Clinical Supervision in Behavioral Health: Building Skills for Ethical and Effective Practice

• • Explore accepted fundamentals of clinical supervision and the role of the clinical supervisor
• • Learn how to avoid ethical and legal mistakes
• • Identify what defines a culturally competent, self-aware, ethical supervisor
• • Define the importance of self care as a supervisor and of those you supervise
• • Discuss whether or not supervision nightmares can be avoided
• • Identify effective and ineffective supervisory practices
• • Develop a plan for clinical supervision
• • Discuss how to manage personal and interpersonal issues
• • Discuss how to address transference and countertransference with supervisees
• • Identify what model of supervision fits for you
• • Explore techniques for working with difficult supervisees

Clinical Supervision in Behavioral Health

Clinical supervision is accepted among behavioral health disciplines as the method to ensure that behavioral health practitioners develop into ethical, competent professionals. Many supervisors lack sufficient training that will prepare them for the task that is before them. Clinical supervision is a relationship that differs from the therapist/client relationship as it is a process that will lead to the development of new knowledge and expertise through teaching and role modeling. Many supervisors are promoted due to their excellent clinical skills rather than because of their training as a supervisor, thus perpetuating the mistakes of their supervisors. Supervisors have a legal and ethical responsibility for the work performed by and the development of the supervisees, as well as client care. Supervision requires skills in both caring for clients as well as the development of quality clinicians.

Promotion into supervision can no longer be based on clinical skills. The clinician must develop and possess a set of knowledge, skills, and abilities that is separate and distinct from clinical skills used in working with clients. Effective and competent supervisory skills include the ability to handle a variety of ethical, clinical, supervision situations. Dr. Patterson will offer guidance to build or enhance supervision skills and strengthen critical judgment and relationship skills. Through concepts taught in this seminar, participants will be able to perform their jobs more effectively and become more comfortable in their roles as clinical supervisors.