Supervision for Clinical Social Work & Practice

Interns will collaborate with this agency and their instructional institution to meet the 9 Social Work Competencies as required by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE, 2022):

• Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior.
• Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice 
• Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
• Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice.
• Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice.
• Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.
• Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.
• Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.
• Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.

Upon completion of the clinical internship, interns will be able to demonstrate these competencies and gain greater insight into the skills needed to interact with individuals on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Individuals will learn how to integrate theoretical concepts with practical application skills while becoming familiar with the role of a mental health psychotherapist. Individuals will work closely with our team to ensure they gain valuable skills to contribute to the professional field of social work. 

The ideal social work intern candidate must:

• Have a basic understanding of social work theory
• Have a growth mindset 
• Be accepting of feedback
• Be professional at all times
• Be empathetic to others
• Be organized and meet deadlines
• Have access to the internet with a reliable connection 
• Have a noise-free and distraction-free area to work when out of the office
• Can send and receive messages using proper etiquette and tone
• Have an understanding of technology including but not limited to Microsoft Office

Defining Clinical Supervision

Social work clinical supervision is a transformational experience for supervisees to learn and grow into competent clinicians fostered through mentorship and education.   Much like therapy, the supervision process is a life-changing event for master-level social workers to transform into competent clinical social workers. The process involves a clinical social work supervisor, an individual who has obtained board-approved training, and a supervisee, a master-level social worker. Each state has regulatory standards and requirements to describe the supervision process. The regulatory board, The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, outlines the guidelines for this process within Texas. 

The board has clear and precise guidelines for supervisors (the licensed clinical social work supervisor (LCSW-S)) and supervisees (the licensed master social worker (LMSW)). However, each supervisor is unique as their art and skill levels may differ. This information is important when choosing a clinical supervisor as the supervisory relationship is important and aids in building one's professional social work identity. 

Supervision Model

A supervisor may utilize psychotherapy or a developmental supervision model during the supervision process. Psychotherapy models have conceptual frameworks underpinning cognitive-behavioral supervision, humanistic-relationship-oriented supervision, integrative supervision, psychodynamic supervision, postmodern/constructivist supervision, and systemic supervision feminist supervision. In comparison, a developmental model uses concepts aimed at exploring areas to enhance growth and includes the integrated developmental model, the systemic cognitive-developmental model, and the reflective developmental model. The developmental model recognizes that individuals have different levels of knowledge, ranging from novice to expert. 

A clinical supervisor oversees the patient, supervisee, and the agency in a triadic fashion. "The competent clinical supervisor must embrace not only the domain of psychological science but also the domains of client service and trainee development. The competent supervisor must comprehend how these various knowledge bases are connected and apply them to the individual case" (Holloway & Wolleat, 1994, p. 30). The ability to convey the integration of theory and practice takes time and is an art. 

Getting Started

Individuals interested in starting clinical supervision will begin by meeting with us to explore the dynamics of the supervision process. During the initial encounter, the supervisor will meet with the supervisee to determine expectations from the supervisor and supervisee and the regulatory requirements outlined by the board of social work. The initial meeting allows individuals to explore the relationship, as the relationship is essential to the supervision process. Individuals are highly encouraged to ask questions because supervision is a collaborative effort. The supervision process is transformational. Therefore, we encourage individuals to seek and build relationships to optimize this process. It is important to discuss the goals and expectations as they will be transcribed into a clinical supervision contract, a framework to navigate the supervision process.

What is the role of the supervisor? 

The supervisor's role serves as a roadmap for a lifelong journey. The supervisor aids supervisees with the tools they need to navigate independently by improving their skills and helping to perfect their art. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines while preparing individuals to practice independently. A good supervisor sets the tone for the relationship by demonstrating professionalism, competency and ethical decision making. 

What is the role of the supervisee?  

The supervisee is responsible for taking ownership in learning and implementing best practices. A supervisee must be accountable for their transformation by monitoring progress and being receptive to improvement. 

Types of Supervision

• Individual Supervision
• Group Supervision

Our Supervision Focus:

Upon completion of the clinical supervision, supervisees will have an improvement in knowledge to understand the following: 

• the role of a clinical social worker
• human development, diversity, and behavior in the environment
• concepts of abuse and neglect
• medical terminology
• diversity, social and economic justice, and oppression
• assessment, assessment methods, techniques, and intervention
• mental health diagnosis and treatment planning
• clinical interventions planning
• clinical documentation
• therapeutic therapy modalities
• professional relationships, values, and ethics
• maintaining confidentiality
• professional development and use of self
• crisis management
• case consultation