Gatekeeping and Remediation in Supervision

Gatekeeping and Remediation inSupervisionTCA Galveston, 2012Dr. Judy DetrudeDr. Kate WalkerJason Daviswww.achievebalance.org

Defining Remediation and Gatekeeping• Gatekeeping– A responsibility exists– A protection factor• Remediation– Corrective, restore, healing

Evaluation and Remediation ofStudents (F9)• Counselors clearly state to students, prior toand throughout the training program, thelevels of competency expected, appraisalmethods, and timing of evaluations for bothdidactic and clinical competencies. Counseloreducators provide students with ongoingperformance, appraisal and evaluationfeedback throughout the training program.

Responsibility of CE Programs• 1. evaluation of students has to be ongoing;done with each course/or each semester• 2. students need to receive timely feedback• 3. committee decisions versus the decision ofone professor

Limitations• Counselor educators, throughout ongoingevaluation and appraisal are aware of andaddress the inability of some students toachieve counseling.• 1. Assist students in securing remedialassistance when needed.• 2. Seek professional consultation anddocument their decision to dismiss or referstudents for assistance and

Limitations cont.• 3. Ensure that students have recourse in atimely manner to address decisions to requirethem to seek assistance or to dismiss themand provide students with due process.• Handbooks explain step by step how theprocess if to work.

Counseling for Students• If students request counseling or if counselingservices are required as part of a remediationprocess, counselor educators provideacceptable referrals.• Students concerned aboutprivacy/confidentiality if they access campusfacilities.

• What kinds of student issues did you see inyour graduate programs?

Gatekeeping and Remediation atUniversities• Types of Problems– Academic– Personal issues, crises with families– Emotional/mental instability– Lack of understanding of confidentiality– Substance abuse issues

• Responses of Counselor Education Programs– Academic issues – retake courses; redoassignments– Personal issues – take a semester off, giveincomplete grades; counseling– Emotional/mental instability – require counseling;assess if student’s clients are at risk; assess ifproblem is chronic or situational– Confidentiality – remedial work; possible dismissal

• Administrative Issues – look at problems froman administrative viewpoint versus aprofessional code• Concern for enrollment• Concern for lawsuit from student

Examples of Remediation• 1. a student could not interact with clients in thepracticum; given an F and had to take the courseover; failed the course a second time resulting indismissal from the program• 2. a single-parent mom working full time, drivingan hour to class and finding sitters for four youngchildren. The quality of the work decreased,asked to take a semester off, was very angry butcomplied. Came back the next semester and wassuccessful and also grateful for the remediation.

Consequences for Universities• 1. If they do dismiss a student• 2. If they do not dismiss a student

My own experience• 1. a transgender student• 2. a student who was a danger to faculty andother students• 3. students using alcohol

Court Cases with Counselor EdPrograms• 1. telling a student she had to work with ahomosexual client if she wanted to stay in theprogram• 2. transferring a homosexual client from onestudent to another• 3. a student graduated from a program, didharm to the client, the client’s family sued theuniversity because they had let the counselorgraduate

Case – Eastern Michigan University,2009• Federal lawsuit against Eastern Michigan filed by a federallegal group• University dismissed the student for her beliefs onhomosexuality; the student followed the supervisor’s adviceand referred the client to another counselor who did not havea conscience issue with homosexuality• The original counselor was told she had to undergoremediation to change her beliefs as they relate tohomosexual clients. She refused remediation, was given aformal hearing and then dismissed by the university.

Case – Augusta State University 2010• University required a student to accepthomosexuality. The student argued in alawsuit that she was threatened withexpulsion if she did not change her beliefs onhomosexuality.• She was given remediation and refused tocomply.– Attend workshops, read articles– Write reports to her advisor

Jason’s research

Gatekeeping and Remediation Post• Types of IssuesGraduation– 1. refusing to follow directives from supervision• Homework, outside consultation• Call CPS, take appropriate steps for suicidal client– 2. withholding information from the supervisor– 3. not following ethical/legal codes (lack ofknowledge)– 4. purposely not following ethical/legal codes– 5. taking on clinical issues with no training

Remediation Requirements Post Grad• §681.93. Supervisor Requirements.e(4) If a supervisor determines that the LPCIntern may not have the counseling skills orcompetence to practice professionalcounseling under a regular license, thesupervisor shall develop and implement awritten plan for remediation of the LPC Intern.

“Shall”• a —used to express a command orexhortation • b —used in laws, regulations, or directives toexpress what is mandatory http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shallDownloaded October 29, 2012

Supervisors and Their Responses toIssues• 1. depending on the issue, supervisors feelvulnerable, deceived, lied to• 2. have to decide if the relationship can besaved• 3. have to decide if the supervisee can behelped• 4. have to decide if they want to remediate,terminate

• What kinds of post graduate supervisionissues have you experienced or heard about?

Before RemediationAre you sure you have been clear?• Define supervision expectations– Supervision Contract• Define administrative expectations (if applicable)– Administrative Contract– Policy and Procedures Manual• Define specific behaviors for counseling andsupervision – what is clinical competence– SPAI– Self-evaluation

Before Remediation• Are your expectations appropriate todevelopmental stage?• Have you defined ‘exceeds expectations’ ‘meetsexpectations’ ‘does not meet expectations’?• Are there boundary or dual relationship issues?– Friend– Work colleague (former or current)– Student

Remediation Steps• If supervisor decides to remediate:– Use written document that describes the problem– Clearly state what the remediation will be– Provide expectations of when remediation will becompleted– State what will happen if remediation is notcompleted. Will additional remediation beconducted or will lack of completion result intermination.– Make sure that both the supervisor andsupervisee sign the document and date it

LPC and LMFT Remediation• On the websites:• Additional hours of supervision• Take workshops on specific issues, example billingpractices or be assigned to a practice wheresomeone will teach the correct billing practice• Determined by:– Severity of the offense, the history of previousviolations, efforts made to correct the violation, theharm to the victim, the likelihood of repeat violations

Other Systems Involved• If they work in a place different from you– Be sure to have a release of information for thesite supervisor; need to have cooperation in orderto secure the safety of clients– If they are in group supervision, do the othermembers of the group need to know; is it ateaching moment

Jason’s Research

Examples• 1. breach of confidentiality• 2. being lied to about reporting child abuse• 3. working harder than the supervisee

Consequences for Supervisors• 1. If they keep working with the supervisee• 2. If they terminate the contract with thesupervisee

Issues of Termination• What issues would result in immediatetermination of the supervisory agreement?• One supervision group:– Sexual relationship with a client– Lack of disclosure when they did something

Resources• TX LPC Code of Ethics• TX LMFT Code of Ethics• ACA Code of Ethics• TCA Code of Ethics• Online course Gatekeeping and Remediationin Counseling; Achieve Balance

For More InformationContact Dr. Judy DeTrude, Jason Davis, and Dr. Kate Walker atAchievebalance.org936-697-2822Visit www.achievebalance.org for our Supervisor Toolkit and more valuablesupervisor resources.