Research & Professional Development 1 - Providing a Meaningful Umbrella Clinical Supervision Experience: Lessons Learned and a Path Forward

The field has moved towards characterizing supervision as a unique competency and underlining the importance of formal training in clinical supervision. While it is necessary and foundational to complete coursework and didactic instruction related to clinical supervision, participation in an experiential rotation or practice in clinical supervision allows for direct feedback on implementation of skills and assessment of competency. Curtis and colleagues (2016) describe reflective practice in the context of tiered supervision and provide insights from trainees at various levels, as well as licensed psychologists regarding their experience with this supervision training model, which suggests both feasibility and acceptability of this approach to training. Milne and colleagues (2011) conducted a systematic review of evidence-based training in supervision with corrective feedback, role-play, and observation as the elements of supervision training having the most robust support (Milne et al., 2011). Similarly, Kaslow (2004) highlighted the importance of experiential learning, while also recognizing the need for a developmental model in building this competence. Core components of training in clinical supervision include consistency with the literature and established guidelines, incorporation of experiential and didactic learning opportunities, reliance on a developmental model, description of multiple methods and models of supervision, and grounding in learning theory (Borders, 2009). This panel will discuss the components of an established umbrella supervision training rotation for postdoctoral fellows, highlighting experiences with implementation of this rotation from the licensed psychologists overseeing the rotation and a postdoctoral fellow who completed the rotation.

Recommended Reading 1: Curtis, D. F., Elkins, S. R., Duran, P., & Venta, A. C. (2016). Promoting a climate of reflective practice and clinician self-efficacy in vertical supervision. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 10(3), 133-140. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000121

Recommended Reading 2: Milne, D. L., Sheikh, A. I., Pattison, S., & Wilkinson, A. (2011). Evidence-based training for clinical supervisors: A systematic review of 11 controlled studies. The Clinical Supervisor, 30(1), 53-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2011.564955

Recommended Reading 3: Newman, C. F. (2013). Training cognitive behavioral therapy supervisors: Didactics, simulated practice, and “meta-supervision.” Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 27(1), 5-18. https://doi.org/10.1891/0889-8391.27.1.5