Clinical Supervision Handbook - CAMH Knowledge Exchange ..

Clinical Supervision Handbook
Educational supervision encompasses activities that develop the professional capacity
of supervisees, including teaching knowledge and skills, and developing self-awareness
(Barker, 1995; Munson, 2002) through, for example, teaching, case consultation,
facilitating learning and growth. Kadushin and Harkness (2002) note that in the
general social work supervision literature, the term clinical supervision frequently
refers to a focus on the professional practice of the supervisee. Others associate clinical
supervision with an analytic focus on the dynamics of the client situation and the
worker’s interventions and interactions with clients (Gibelman & Schervish, 1997).
We prefer the definition of clinical supervision in professional psychology, which
includes both enhancing the professional performance of the junior member of the
profession while monitoring the quality of services offered to the client (Bernard
& Goodyear, 2004). Supportive supervision encompasses helping workers handle
job-related stress by providing appropriate praise and encouragement, normalizing
work-related reactions, affirming strengths and sharing responsibility for difficult
decisions (Kadushin & Harkness, 2002). Stress is related to the emotional demands
on social workers faced with traumatic and acute social problems that may be
challenging to articulate within the supervision setting (Barretta-Herman, 1993).
Supportive comments are meaningful when given within the context of a relationship
with a respected and valued supervisor (Kaiser & Barretta-Herman, 1999).
In an analysis of themes in the supervision literature, Bruce and Austin (2000) predict
that supervisors in the future would need to incorporate the following: change
management skills including understanding the multiple governmental, community
and organizational contexts of practice; practice in racially and culturally diverse
organizations and communities; use of client outcomes to monitor service delivery;
and processes that promote effective inter-professional work.
In summary, this review of the literature found a view of supervision for social work
that includes the interrelated elements of administration, education and support.
Each of these factors influences all of the others and, when operating in concert,
produce more effective services for clients. Separating educational or clinical elements
from this holistic definition distorts the fundamental essence of social work supervision.
Similar to principles of effective practice, supervision is an interpersonal and interactional
process between worker and supervisor. The importance of offering and
modelling positive elements in a supportive, performance and outcomes-oriented
relationship is reinforced in the literature.
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