Clinical Supervision in Behavioral Health

Clinical supervision is the means by which all applied health and mental health fields are taught, yet few supervisors receive specific training in this important role. Clinical supervision, while appearing on the surface to be similar to psychotherapy and counseling, is a different relationship with unique qualities and characteristics that set it apart. It requires the development of new knowledge and expertise. Ethically and legally, supervisors are responsible for patient/client care as well as the training and development of their supervisees. Supervision becomes a balancing act between the needs of the patient/client population and the needs of the supervisee.

It is no longer possible for clinicians to say, "I am an experienced and competent therapist, counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist, so therefore I can be a competent supervisor." The practitioner, regardless of degree, credentials, field of practice, work environment or the population served, must develop a separate knowledge base and skill set in order to be competent and effective in this role and avoid ethical/legal pitfalls. Dr. Campbell will help you feel more competent as a supervisor as she strengthens your ethical clinical judgment and relationship skills. This seminar will help you do your job better and give you clinical skills to rely on throughout your professional career.

COURSE CONTENT

LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS FOR ETHICAL PRACTICE IN

CLINICAL SUPERVISION

• The importance of supervision: its function and purpose
• Role and mission of the clinical supervisor
• Differences between administrative and clinical supervisors
• Why you need training in supervision to be ethical

ETHICAL ISSUES IN SUPERVISION

• The Ethical Practice Model

• What are the ethical concerns in supervision?
• What are areas of potential harm and how to avoid them
• The 10 activities essential to ethical practice
• Why ethical practice is the best malpractice plan
• Suggestions for building a malpractice plan

FOUR AREAS OF ETHICAL PRACTICE FOR SUPERVISORS

• Competency
  • what supervisors need to know and do to be competent and ethical
  • qualities and characteristics of effective and ineffective supervisors
• Use of power and authority
  • 3 main areas for ethical mistakes and complaints
    • multiple relationships and boundary issues
    • multicultural differences
    • evaluation of the supervisee’s competence
  • How to manage multiple relationships in supervision
    • what to avoid
  • Strategies to respond to multicultural differences
  • How to ethically evaluate supervisees
• Communication and confidentiality
  • how to build safety and trust in supervision

• importance of orientation to ethical practice of supervision
• tools and techniques to improve communication
• use of informed consent agreement and contract
• documentation and record keeping

• Consultation
  • a key factor in ethical practice
    • lifetime learning and professional growth model
    • protecting supervisees from bias
    • taking care of the caretaker
    • preventing burnout and compassion fatigue
    • wellness planning in supervision

Beginning to Supervise

• How to proceed
  • goal setting

• role in ethical practice
  • planning and structuring supervision

• selecting methods and techniques

• evaluation
  • what to do to be ethical and fair
  • establishing evaluation criteria

Working with difficulties in supervision

•  Improving the supervision relationship

• ideas to improve feedback
• what factors create resistance in supervision

• Strategies to resolve problems in supervision
  • problem-solving model for supervisors
• Exploring self-awareness in supervision
  • how to avoid ethical mistakes
• Distinction impaired learning vs. problem person

• what approach to take: best practice issues
• what to do when there is nothing to do

-             Termination of supervision