Clinical Supervision Handbook - CAMH Knowledge Exchange ..

CONTEXT OF
CLINICAL SUPERVISION
Models of clinical supervision
The definition of supervision differs across settings and professions.
SOCIAL WORK
Social work literature reflects a long history of valuing clinical supervision as the
crucial vehicle for professional development of the social worker (see Appendix 1,
Conceptualization of clinical supervision: a review of the literature, p. 103). Supervision
in social work is essentially conceived as a method to ensure the organization’s
mandate is achieved through enhancing the supervisee’s*ability to provide effective
service. Through discussion of routine and complex clinical situations, clinicians are
better equipped to meet client needs, and that, in turn, contributes to improved
client outcomes.
NURSING
In the nursing literature there is less agreement on the definition of clinical supervision
(see Appendix 1, Conceptualization of Clinical Supervision: A Review of the Literature,
p. 107). Logistical realities of nursing—including time away from clients, rotating
shifts, 24-hour care and stringent time-oriented duties make the use of clinical
supervision challenging. It appears from this literature that clinical supervision
has often been viewed as an authoritarian and hierarchical activity that arises in
response to an error or indiscretion.
This is beginning to change. Jones (2005) reviewed research literature on clinical
supervision and credits Winstanley and White (2003) with the most comprehensive
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