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Core Competencies in Clinical Supervision
The authors note that over-documentation can be as much an issue as under-documentation,
and suggest the use of structured forms to capture case review data and
recommendations. Falvey et al. also strongly recommend that clinicians not be given
sole discretion in selecting cases for review in clinical supervision. They note that
clinicians may not recognize important practice issues in all cases, and that significant
client care problems or issues may not be addressed unless all cases are periodically
reviewed. As the authors state:
Leaving the choice of which cases to review up to the supervisee, while
commonplace, is not an ethically or legally viable supervisory practice.
Evaluation anxiety, concern over clinical errors or boundary violations,
negative reactions to the supervisor, or failure to recognize the
importance of clinical signs and symptoms contribute to a high rate
of supervisee nondisclosure. (Falvey et al., 2003, p. 72)
Falvey and Cohen also highlight the importance of a clinical supervision contract,
records of all clinical supervision sessions (with details on cases discussed and
decisions made); notes on cancelled or missed supervision meetings, and on significant
conflicts in clinical supervision sessions and how they were handled. These documents
can assist in identifying training/professional development needs, and provide
“evidence of competent supervision should a supervisee grievance or client lawsuit
subsequently arise” (Falvey & Cohen, 2003, p.68). They present samples of forms
developed as part of a clinical supervision process evaluation/tracking package, titled
the Focused Risk Management Supervision System (FoRMSS). (The authors provide
sample forms in their article; see pages 73, 74 and 76.) These forms (or FoRMSS) can
be adapted for use in clinical supervision groups as a way of maintaining a record of
case discussions and a process evaluation of clinical supervision issues and outcomes.
Conclusion
Evaluation of clinical supervision is a complex and challenging task. However, it
is crucial to fostering transparency, accountability and modelling of best practices.
Areas for further research identified in the literature include evaluating/assessing
clinical supervisors’ diversity competence, and demonstrating the impact of clinical
supervision on client care outcomes. The latter may be facilitated by more active use
of the Interdisciplinary Plan of Client Care (ipcc) in clinical supervision sessions,
where ipcc goals and outcomes are routinely discussed as part of the case review
and clinical feedback process. In the absence of clear and unequivocal empirical
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