Models & Practices of Clinical Supervision

Models & Practices of Clinical Supervision David A Patterson Silver Wolf (AdelvunegvWaya) May 19, 2014

Definition of a Supervisor?

Possible Definitions • Nurturer • Promoter • Monitor • Helper • Tutor

Four points of supervision • Administrative – organization management responsibilities • Evaluation – Goal setting & Feedback • Clinical – teacher, trainer, role model, mentor (not tormentor!) • Supportive – handholding, cheerleading, coaching, not therapy

Supervisors must… • Develop their own model • Continue learning • Be leaders and managers • Build trust • Be enthusiastic • Have ability to change

Traits of effective supervisor • Clinical knowledge & skills • Been supervised! • Sense of humor • Respect among peers • Nonthreatening • Fair • Physical, emotional, and spiritual Health

Two essential qualities • Have sound clinical skills and experiences • Passionate about counseling

Counselor Levels • Level 1 – 3 • Characteristics • Supervisory environments • Supervision strategies

Level 1 Counselor Characteristics • Focused on basic skills • Emulates a role model • Motivated by anxiety & enthusiasm • Learns “right way” of doing • Don’t know what they don’t know • Lacks self-awareness

Best environments for Level 1 • Encourage autonomy with instructions, support, and role modeling • Supervisors should be prepared to defend their experiences and credentials • Remain focused on “do no harm” watch Level 1 in action • Growth = ambiguity and conflict • Find out their learning style-Learn by doing?

Supervision Strategies • Be sensitive to trainee anxiety • Encourage some risk taking • Introduce ambiguity • Address strengths first • Don’t take too much control • Use role play, application, presentations

Level 2 Counselor Characteristics • Focused more on clients • May not look like advanced Level 1 • May lose motivation after difficult clients • Hass dependency/autonomy conflicts with supervisor • Has more awareness • Great cultural awareness

Best environments for Level 2 • Supervisors must know difference between Levels 1 & 2 • Greater autonomy with moderate structure • Transparent safety net – courage to take risks • Less talk more modeling • Caseload with challenges and success

Supervision Strategies • Counselor ready for confrontation – needs to learn alternatives • Prepare for challenges to competence • Focus on transference • Develop consultative supervision • Set clear lines between supervision and therapy

Level 3 Counselor Characteristics • Deeper client understanding • Knows limits, not disabled by doubt • Consistently motivated overtime • Forging own therapeutic style • Non-defensive • Pigeonholes clients less often • Accepts supervisor of different orientation

Best environments for Level 3 • Guides towards mastery • Combines all – assessment to TX to aftercare • Supervisor balances being supportive, facilitative, , exploratory, and confrontational • Allows for self-exploration – incremental learning and conceptual development

Supervision Strategies • Requires Level 3 supervisor • Be a supportive colleague/friend • Reality tester • Shares experiences • Use wisdom as a guide • Stimulate and challenge • Use self-disclosure when helpful

Supervisor Level 1 • Shows mechanistic approach • Plays strong expert role • Depends on own supervisor • Highly motivated • Invested in trainee adopting own model • Has trouble with level 2 counselor

Supervisor Level 2 • Displays confusion at times • Sees supervision/counseling as overly complex • Focuses mostly on trainee • Hard the accept blame for supervision issues • Works best with level 1 counselors

Supervisor Level 3 • Functions autonomously • Can differentiates boundaries/roles • Able to supervise at all times • Prefers to work with certain level of counselor

Models & Practices of Clinical Supervision