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Clinical Supervision and Professional Development of the Substance Abuse Counselor . Chapter 1
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Clinical Supervision and Professional Development of the Substance Abuse Counselor . Chapter 1
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Clinical Supervision and Professional Development of theSubstance Abuse Counselor [Internet].
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Introduction
Clinical supervision is emerging as the crucible in which counselors acquire knowledge and skills
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for the substance abuse treatment profession, providing a bridge between the classroom and the
clinic. Supervision is necessary in the substance abuse treatment field to improve client care,
develop the professionalism of clinical personnel, and impart and maintain ethical standards in the
field. In recent years, especially in the substance abuse field, clinical supervision has become the
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cornerstone of quality improvement and assurance.
Your role and skill set as a clinical supervisor are distinct from those of counselor and
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administrator. Quality clinical supervision is founded on a positive supervisor–supervisee
relationship that promotes client welfare and the professional development of the supervisee. You
are a teacher, coach, consultant, mentor, evaluator, and administrator; you provide support,
encouragement, and education to staff while addressing an array of psychological, interpersonal,
physical, and spiritual issues of clients. Ultimately, effective clinical supervision ensures that clients
are competently served. Supervision ensures that counselors continue to increase their skills, which
in turn increases treatment effectiveness, client retention, and staff satisfaction. The clinical
supervisor also serves as liaison between administrative and clinical staff.
,This TIP focuses primarily on the teaching, coaching, consulting, and mentoring functions of
clinical supervisors. Supervision, like substance abuse counseling, is a profession in its own right,
with its own theories, practices, and standards. The profession requires knowledgeable, competent,
and skillful individuals who are appropriately credentialed both as counselors and supervisors.
Definitions
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This document builds on and makes frequent reference to CSAT's Technical Assistance Publication
(TAP), Competencies for Substance Abuse Treatment Clinical Supervisors (TAP 21-A; CSAT,
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2007). The clinical supervision competencies identify those responsibilities and activities that
define the work of the clinical supervisor. This TIP provides guidelines and tools for the effective
delivery of clinical supervision in substance abuse treatment settings. TAP 21-A is a companion
volume to TAP 21, Addiction Counseling Competencies (CSAT, 2006), which is another useful tool
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in supervision.
The perspective of this TIP is informed by the following2 definitions of supervision:
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“Supervision is a disciplined, tutorial process wherein principles are transformed into practical
skills, with four overlapping foci: administrative, evaluative, clinical, and supportive” (Powell &
Brodsky, 2004, p. 11). “Supervision is an intervention provided by a senior member of a
profession to a more junior member or members. … This relationship is evaluative, extends over
time, and has the simultaneous purposes of enhancing the professional functioning of the more
junior person(s); monitoring the quality of professional services offered to the clients that she,
he, or they see; and serving as a gatekeeper of those who are to enter the particular profession”
(Bernard & Goodyear, 2004, p. 8).
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Supervision is “a social influence process that occurs over time, in which the supervisor
participates with supervisees to ensure quality of clinical care. Effective supervisors observe,
mentor, coach, evaluate, inspire, and create an atmosphere that promotes self-motivation,
learning, and professional development. They build teams, create cohesion, resolve conflict, and
shape agency culture, while attending to ethical and diversity issues in all aspects of the process.
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Such supervision is key to both quality improvement and the successful implementation of
consensus- and evidence-based practices” (CSAT, 2007, p. 3).
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Rationale
For hundreds of years, many professions have relied on more senior colleagues to guide less
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experienced professionals in their crafts. This is a new development in the substance abuse field, as
clinical supervision was only recently acknowledged as a discrete process with its own concepts
and approaches.
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As a supervisor to the client, counselor, and organization, the significance of your position is
apparent in the following statements:
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Organizations have an obligation to ensure quality care and quality improvement of all
personnel. The first aim of clinical supervision is to ensure quality services and to protect the
welfare of clients.
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, Supervision is the right of all employees and has a direct impact on workforce development and
staff and client retention.
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You oversee the clinical functions of staff and have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure
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quality care to clients, the professional development of counselors, and maintenance of program
policies and procedures.
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Clinical supervision is how counselors in the field learn. In concert with classroom education,
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clinical skills are acquired through practice, observation, feedback, and implementation of the
recommendations derived from clinical supervision.
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Functions of a Clinical Supervisor
You, the clinical supervisor, wear several important “hats.” You facilitate the integration of
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counselor self-awareness, theoretical grounding, and development of clinical knowledge and skills;
and you improve functional skills and professional practices. These roles often overlap and are
fluid within the context of the supervisory relationship. Hence, the supervisor is in a unique
position as an advocate for the agency, the counselor, and the client. You are the primary link
between administration and front line staff, interpreting and monitoring compliance with agency
goals, policies, and procedures and communicating staff and client needs to administrators. Central
to the supervisor's function is the alliance between the supervisor and supervisee (Rigazio-DiGilio,
1997).
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