and your supervisor are required to have Sigmund Lite access to participate in supervisory billing.

Once your account is set up, you'll be able to access and complete your intake form.

 

Step 4: Complete the intake form

The intake form collects your information — license, NPI, malpractice insurance, and CAQH data — and kicks off your verification.

A few things to know:

  • Your group admin may complete this on your behalf, depending on your practice's workflow. If they're handling it, they'll just need your CAQH login and documents.
  • If you're completing it yourself, you can access it from the bottom-left corner of your Sigmund portal, or directly at sigmund.headway.co/credentials.
  • All uploads must be in PDF format.
  • CAQH FAQs and common intake errors.

Once the intake form is submitted, your information will move to Headway's team for review.

 

Step 5: Complete the supervision form (your sign-off)

After your intake, you'll complete a supervision-specific onboarding step that covers the terms and conditions of the supervisory billing program. This step is unique to you as a supervisee — your group admin cannot complete it on your behalf.

This includes:

  • Your supervisory billing Terms & Conditions.
  • Attestations confirming your understanding of the supervisory relationship, Headway's documentation requirements, and compliance obligations.
  • Your supervisor will also need to sign their own set of terms and conditions to ensure they fully understand and accept the responsibilities of supervision. Both sign-offs must be completed before you can go live.

Once both you and your supervisor have signed, your case will move to clinical review.

 

Step 6: Clinical review and approval

After your intake and supervision forms are complete, Headway's clinical team will review your application. Headway maintains quality standards for all providers, both at the time of application and on an ongoing basis. This review is conducted by Headway's Supervisor Quality Committee, an interdisciplinary group of licensed clinicians and clinical leadership.

You'll be in a Pending Review state during this time – no action is needed from you. The review typically takes 2–3 business days. Headway will notify you by email as soon as you're approved and live.

What the review looks at:

  • Verification of credentials (license, NPI, malpractice).
  • Government exclusion lists (e.g., OIG, SAM.gov, state Medicaid exclusion lists).
  • Clinical quality and compliance history.

If anything is missing or needs clarification, your admin or a Headway team member will reach out.

Once approved, you're live and ready to be assigned your first client by your supervisor.

 

Step 7: Get assigned your first client

Currently, supervisees are not listed in Headway's public search. Clients must come from your practice — either existing clients transferred from your supervisor's caseload, or referrals sourced directly by your group. All clients transferred to you must  be clinically assessed by your supervisor and determined to be appropriate for care with a provisionally licensed provider.

Here's how a client transfer works:

  • The client must first be added to your supervisor's account.
  • Your supervisor navigates to the client's profile and selects Supervised Provider → Add Supervisee to transfer them to you.
  • Once transferred, the client will appear in your portal and you can begin scheduling.

Before any sessions can be billed, your client must review and sign a disclosure form confirming they understand they're receiving care from a provisionally licensed provider. This is handled automatically through Headway.

Once a client is assigned and their consent is signed: You can schedule and confirm your first session.

 

Step 8: Confirm your first session and submit your notes

After you’ve been transferred a client, here's what the confirmation workflow looks like:

  1. You confirm the session from your Headway calendar. Group admins cannot confirm supervisory billing sessions on your behalf.
  2. You write and submit a progress note using Headway's note templates (required for every session). Notes must be submitted within 72 hours of the session.
  3. Your supervisor reviews the note and either co-signs it or requests edits. If edits are requested, you'll receive feedback and a task to revise and resubmit, on your Home page under Todos.  
  4. Feedback is an opportunity to strengthen your clinical documentation and align on the client's care.
  5. Once co-signed, the session is confirmed for billing and payment.

Sessions must be fully co-signed within 30 days of the session date. After your first session is confirmed: Keep an eye on your treatment plan deadline (see below).

 

Step 8: Submit your treatment plan

A treatment plan is required for every client you see. A treatment plan is an important way to provide a clinical roadmap for your client's care and a record of intentional, goal-directed treatment. You have a small window to get it done:

You have a brief grace period of 2 sessions, after which scheduling will be paused until a plan is submitted and approved.

We recommend completing the treatment plan after your first session. Early planning ensures your client's care is goal-directed from the start and gives your supervisor the context they need to support you effectively.

How it works:

  1. You write the treatment plan in Headway using the provided template.
  2. Your supervisor reviews it and either co-signs or requests revisions.
  3. Once co-signed, the treatment plan is on file and sessions can continue.

Treatment plans are required at least twice per year per client.

 

Questions?

If you're unsure where you are in the process, check in with your group admin — they have visibility into your onboarding status. For questions about clinical review, CAQH, or being stuck in a particular step, you can also reach out to Headway support.

Disclaimer: This document is for educational purposes only and is not intended as professional or legal advice. It may contain errors or missing information, and recent changes in policies, regulations, or payer requirements may not be reflected. Because requirements vary by organization and jurisdiction, please consult legal counsel, the appropriate regulatory or licensing authority or your designated Headway contact for guidance specific to your situation.

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